Moussaka -- The Dish That Reminds Me Why Home Cooking Matters

The Tulsa TV station called. Not the one from the cooking segment — a different station. KJRH Channel 2, Tulsa's NBC affiliate. They're doing a three-minute feature on "the budget meal mom" for their evening news. A reporter, a camera crew, in my kitchen. My kitchen. The real kitchen. The one with counter space and the window and the cast iron skillet on the stove.

The segment was on a Wednesday — Mama's night. The reporter's name was Amanda, and she had the professional warmth of someone trained to be interesting on camera. She asked questions while I cooked: "How did you start budget cooking?" "What's your advice for families struggling with food costs?" "What's the cheapest meal you can make?" I answered while making my chicken and rice bake (the $3.47 special, my greatest hit, the recipe that started everything). Mama was there — in the background, holding Wyatt, looking slightly terrified of the camera, which is very Shelly Moreland: terrified of attention, comfortable only in the margins.

The segment aired on Thursday evening news. Three minutes. My kitchen. My food. My face, on television, saying, "You can feed your family well on almost nothing. I do it every night. Here's how." Mama watched it at Roy's house on the evening news. She called me after. She was crying. "Baby, you were on the TV." I said, "I know, Mama." She said, "You were beautiful." She said, "The chicken looked good." Two compliments. Always two. One for me, one for the food. Shelly Moreland, consistent to the end.

The blog gained 3,000 followers overnight. The cookbook sold forty-two copies. My phone buzzed with comments and messages and shares. For a day, the world noticed the girl from Broken Arrow. Then the world moved on, because the world always moves on. But the 3,000 new followers stayed. And the forty-two new copies are on forty-two new shelves. And the food travels. Always travels.

After that Wednesday in my kitchen — the cameras, Amanda’s questions, Mama crying on the phone about the chicken — I kept thinking about what it means to make food that travels. The chicken and rice bake is my signature, my $3.47 calling card, but moussaka is the dish I turn to when I want to remind myself that humble ingredients, layered with a little patience, can become something that looks and tastes like you worked all day on it. It’s the same philosophy, just dressed up a little — proof that budget cooking doesn’t have to mean small.

Moussaka

Prep Time: 30 min | Cook Time: 1 hr | Total Time: 1 hr 30 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggplants, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 lb ground beef or ground lamb
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 egg yolks

Instructions

1. Salt the eggplant. Lay eggplant slices on a baking sheet, sprinkle generously with salt, and let sit 15 minutes to draw out moisture. Pat dry with paper towels.
2. Roast the eggplant. Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush eggplant slices with 1 tablespoon olive oil and arrange on baking sheets in a single layer. Roast for 20 minutes, flipping once, until golden and tender. Set aside.
3. Cook the meat sauce. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add ground meat and cook, breaking it up, until browned. Drain excess fat. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, cinnamon, oregano, salt, and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until thickened.
4. Make the béchamel. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in nutmeg and half the Parmesan, then whisk in egg yolks until smooth.
5. Assemble. Reduce oven to 375°F. In a greased 9x13 baking dish, layer half the eggplant slices, then all of the meat sauce, then the remaining eggplant. Pour béchamel evenly over the top and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.
6. Bake. Bake uncovered for 35–40 minutes until the top is set and golden brown. Let rest at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 24g | Fat: 26g | Carbs: 22g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 520mg