Name: Quorn Meat Free Mince Moussaka
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 350 g Quorn Meat Free Mince (grounds); 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 large onion (chopped); 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped); 1 large carrot (finely diced); 400 g canned chopped tomatoes; 2 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp cinnamon; 2 bay leaves; 1 tsp dried mint; 1 large aubergine (eggplant) (or 2 small, thinly sliced); 410 g evaporated milk; 40 g cornflour (cornstarch); 25 g slightly salted butter; 25 g plain white flour (all purpose flour); pinch grated nutmeg; 1 medium free range eggs (beaten); 50 g grated/shredded cheddar cheese (vegetarian if required)

Looks like a classic moussaka, right? And in many ways, this is, except this version is a Quorn Meat Free Mince Moussaka. Yay!

Cinnamon-spiced mince and vegetables, layers of tender aubergine, and a topping of creamy, rich white sauce tick all the boxes for a super delicious moussaka without the meat.

Overhead shot of Quorn Meat Free Mince Moussaka served on a large white roasting tray

Quorn™ Meat Free Mince is a tasty, healthy alternative to beef or lamb mince, and it's incredibly versatile.

I use it in my family cooking all the time and it's perfect for this moussaka recipe.

When I first cooked up this hearty, delicious moussaka, I did it in no better place than Quorn's very own kitchen.

Here's what to do to make this tasty meat-free moussaka.

Ingredients

For the filling

350 g (12.3 oz) Quorn Meat Free Mince (grounds)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large (1 ) onion chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 large (1 ) carrot finely diced
400 g (14.1 oz) canned chopped tomatoes
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cinnamon
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried mint
1 large (1 ) aubergine (eggplant) or 2 small, thinly sliced

For the white sauce

410 g (14.5 oz) evaporated milk
40 g (1.4 oz) cornflour (cornstarch)
25 g (0.9 oz) slightly salted butter
25 g (0.9 oz) plain white flour (all purpose flour)
pinch grated nutmeg
1 medium free range eggs beaten
50 g (1.8 oz) grated/shredded cheddar cheese vegetarian if required

Equipment

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan).

Make the spiced mince

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan.

Overhead shot oil on a red saucepan surrounded by aubergine minced meat spices onion oil carrot garlic bayleaves and chopped tomatoes

Add the onion, garlic and carrots.

Overhead shot of carrots onion and garlic on a red saucepan surrounded by aubergine minced meat spices onion oil carrot garlic bayleaves and chopped tomatoes

Fry for 5 minutes until soft and lightly coloured.

Overhead shot of lightly coloured carrots onion and garlic on a red saucepan surrounded by aubergine minced meat spices onion oil carrot garlic bayleaves and chopped tomatoes

Add the Quorn Meat Free Mince and tomatoes.

Overhead shot of Quorn Meat Free Mince and tomatoes on a red saucepan surrounded by aubergine minced meat spices onion oil carrot garlic bayleaves and chopped tomatoes

Add the oregano, cinnamon, mint and bay leaves.

Overhead shot of hand holding two bayleaves on top of Quorn Meat Free Mince tomatoes and spices on a red saucepan surrounded by aubergine minced meat spices onion oil carrot garlic bayleaves and chopped tomatoes

Season to taste. Bring to boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Overhead shot of Quorn Meat Free Mince topped with bayleaf on a red saucepan surrounded by aubergine minced meat spices onion oil carrot garlic bayleaves and chopped tomatoes

Remove the bay leaves and discard.

Prepare the aubergine

Place the aubergine slices on absorbent kitchen paper to soak up excess moisture.

Pop into a bowl and drizzle with the remaining oil on both sides. Set aside.

Overhead shot of hand holding a clear bowl with oil below a clear bowl of aubergine surrounded by aubergine minced meat spices onion oil carrot garlic bayleaves and chopped tomatoes

Note: I cut my aubergine slices very thinly and find that, as per the original Quorn recipe, they do not need cooking ahead of being used in the moussaka. However, if you prefer thicker 1-1.5cm (half inch) slices, I recommend frying or gridding them in a hot pan for 30-60 seconds per side to soften.

Make the white sauce

Pour the evaporated milk into a measuring jug.

Overhead shot of evaporated milk in a measuring jug surrounded by aubergine minced meat spices onion oil carrot garlic bayleaves and chopped tomatoes

Make-up to 1 litre with water.

Overhead shot of evaporated milk with water mixture in a measuring jug surrounded by aubergine minced meat spices onion oil carrot garlic bayleaves and chopped tomatoes

Put the cornflour in a small bowl.

Overhead shot of cornflour in a small clear bowl surrounded by aubergine minced meat spices onion oil carrot garlic bayleaves and chopped tomatoes

Add 6 tbsp of the milk mixture and stir until lump-free. Set aside.

