I learned this from my Bulgarian mother in law though it's probably Turkish in origin.  The recipe calls for 'chubritsa', a Bulgarian herb that can be difficult to find in the states, so basil can be substituted in its place.

Musaka

olive oil

beef

paprika

cumin

salt

black pepper

potatoes,

tomato sauce

summer savory (chubritsa)

egg, lightly beaten

yogurt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).


Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook ground beef until evenly brown. Season with paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir in potatoes, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, and summer savory. Add enough water to just barely cover. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.


Pour meat mixture into 9x13 inch baking dish, and spread evenly. In a small bowl, mix together the egg and yogurt; pour, and spread evenly over meat mixture.


Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until top is golden brown.


This was easy to make and taste was great!  I have one question for the writer.  After browning the ground beef you did not say wether to drain the grease from the pan.  And after pouring in the water it was soup like.  So when I poured the egg and yougrt on top, before I baked it, it sunk into the liquid.  Was this the intention?  I wanted to follow the recipe so I did not drain.  Please respond.

I am Bulgarian and the dish is almost spot on. Traditionally we use pork instead of beef. In the states I use half pork and half beef, draining the fat after browning. Also, a very crucial step is that the yogurt/egg/ mixture should be added to the top about 10 minutes before the dish is done cooking, not at the beginning.

Altered this a bit based on reviews.  Used fine herbs in place of chubritsa.  Omitted the EVOO all together...just browned my meat, potatoes, and onions and drained off what little grease there was.  Added a 14.5 can of diced tomatoes in sauce, doubled the other spices and added 2 more chopped tomatoes and let this simmer to help with the 'raw' potato issue. Omitted the water altogether.   I also added eggplant.  Salted the eggplant first and placed in a colander w/weight on top to squeeze out that bitter juice.  Rinsed off and sauteed in EVOO and layered the meat/potato mixture and eggplant.  It was amazing how much this smelled like gyro meat while it was cooking and also tasted a bit like it too.  Loved the easy yogurt sauce in place of the harder to make Bechamel.  Sprinkled the top of the yogurt sauce w/a little nutmeg to make it more like a traditional Bechamel sauce found on Moussaka.  Covered at first then the last ten minutes took the lid off.  The potatoes were completely done.  Also only used 2 potatoes and 1 larger eggplant.

I used beef broth instead of water and it was quite scrumptious.  The entire family enjoyed it.

This is the traditional BULGARIAN musaka. The only difference, I find is that this recipe uses ground beef. Bulgarians usually prepare the dish with ground pork. The Greek version usually has eggplant in it. It a tasty dish, and it is very easy to prepare.

I served this recipe to a group of Turks and Bulgarians.  I didn't tell them what I was making and I am American, so when one of them took a bite and said "Oh my god! You made Mmusaka!" I could not have been more pleased.  One lady didn't even believe it was my first time making it.   The thing is that I ended up adding about three times the amount of paprika and twice the cumin and cayenne pepper in order to make it come out with what I consider enough flavor.  But then, I (and most Bulgarians and Turks) like strong flavor.  Next time I will also add about three times the Chubritsa (summer savory) which I found at a mediterranean grocery store, because I could not taste it at all in the dish.  I boiled the potatoes for about 15 minutes before cooling them in cold water, then peeled and cubed them.  I used about 12 ounces of plain homemade tomato sauce.  I drained the meat after cooking and found the amount of olive oil called for in the recipe to be way too much; 2 tablespoons is plenty for browning the beef.  I also added a little less water to the mix prior to baking.  Even though I had to modify the ingredients significantly, I am going to give this recipe 4/5 stars because my Turkish boyfriend is still bragging to all his friends about my cooking because of it:-)  One more note: the Turkish version of this recipe definitely calls for eggplant, which can be bought sliced and canned from wherever you buy the chubritsa.  Thanks for sharing this recipe Lisa!


My husband absolutely loves this dish.  Its robust flavor and simple ingredients make it a must-have for my recipe box.

