Mexican Moussaka

I made this strictly out of curiosity.  I found this recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book in the prizewinning recipes section.  It seemed fast, cheap, easy and easy to modify as I saw fit.  It was all of that and tasted good too.  I am not really sure why it is called a Moussaka as, according to Wikipedia, a Moussaka is eggplant based dish of the Balkans, Eastern Mediterranean, and the Middle East.  This does not have any eggplant in it, nor is it based in any of these regions but it is still quite tasty.  I hope you enjoy it and feel free to play around with this recipe as you see fit!


Mexican Moussaka


1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 hard cooked eggs, coarsely chopped
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 8.25-ounce can cream-style corn, undrained
1/4 teaspoon salt
Other things as you see fit (a can of corn, a can of diced tomatoes, bell peppers, etc...)


Preheat oven to 350F.  In a large skillet (or cast iron) cook meat and onion (and bell pepper if using) until meat is browned and onion is tender.  Drain off fat, stir in flour, chili powder, cumin (garlic, cayenne pepper, cilantro...other Mexican spices as you see fit...), 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper into meat mixture.  Cook and stir for one minute.  Stir in hard-cooked egg, and additional addins minus bell pepper.  Transfer mixture to a 1 1/2 quart baking dish, or if using a cast iron skillet, turn off heat and move off the burner.  


In a small bowl combine slightly beaten egg, undrained creamed corn, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Spoon over meat mixture.


Bake, uncovered for about 30 minutes (mine took about 40 minutes) or until the center is set.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.


I served this with left over cornbread from last night.   This dish has an interesting flavor combination, but was really good.  I will be making this again.  


Below is a picture of the finished product.