Moussaka ala Judy

As with many things I post, I make no pretense that this is the most authentic version of this dish, but it's the one I've developed while experimenting with many different recipes. It's a fabulous Greek dish that can be made with our without meat, can be a main dish or a side dish, and gets more delicious when reheated. As a bonus, it's also very easy to make and can be made days in advance.

1 large eggplant, sliced thin (I don't peel the eggplant in advance, but you can if you don't like the peel)
2 large cans of crushed tomatoes
1 medium red onion, diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 tablespoons each of minced fresh basil, mint and flat leaf parsley (if you use dried, use 2 teaspoons each, but it really won't be nearly as good)
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
16 ounces of feta cheese, crumbled (low-fat varieties will work)
1 pound ground lamb, beef, chicken or turkey (optional -- lamb is really the best choice, beef is second. Chicken and turkey are distant thirds)
1/2 cup of bread crumbs (seasoned or plain)
1/4 cup of grated parmigiana cheese

In a large bowl, mix the crushed tomatoes, onion, garlic, herbs and pepper. There's no need to saute the onion and garlic in advance, though you can if you want to. I don't add any salt to this because the canned tomatoes usually are salty enough, and the cheese you'll add later is also very salty, but if you like food well seasoned, add a touch of salt.

On a cookie sheet, well-sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, lay the eggplant slices, spray the top with more non-stick cooking spray, and bake them for 10 minutes at 350 degrees, until they are slightly softened.

If you're going to add meat, saute it in a touch of olive oil and with a pinch of salt until it's cooked through.

Once the eggplant and meat are cooked, you can start assembling the moussaka.

Spray a baking dish with a good amount of non-stick cooking spray (or use olive oil if you'd like), and line the bottom with the tomato and herb mixture. Cover with a layer of eggplant, meat, feta cheese and more sauce, and repeat until you've used up all the eggplant, meat and cheese. Use all the feta on the inner layers.

On top of the last layer of eggplant, cover with the tomato sauce, and then sprinkle with bread crumbs and parmigiana cheese -- this will brown and crisp a bit as it bakes and make for a nice topping. (Should you be cooking for someone who can't eat any gluten, skip the breadcrumbs -- it'll still be delicious!)

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45-55 minutes --until bubbling on the edges, and so hot in the middle that you can't stick your finger into the center for more than a second.

When done, let it sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!