Overhead shot of cornflour and milk mixture in a small bowl surrounded by aubergine minced meat spices onion oil carrot garlic bayleaves and chopped tomatoes

Put the butter, remaining milk mixture and flour in a saucepan over a low heat.

Whisk and slowly bring to the boil, stirring constantly with a whisk until all the lumps have gone.

Overhead shot of butter, milk mixture, and flour in a red saucepan

Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes, then pour in the cornflour paste and continue to cook over a low heat until the sauce thickens.

Overhead shot of white sauce in a red red saucepan surrounded by aubergine minced meat spices onion oil carrot garlic bayleaves and chopped tomatoes

Remove from the heat and add the nutmeg.

Overhead shot of a hand holding nutmeg in a clear bowl below white sauce in a red red saucepan surrounded by aubergine minced meat spices onion oil carrot garlic bayleaves and chopped tomatoes

Season to taste then add in the beaten egg.

Overhead shot of a hand holding beaten egg in a clear bowl below white sauce in a red red saucepan surrounded by aubergine minced meat spices onion oil carrot garlic bayleaves and chopped tomatoes

Stir through.

Overhead shot of white sauce in a red saucepan surrounded by aubergine minced meat spices onion oil carrot garlic bayleaves and chopped tomatoes

Assemble the vegetarian moussaka

Grease a large roasting tray. Arrange the mince and aubergine slices in alternating layers.

collage of four photos of overhead shots of a large white roasting tray, mince on a large white roasting tray, aubergine slices on a large white roasting tray, and mince on top of aubergine on a large white roasting tray

Finish with a final layer of aubergine slices, then pour the white sauce evenly over the top.

collage of four photos of overhead shots of aubergine on top of mince on a large white roasting tray, mince on top of aubergine on a large white roasting tray, aubergine on top of mince on a large white roasting tra,y and quorn meat free mince moussaka covered with white sauce on a large white roasting tray

Sprinkle with the grated cheese.

Overhead shot of quorn meat free mince moussaka covered with white sauce topped with grated cheese on a large white roasting tray

Bake, uncovered, in a hot oven for about 30 minutes until the top is a rich golden brown and the filling is piping hot.

Overhead shot of baked quorn meat free mince moussaka with golden brown topping in a large white roasting tray

Leave to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. This allows everything to firm up.

Overhead shot of a hand holding a fork picking up an aubergine from Quorn Meat Free Mince Moussaka served on a white plate

Serve warm and enjoy!

Which is your favourite Quorn product?

Pointers, tricks and troubleshooting tips for the perfect Meat Free Mince Moussaka

Is Meat Free Mince Moussaka easy to make?

This dish is wonderfully easy to make and a great way of feeding a big family - or as part of some weekend meal prep - without having to spend hours in the kitchen.

Will I need any special equipment for this recipe?

There isn't anything that you shouldn't find in a standard kitchen, but do make sure that you have one or two large saucepans for the filling and the sauce and a large roasting dish.

Where can I buy Quorn Mince?

In the UK Quorn mince is available to buy in most supermarkets as well as many smaller food shops and specialist health shops. Look in the freezer, chilled and 'free from' sections.

For other countries it's probably best to visit the Quorn website to see if there's a local stockist, or you can try online as there may be websites that offer it as a speciality import item.

Is this recipe suitable for vegetarians?

As this recipe is totally meat-free it is 100% vegetarian.

Is this recipe suitable for vegans?

At the time of writing Quorn's meat free mince does contain free range egg white, so that ingredient along with the milk, butter, egg and cheese of the white sauce means this isn't vegan.

You could however make it vegan. For the filling replace the quorn with either finely chopped veg (mushroom is a favourite of mine) or use a vegan mince alternative.

And here's a great vegan white sauce recipe to go along with it:

Vegan white sauce ingredients:

500ml soy milk (or other plant milk)
2 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
2 tbsp plain flour
1/4 tsp onion power
4 tbsp nutritional yeast

Vegan white sauce instructions:

Add the oil to a pan over a medium heat and once starting to heat up add the flour and continuously stir until fully incorporated.
Add the soy milk and stir or whisk continuously until a rolling boil has been reached for a couple of minutes.
Take off the hob and add salt, pepper and nutritional yeast, adjusting to taste.

Is this recipe gluten-free?

No, but it can be! The white sauce is not gluten free as it uses some flour and cornflour, so replace these with a gluten-free alternative. The filling is gluten-free already, including the Quorn mince.

Is this recipe keto-friendly?

At around 46g of carbohydrates per serving this recipe is not keto friendly, but those who are familiar with the diet should be able to understand what to cut out while still leaving something very tasty

Is this recipe healthy?

