This is a guest post by Jane Geogiades, a wife and mom who is passionate about celebrating food and creating dishes that bring friends and family together. Jane is the creator of Milly, Molly and Me, a blog which focuses on rustic meals that are made with fresh ingredients.

My Father-in-Law’s Moussaka

In our house, Mediterranean food makes a regular appearance. One of our family’s absolute favorite dishes is my father-in-law’s secret Moussaka recipe. The problem is, the prep takes hours in the kitchen…

Let’s be honest, no matter how delicious, as busy women we don’t have time to spend hours preparing a meal.

This Meatless Moussaka is the answer to producing a delicious Mediterranean meal in VERY little time.

This recipe allows me to produce the rich flavors of roasted eggplant or tomato from my father-in-law’s dish, in a fraction of the time. Both sauces can be cooked down on the stovetop while the eggplant is roasting, and the entire thing takes under 10 minutes to assemble. Then, it’s off to the oven until the top is golden. Because the preparation is relatively simple and most of the cooking is done in the oven, I have free time to pack lunches for the next day, clean up any dirty dishes around the kitchen and catch up around the house.

Thank You, Aldi’s!

The canned cherry tomatoes are a godsend! I found them at Aldi’s (but have also found them at other major supermarkets) and now they are part of my weekly shopping list. They have the taste of the ripe juicy flavor of fresh cherry tomatoes but are conveniently canned.

If you can’t find canned cherry tomatoes, that’s okay! Use a jar of your favorite thick and chunky tomato sauce and cook down fresh cherry tomatoes into a purée instead.

Effortless Meal Prep + All-Round Satisfaction

The biggest win for me is that my youngest daughter (who previously shunned eggplant) now happily eats eggplant without a complaint. There’s nothing more exciting than finding a meal the whole family (picky eaters included) can enjoy!

It can double as a side dish.

This Meatless Moussaka is so versatile, we’ve even made it as the side dish on occasion.

The health benefits of eggplant or tomatoes are a win-win for everyone.

Eggplants and tomatoes have been part of the Mediterranean diet for centuries or there’s countless reasons why. Both are rich in vitamins and fiber, which studies have shown are great for heart health and keeping your cholesterol levels low. In addition, the antioxidants in these veggies can assist in keeping your blood sugar levels under control. Because this meal includes healthy fats, such as extra virgin olive oil, the lycopene found in tomatoes (which is useful in reducing cholesterol, lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke) is more readily absorbed.

The health benefits seem endless. I could go into more detail but I won’t bore you with all that. You can already see why this dish makes a great addition to your regular menu.