Ah, Greece… the origin of so many great things – philosophy, democracy, the Olympic games. But have you ever had their famous Moussaka? It’s an incredibly tasty dish traditionally made with potatoes and minced meat. In this recipe, I’ll show you how to make a keto Moussaka that will make even Zeus smile with delight 😃
This delicious Greek dish is a real hit among dinner guests. The secret is in the topping, and most especially the ricotta cheese. While you can substitute it out, it really brings everything together perfectly. Keto Moussaka with zucchini and mince is among my very favorite of all keto ricotta recipes.
What substitutions can you make?
Ricotta: No ricotta? No problem! Just use yogurt for the topping instead.
Zucchini: You can substitute the zucchini out for some eggplants if you don’t have them on hand. The result will still be pretty amazing! Just keep in mind that eggplants need to be salted thoroughly for about 15 minutes before cooking and subsequently washed in water. This is what actually removes their bitter taste when cooking.
How long will this keto Moussaka keep in the fridge?
This keto zucchini and mince moussaka is one of our all-time faves, to put it mildly. As such, it typically disappears so fast that it’s never once gone bad. At any rate, it will definitely survive for a couple of days in the fridge in an airtight container.
You can also make a nice Greek salad if you have some olives, tomatoes, peppers, onion, cucumber & cheese lying around. The only thing left is to get the ice-cold ouzo out of the fridge ☺️
See also: Keto Ricotta and Tomato Gnocchi
Keto Moussaka with Zucchini and Mince
Equipment
- 1 Medium frying pan
- 1 Baking dish
Ingredients
For the base
- 450 grams Zucchini (cubed)
- 400 grams Minced meat (see notes for details)
- 2 medium Carrots
- 1 medium Onion
- 1 tbsp Seasoning (equal parts salt, red pepper, black pepper, cumin, chilli flakes)
For the topping
- 250 grams Ricotta cheese
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 pinch Salt
- 5 grams Baking powder (only add at the very last moment)
Instructions
- Cut the onion and carrots into small cubes
- Prepare a medium pan and sauté them in olive oil for a few minutes until they change texture. Should take about 5 minutes or so at a low flame
- Add the mince and stir often until the meat changes color and goes crumbly (see image in notes). Add the cumin as you’re stirring to really open the aroma and disperse it evenly throughout the entire dish. This step takes about 10 minutes
- Add salt, red pepper, black pepper and (optionally) chili flakes about a minute before taking the pan off the stove
- Preheat your oven to 350 F (180 C). In the meantime, peel and cut your zucchini into medium cubes
- Place the zucchini on the bottom of a (traditionally) rectangular oven-safe container. Drizzle some olive oil and salt. Finally, add the contents of your pan on top, making sure the mince is evenly distributed
- Bake for a total of 35 minutes - only open once at the 20-minute mark to stir
- Finally, let’s prepare the topping. Mix ricotta, eggs, salt and baking powder. Make sure to put the last ingredient in right before the mixture goes in the oven so that it actually rises
- Once the 35 minutes from step 7 are up, take the tray out of the oven, pour the ricotta mixture evenly on top and put it back in for another 15 minutes
Notes
*About the meat you use: I advise you to ask your local butcher to make the mince from actual meat in front of you. Do not buy ready-made mince as it’s often sub-par quality and features various additives to keep it from going bad. Mine was made from 100% pork shoulder, but you could also mix pork & beef in a 40/60 ratio. It’s important to have enough fat in the mince so that it doesn’t dry out too much during the cooking process.
