Corn Moussaka was my favorite dish as a child, and happened to be my mom’s specialty. I thought about it recently and called my mom to help me remember the ingredients.
Unfortunately, my husband’s and my diet does not allow for the full egg, beef and all the cheeses that are in her Corn Moussaka. So, I experimented and came up with a vegan and dairy free version and it worked on the first try! It was DEFINITELY HUSBAND APPROVED!
Servings: 4-6
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 25-30 minutes
Ingredients:
8x8 inch casserole dish, greased
12 oz. vegan “meat” crumbles (I used Lightlife Foods Smart Ground Original Crumbles)
1 tablespoon olive oil (or your choice of high heat cooking oil)
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
3/4 cup blanched, slivered almonds
1 cup vegan mozzarella style shreds (I used Daiya)
Sauce for the “meat”:
3 tablespoons tomato paste
15 oz. can of tomato sauce
2 tablespoons sugar (I used coconut sugar)
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast (I used Bragg’s brand)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Cream cheese layer:
8 oz. vegan cream cheese (I used Tofutti, as it is now non-GMO!)
2 tablespoons vegan mayo (I used Sir Kensington’s Fabanaise)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
How-To:
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees (F).
In a medium bowl, combine the ingredients for the “meat” sauce. Set aside.
In a separate medium bowl, combine the ingredients for the cream cheese layer. Set aside.
Warm the “meat” crumbles in a skillet with the olive oil. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the crumbles are heated through. Remove from heat.
Stir the prepared “meat” sauce into the cooked “meat”. Stir until well combined.
Pour the “meat” mixture into the bottom of the 8x8 casserole dish.
Top the “meat” mixture with the thawed corn. Spread evenly.
Top the corn with the cream cheese mixture. Spread evenly.
Top the cream cheese mixture with the almonds. Spread evenly.
Top the almonds with the mozzarella. Spread evenly.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.
Serve and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks:
The original dish my mom made used cottage cheese and ricotta cheese mixed with one egg instead of the cream cheese mixture. If dairy isn’t an issue for you, you could sub in these ingredients (omitting the salt, mayo, and the vinegar) BUT the overall flavor and texture will be different. Experiment and see what works for you!
If you don’t need to make yours vegan, there are other meat crumbles, such as some from the brand Quorn, that work well with this dish too. The Quorn brand contains eggs, so that is why it is not considered vegan.
What is a moussaka? It’s a Greek dish traditionally made with ground lamb, eggplant and tomatoes with cheese on top. There are many recipes for various moussaka dishes all over the internet. Just Google “Moussaka” and see which one you are tempted to try next!