Moussaka Lamb Burgers

Do Ewe Love Lamb? ( pun intended) Well, I do. Lamb has such a “Ewe nique ” flavor. I absolutely love it. This Moussaka Lamb burger is a delicious way to enjoy lamb in a casual atmosphere.

“Family Dinners” have become so much fun in my family, ever since my brothers and I have entered adulthood. Usually wine is involved, and “confessions” come out about childhood and teenage years. Family Dinners usually mean heading to our favorite Greek restaurant, The Greek Isles. And no, we’re not Greek. Eating different foods is just one of the many cool things about growing up near a big city. ( Chicago).

My FAVORITE Greek Food? Hands down, Moussaka. HANDS DOWN. OMG If you haven’t You MUST.

Making homemade Moussaka can be tricky. See, you have to get that topping just right. It takes lots of practice to perfect. This Moussaka Stuffed Burger has ALL the flavors of Moussaka, but none of the complication.

I have always loved eating lamb. It has such a wonderful flavor that I just love. I don’t eat it as much as I wish I could, but when I do, I usually remember it. I don’t always see lamb in large displays at the grocery store, but with more than 82,000 family owned sheep operations, American lamb is local and available ALL year round.

My in law’s actually buy lamb from their neighbor, who raises them. They live in a rural area right outside of Iowa City.

Do you know what I usually remember about eating lamb? The tenderness, and the way it tastes when it enhanced by herbs and spices. Oh My.

When I think lamb, the first ” Global Flavor” that came to mind was Greek Food. Greek food tastes so rich, just like lamb.

I added “Moussaka” Spices to my ground lamb, and also stuffed them with a homemade Bechamel cheese sauce. ( which was easy to make). I also served a crispy baked eggplant slice with each burger AND topped each burger with a simple tomato sauce.

My husband wanted his Moussaka Burger on a classic bun. I decided I wanted mine in between two breaded pieces of eggplant. I love baked breaded eggplant so much, that it hurts. ( probably because my mom used to make HUGE batches of eggplant slices when I was a kid. We ate the eggplant slices right out of the fridge. Cold).

For more yummy lamb recipes, visit the American Lamb Board on Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.

Moussaka Lamb Burgers

Lamb Burgers

2 lbs of ground lamb

1/4 cup of chopped onions

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon all spice

1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg.

Bechamel Cheese Sauce

3 tablespoons of olive oil

3 tablespoons of flour

1 cup of milk

1 cup of parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

a pinch of salt

Eggplant Slices

Sliced Eggplant

1 egg

1/2 cup of milk

1 cup of Italian breadcrumbs

Procedure:

Bechamel Cheese Sauce Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir until the flour has dissolved. Add milk then Parmesan cheese. Stir over the heat until the cheese sauce thickens. Add spices.

Burgers In a bowl, mix ground lamb with onions, garlic and spices. make 2 small patties for each burger. fill one patty with cheese sauce then top it with the second patty. Grill or Broil about 5 minutes per side.

Crispy Eggplant Slices Cut an eggplant into slices. coat each eggplant slice in egg and milk mixture, followed by breadcrumbs. Bake the eggplant slices in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until your level of crispness is achieved.

Assemble your burger. Each burger should have 1 lamb patty stuffed with cheese sauce and one eggplant slice. Top each burger with a high quality tomato sauce. I used a store-bought sauce.