Personally I'd never even heard of Musaka, so  didn't know what it was supposed to look like or taste like but the ingrediants sounded intreging. (OK, so I'm easily amused)
I didn't realize till I popped the dish into the over that there was no "cook till golden brown" or "cook till potatoes are done" (although, in hindsight, I guess that's a given).
I substituted some of the ground beef with mushrooms and onions, maybe that was a mistake. The dish was not very flavorful, although it was interesting.
This recipe has promise but it needs further instruction and more flavor, more spices, maybe more tomato sauce or extra diced tomatoes. 
I'll give it one more shot.

actually, italian seasoning is closer to "chubritsa", not basil...
There are online stores where you can purchase it from, but if you know somebody that is Bulgarian, they always have that at their home, you can always borrow some. 

Our family enjoyed this new flavor. Next time I will add less water and more tomato sauce.

I added green beans because we like to have lots of veggies with our meal. I also baked it on 400F otherwise it would have taken for over two hours to get dinner ready. Thanks for the recipe.

My husband is Bulgarian, and I have had such a hard time finding recipes for traditional Bulgarian dishes to cook at home. This recipe was fantastic. His words were, "it's just like my grandmother makes it." I doubled the spices and used 60% ground pork, 40 % ground beef upon his suggestion. I also used a lot more yogurt than it calls for because he likes a thick fluffy top. I think it was a little over 2 c greek yogurt and 3 or 4 eggs with some salt for flavor. He LOVES it! If anyone has recipes for banitsa, kyufte, or kebabche, please share!!

This dish is very tasteful but actually all it is is hamburger and potatoes with a slight tomato taste.  Don't think I'll do it again.  Nothing special.  Authentic Musaka has eggplant.

This dish was very tasty and flavorful, but kind of soupy/watery even after removing spoonfuls of liquid before baking.  It has an unusual flavor, different, but delicious.  I'll make it again.

I love this dish in Greek restraunts this is as good as any I have ever had.

I really enjoyed this recipe, and it was easy to do.  I took the other reviewers advice and drained the meat after cooking.  I then added some more olive oil as I like the flavor.  I used three of the large brown potatoes and microwaved them for 5 minutes before putting in the skillet.  They came out great!

the flavors in this are very tasty but i was not at all pleased with the potatoes. they never seemed to soften  for me.. i think next time i may try eggplant or lasanga noodles. might even nuke the potatoes in the microwave before cooking on stove top &amp; oven. as crazy as this sounds, i think a dash of cinnamon in the meat mix might even be good.

microwaved potatoes for 5 min, would add less water next time say half the amount and instead add i can of Italian tomatoes in sauce. would also make it for 6 for the 4 of us here. The dish itself on the other hand tasted great. cant wait till the next time i make it

I am Bulgarian and I really liked this recipe. You can put some grated cheese on top.

Maybe I chose the wrong potatoes, but there was no way I could fit them all into the pan with the meat.  I used 2 potatoes and that was plenty.  After reading reviews, I was sure to both drain the meat and then nuke the potato cubes in the microwave for 5 minutes before adding them to the meat. I added 1 teaspoon garlic powder while meat and potatoes were browining.  I used 9 ounces of tomato sauce (could use up to 12), and I lightly sprinkled the entire pan of stuff with cinnamon before pouring into baking dish.  I was very pleased with the final result!

This was yummy! I didn't know what to expect from the spices used, but we loved it. Very tasty hearty dish. Kind of like chili with potatoes. The hamburger seemed to have enough fat on its own - I didn't use the oil at all.

This was really good and healthy.  I browned 4% fat ground beef then added the spices (I sub'd dried oregano, thyme and parsley for the savory) and some garlic.  I put the beef in a bowl and added the potatoes and one diced eggplant to the pan with some stock.  I cooked the potatoes and eggplant until tender.  I added the beef mixture back into the pan with the potatoes and eggplant, and added a diced tomato and tomato sauce.  I heated through then put in in an 8x10 glass dish that I sprayed with Pam.  I cooked for 20 minutes at 325 then added the fat free yogurt/egg mixture on top and cooked until set, about 30 more minutes.

