If You Have Ground Beef And Potatoes, You Have The Start Of This Greek-Inspired Comfort Meal

Greek cuisine may not always get the love and attention Italian or Mexican food gets, but it certainly deserves the hype. There are a number of Greek foods that are a must try — from souvlakis to spanakopita. However, one of the most comforting Greek dishes out there has to be moussaka. Moussaka is similar to a lasagna — it has layers of eggplant, tomato sauce, ground meat, béchamel sauce, and is sometimes topped off with cheese. It's a rich and creamy meal that's warm, hearty, and delicious. While making traditional moussaka may seem like a daunting task, there's an easier Greek-inspired method that can be made with ground beef, potatoes, and a lot less mess. 

This simplified take on moussaka swaps out the ingredients that typically require the most effort in a traditional recipe. The eggplant, which you'd have to pre-salt and roast, instead becomes potatoes. And while you'll still need to make a tomato sauce, you won't need to worry about perfecting a béchamel sauce (aka "white sauce") for this recipe. Instead, you'll replace it with lots of cheese, including feta and mozzarella. You'll layer the roasted potatoes, mozzarella, and meat sauce, and then add the rest of your cheeses on top before baking it in the oven until it's golden and crispy. 

A cheesy beef and potato bake is an easy recipe to master, but there are some things to keep in mind to make your Greek-inspired dish extra delicious. Start with seasoning your potatoes with salt, pepper, oregano, garlic, and any other seasonings of your choice. For the beef and tomato sauce, add ground beef, onion, pepper, garlic, tomato paste, and crushed tomatoes to a pan and cook until the sauce is thick. A thicker sauce is better for the structure of your bake, so be sure to not add any extra liquid to it. 

You could also swap the ground beef for the traditional lamb, or go lighter with ground chicken or turkey. These latter two meats yield a milder flavor that would highlight your seasoning selection more than the robust beef or lamb. Since they are lower in fat, you might add a little extra oil to offset the difference in texture and flavor. As for cheese, mozzarella is great for a gooey texture, but Greek cheeses like kasseri or graviera offer their own distinctive flavors that you just might love. 

Once your bake is browned and ready to enjoy, let it sit for 10 minutes or so to let the layers set. This casserole is perfect to serve with a side of grilled veggies or a Greek salad marinated beforehand for extra flavor. Whether you make this beef and potato casserole for a crowd, or as an easy weeknight dinner, it will probably appear on your table multiple times — it's just that comforting.