Moussaka

When Rick Martinez set out to develop this moussaka recipe, he opted to use eggplant, lamb, and tomatoes. His then fellow senior food editor Chris Morocco wasn’t convinced. Chris’s platonic ideal of the dish is tomato-free, relying on layers of potato, eggplant, and ground beef. So it goes with comfort food in every culture, says Rick; everyone has their own version. In Turkish kitchens, zucchini can stand in for eggplant slices. Other versions feature toasted breadcrumbs or creamy lentils.

Greek moussaka, like this one, with its pillowy top of creamy béchamel sauce, is the best-known version in the US. Like lasagna Bolognese, this is a project recipe best reserved for a weekend, but none of the techniques are complicated. Instead of frying the ½-inch thick slices of eggplant in tedious batches, Rick saves you time (and paper towels) by baking them. If you’d like to break the prep up over a few days, the ground meat and tomato sauce can be cooled and refrigerated for up to three days, and the white sauce or béchamel (technically a mornay since there’s cheese) for up to two. Once assembled and baked, the golden brown moussaka is a stunner, so choose a baking dish you won’t mind bringing straight to the table for everyone to see.

While it’s cooling, make this Greek salad. Its crunchy green pepper and cucumbers are just the things to balance out the meal.