I use this recipe as a threshold since the quantities stated here are just perfect. If you're missing the chubrica ingredient just postpone it until you got it, since it's key part of that dish.  Ross

I followed the recipe completely, and although the taste was alright, it was soupy.

Nice recipe. I essentially follow the recipe...sometimes I add diced bell pepper or carrots. I add the herbs and spices with a heavy hand and cut back on the salt. 

BTW, chubritsa is just summer savory. You can use "regular" savory.

This is a great recipe! I make only couple of changes to it though... I brown the beef with a chopped onion and I do not drain the fat. I will add the tomato sauce, seasoning( the best one is thyme) and let the meat cool off. I add an egg to the mixture just to keep it together and not look like spaghetti meat. I boil the potatoes and mash them up. In greased pan I pour half of the mashed potatoes, spread the meat( all of it) and the spread the remaining mashed potatoes. I use water enough to cover everything and bake at 325 for 35-40 minutes, and the i use 3-4 beaten eggs to pour over. Bake until the eggs looked cooked and serve with sour cream and chopped green onions for taste. Enjoy it!!

I just have one thing to add- chubritsa is actually just "savory". Easily found in most grocery stores.

I actually doubled and then some all the spices.  With the first half, I mixed it in with the ground beef before cooking the ground beef.    I left out the water and added more tomato sauce instead.    Finally, I would probably double the yogurt and egg mixture.  This is more because the folks I feed prefer more yogurt.

This was so easy. I doubled the spices and used garden basil as suggested by the submitter. What an easy bechamel sauce to make! I was looking for a musaka recipe to make that used potatoes instead of eggplant and this fit the bill.

Easy and the family loved it!  I made the following changes:  don't drain meat if using lean ground beef, eliminated the water and added 1 cup beef broth, simmered (covered) for 25 min, used basil instead of summer savory.  Big change did not do the yogurt/egg piece instead cut 4oz cream cheese in chunks and dropped on dish before placing in oven, half way thru cooking used knife to spread melted cream cheese.  

There are a few things that are omitted from the recipe.

The egg, flour, yogurt and cilantro mixture that you put on top comes in at the end.
You first cook the other ingredients until most of the water has evaporated (reduction) and then when the potatoes are brown and can easily be cut into with a knife, you pour the "hat" of yogurt, milk and flour which then solidifies the meat and potatoes and gives the whole dish a lasagna-like square look. When the egg mixture gets light brown is when the dish is ready to chill and serve.

Meat could be substituted, Bulgarians like to do it with a 50/50 mix of veal/pork or lamb/pork.

I made a vegetarian version of this using a meat substitute.  I used a 14.5 oz. can of tomato sauce and adjusted the amount of water to compensate.  I also doubled the egg and yogurt mixture.  I used Italian seasoning blend as a substitute for the savory.  It was perfectly done after 30 minutes in the oven, and was very well received by my entire family.  It was on the mild side, but that appeals to my kids, so that was fine.  I will definitely be making this one again.

Even after almost 2 hrs in the oven, the potatoes were still hard! I ended up cranking the temp to 400° and covering it with foil and they finally softened after about half an hour. I also tripled all the seasonings bcuz it was quite bland with the recommended amount. If I make this again I will definitely drain the meat after cooking. It was super greasy and also the yogurt didn't brown as shown as shown in pic but it tasted great.

I really like this dish - so simple, quick to throw together, and very satisfying.  At the advice of other reviewers I cut the olive oil to 2T. I used very lean beef and didn't drain, the final product was not too greasy.

The chubritsa spice is called savory in case anyone is wondering :-) 
I haven't made this recipe yet but definitely will try it. Sounds yummy

This recipe is GREEK.  It is a family favorite.