Well, the filling is nice and healthy! The white sauce not so much, but the end result is a fairly well rounded dish with a decent amount of nutrition without being too many calories.

Is this recipe safe to eat while pregnant?

All the ingredients of this recipe are safe to eat while pregnant, just make sure that all the usual precautions have been taken - the veg is washed and ready to eat or cleaned thoroughly, everything has been brought up to a safe, piping hot temperature etc.

If you're like me and often freestyle ingredients do you remember not to add any soft, uncooked, mould ripened cheese in the white sauce unless you're sure the white sauce is steaming hot and the cheese has been cooked thoroughly. Examples of these kinds of cheese would be brie, Camembert, mould-ripened soft cheese made with goats' milk or others with a similar rind.

What goes well with this recipe?

Any of these dishes would make a fine starter or side to go along with a moussaka.

Beetroot and apple salad recipe

https://www.amummytoo.co.uk/zucchini-fries-courgette-chips-in-a-garlic-and-paprika-crumb/

https://www.amummytoo.co.uk/honey-roast-fig-and-red-pepper-salad-on-wilted-spinach-3-propoints/

Can I make this recipe without Quorn?

You can use other types of vegetarian/vegan mince meat substitutes , or you can swap out the entire 350g of Quorn for finely diced vegetables. I like to use mushrooms for the bulk of the 350g, but whatever ratio of mushrooms, courgettes and celery works.

How should I store this recipe? How long does this recipe keep? What about the freezer?

Whether storing your moussaka in the fridge or freezer first cool it down to room temperature within two hours of cooking, then either place clingfilm over the top of the pan you cooked it in, or ideally transfer into an airtight container.

Store in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you are freezing the moussaka I would suggest pre-slicing it into individual portions and either separating them out into separate containers or putting some grease proof paper in between slices, that way you can defrost as much or as little as you like, reducing food waste and making for a quick treat.

How do I reheat moussaka?

To reheat from the fridge place the amount of moussaka you wish to eat in an appropriate sized pan and cover with tin foil. If you're only reheating a single piece and don't have a small enough tray you can do some tin foil origami and wrap it appropriately.

Place in an oven at 180C until piping hot - you can check with a metal skewer or fork by pushing it into the centre of the moussaka, leaving it for a couple of seconds, and seeing if it comes out hot.

If coming from the freezer either take out and defrost in the fridge the night before or you should be able to go from freezer to oven straight away

Can I make this recipe ahead?

While I haven't tried it you should be able to prepare the recipe all the way up to just before putting it in the oven, then wrap it in cling film and store in the fridge where it should last for up to two days before baking.

Let me know how the taste and texture turns out if you give it a try!

Can I make this recipe in a different quantity? Can I make this recipe in individual portions?

As long as you have an appropriately sized pan (or pans) you can scale this recipe up or down as needed, just make sure not to create too few or too many layers as it will cause the moussaka to cook unevenly.

You can use the handy slider in the recipe card found on this page to automatically adjust ingredient quantities.

Why did my dish turn out dry or hard?

This is usually the result of too much moisture being lost during cooking, which is usually a result of being in the oven too long.

Make sure to take the moussaka out of the oven as soon as the centre is piping hot. You can check this using a skewer/metal fork and pushing it into the centre of the dish and checking if it comes out hot.

You can also use a thermometer and take the moussaka out of the oven as soon as it reaches at least 65C/150F in the centre.

How can I add/change the flavours in this dish?

You can fry the aubergine slices in hot oil until well cooked then layering the moussaka up like normal - it will add extra richness to the dish.

You can peel and boil some potatoes and thinly slice them as a tasty extra layer.

For the filling anything Mediterranean veg you have lying around chopped small and fried off will work.

You can also experiment with the the cheese in the topping. Why not try adding some vegetarian hard cheese similar to Parmesan or pecorino? Next time I make this I'd like to try adding a little smoked cheese as I can imagine that would be delicious too.

What Quorn products are vegan?

For Quorn products in the UK check out this page, if you live somewhere else you could try the main Quorn website for more info.

Where does moussaka come from? Where does the name come from?

Moussaka is an aubergine or potato based dish that will usually contain some kind of ground meat. The version that this recipe takes inspiration from is of Greek origin.

The English name for moussaka is of Arabic origin which literally translates to "that which is fed liquid".

Here's that meat-free moussaka recipe again in printable format:

Print Recipe

4.8 from 4 votes

Quorn Meat Free Mince Moussaka

A delicious, vegetarian moussaka, packed with veg and topped with a creamy, cheesy white sauce.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time50 mins

Total Time1 hr 5 mins

Course: Casseroles and one-pot meals

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Quorn