Moussaka Irreverence

I'm sure I'm going to Greek hell for this. "That's not moussaka," they'll complain.  And Italians will exclaim "Madonna!!  Ricotta and mozzarella in a Greek dish?!"   Agreed - let's say this is a moussaka-inspired casserole.  Call it what you will, it has all the rich Mediterranean flavor of lasagna and moussaka, and all the comfort!
1 lb ground lamb
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
12 leaves fresh sage, minced
2 Tbsp fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
2 Tbsp fresh oregano (or 1/2 tsp dried)

1 large eggplant, cubed 3/4-inch, about 8 cups

1 lb wax potatoes, peeled and sliced
4 cups baby spinach leaves

Bechamel sauce:
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp canola oil
2 level Tbsp flour
1-1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

1 24-oz favorite chunky tomato sauce
about 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 lb mozzarella cheese, sliced

Preheat oven to 375. Sauté the lamb in a large skillet with a bit of olive oil along with all the spices and herbs. When the lamb has browned nicely, mix in half the tomato sauce and simmer on low heat.

 In a separate non-stick skillet, brown the eggplant cubes in a bit of olive oil. Cook until the cubes brown up nicely on most sides, about 10 minutes.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, place potatoes in an oiled 9x13-inch casserole and microwave for 5 minutes.

Make a Bechamel sauce by melting the butter in the oil in a small saucepan. Add the flour and cook 3-5 minutes, whisking almost constantly. Add the milk, nutmeg and salt and whisk until sauce thickens, and is bubbly.  Pour Bechamel sauce over potatoes.

Top potatoes with the spinach and then the lamb mixture.  

Top with the eggplant. Scatter the remaining tomato sauce about the eggplant. Then scatter the ricotta and mozzarella on top.

Bake moussaka, tented with aluminum foil for 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake another 30 minutes.

Cook’s Note: I sometimes use grass-fed beef with this recipe and it makes a wonderful casserole, if you don’t have ground lamb handy.  Here I used a purple and while eggplant variety, simply because it was what our CSA offered this week.  You could use any variety you like.