I used this as a base and made some changes.  I used beef broth instead of water, crushed tomatoes instead of tomato sauce and omitted the olive oil.  Seasonings ended up being 2t of Cilantro, 2t of Basil and 2t of Thyme.  The dish tasted fabulous - especially the yogurt/egg top!! 

Warning - I had to up the temp of the oven (from 325 to 375) and cook on speed bake an additional 20 minutes (after the initial 40 minutes) to get the potatoes to cook through.  

Knowing this, I'll definitely make this again, but will double the egg/yogurt topping mix.

Bland, underdone potatoes...I would not recommend this recipe.

I always drain my ground turkey and this didn't dry out at all- either time I made it. The second time I used pizza sauce because I didn't have tomato and I didn't notice a difference. I used Italian seasoning both times. I will definitely make this more and I like the idea of adding green beans to get more veggies in.

Was rather disappointed with this one...it was okay but I don't think I'd make it again.

We really like this.  I browned the ground beef in a little bit of olive oil and then drained the oil and fat.  The potatoes were a tiny bit crunchy, but not too bad.  I loved the yogurt sauce.  My husband mixed a little barbeque sauce in with his to give it a little zing.

It tastes good, but next time I will increase the proportion eggs-yogurt by 2:1, so it really thickens and gets golden.  Mine took too long to look firm and nice.  Spices, all doubled too, for a more deep flavor.

This was really good &amp; hearty.   I didn't have many of the spices.  I just put in about 1/2 tsp. of pepper &amp; 3/4 Tbsp. basil.  Cooked it on the stove until the potatoes were mostly tender and then cooked in the over at 350 for 45 min.  I really liked how filling it was &amp; inexpensive.  I really liked the taste - the yogurt gives it a little zip.  I served it w/ french green beans on the side which worked great. The casserole could have been a bit dry w/out having the green beans to mix in as you eat it.  I'll definitely make it again.

Very flavorful!  I doubled the amount of paprika and kept all other ingredients at about the recommended amounts.  Since I didn't have summer savory, I substituted with thyme + sage.  Instructions worked out great, although I did saute my ground turkey with some minced garlic.  Dish would be better with eggplant.  I also served this with lowfat plain yogurt on the side, and the combo of hot and cold temperatures and savory with sour was very, very good and very tantalizing even though it was so healthy!  The two of us gobbled half the dish in one night.

New family favorite. I can't have yogurt, so we just topped it with cheese. Second time I used turkey and pork and didn't have tomato sauce, so I processed a can of tomatoes as a sub. Also added onions, carrots, and green beans. Both times it was excellent and the family loved it.

It turns out really good. Although maybe next time ill just drain the liquids before putting it in a pan before baking it.

So this was my first time making this and I didn't realize I should let it cool a bit before serving. I also tried to make more and the top (yogurt and egg mixture wasn't as thick as I think it should have been). Aside from it looking a little messy though, this was an amazing recipe! My kids and husband loved it. My children have been asking me to make it again since Saturday so, I'm going to make more today! This time I plan on making the yogurt and egg mixture a bit thicker. Maybe a little bit of flour? I also added garlic to the first one I made since my family and I love garlic. So I will be doing that again this time. Other than that, I didn't add anything else. This recipe is definitely going into my family favorite recipe book. Thank you so much for sharing!!

I practically doubled the spices (as recommended)somehow this just came over as a disappointment.  We are crazy about Turkish/Greek/Middle Eastern food; I just don't know what went wrong.

I cooked the potatoes for 5 min as suggested.  I also drained the fat from the beef after it cooked.  Adding water made it way too soupy so I had to bake it for an extra 20 min to get some of the water off.  Taste was average.

This is both Greek and Turkish as the cusines are very simmilar.  My Turkish mother-in-law taught me how to make this with sliced eggplant added.  I also do not add extra water and finish cooking in the over for about 10 minutes before serving with the lid off.  Tastes the best when made with homemade yougurt.

Absolutely  delicious and very easy to make .

musaka

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total: 1 hours

Servings: 4

Cost: $16.73 /serving

Author : Lisa

Ingredients

Instructions

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