Greek Pastitsio Casserole Recipe
With its unique blend of spices and Bechamel sauce, Greek Pastitsio Casserole is a delight to the taste buds. Think of it as a Greek version of lasagna! YUM!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 lb macaroni uncooked
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/4 cup butter
- 6 eggs separated
- 1/4 lb Romano cheese grated (you can use Kefaloteri cheese instead if you can find it)
Instructions
Meat Filling
-
Melt 1/4 cup butter in a deep skillet. Saute onion until soft.
-
Add the ground beef, salt, pepper, and garlic. Cook until beef is browned.
-
Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/3 cup of water. Bring to a boil.
-
Remove from heat and set aside.
Macaroni
-
Cook macaroni as instructed on package. Do not overcook. You want it to still be firm.
-
Drain and rinse well. Melt 1/3 cup butter in the pan you used for the macaroni.
-
Add macaroni back to the pan and toss gently with butter until well coated.
Sauce
-
In a bowl, stir together the 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup milk, and 1/4 cup water.
-
In a saucepan, heat up the 1 1/2 cups milk and 1/4 cup butter.
-
When the milk mixture is warm, add in the flour mixture gradually, stirring constantly.
-
Continue stirring this mixture until it thickens. Remove from the heat.
-
Using a mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff. Add the yolks and continue beating until thick.
-
Fold the egg mixture into the sauce pan and stir until blended in.
Assembling the Casserole.
-
Grease a 9 by 13 baking dish or spray with cooking spray.
-
Pour in half of the macaroni into a nice, even layer.
-
Sprinkle 1/3 of the grated cheese over top of the macaroni.
-
Next, add the meat filling, spreading evenly.
-
Add another 1/3 of the grated cheese, followed by the rest of the macaroni.
-
Top with the last of the cheese.
-
Finally, carefully pour the cream sauce over the whole casserole. I like to place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet in case of any bubbling over.
-
Place in a 350 degree oven and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.