Can you freeze moussaka (vegetarian)? How to freeze and reheat it

Name: Moussaka (vegetarian)
Yield: 12 portions
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 15g dried porcini mushroom; 4 aubergine; 1½ tsp salt; 800g maris piper potatoes; 2 onions; 2 garlic clove; 4 sprig of fresh rosemary; 4 sprig of fresh sage; 5 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp dried oregano; 250ml red wine; 800g tinned chickpeas; 100g dried green lentils; 2 dried bay leaf; 800g chopped tomatoes; 4 tsp dried oregano; 2 pinches black pepper; 60g feta cheese; 60g pecorino cheese; 750ml semi-skimmed milk; 75g unsalted butter; 75g plain flour; 2 medium egg

Method

Prep

Boil the kettle.
Put dried porcini mushroom in a small bowl and cover with boiling water from the kettle.
Trim aubergine and slice into 1 cm rounds. Toss with half the salt in a colander and leave to drain for 20 minutes.
While the aubergines drain, peel maris piper potatoes and slice into 1 cm rounds.
Peel and dice onions into 1 cm pieces.
Peel and crush garlic clove.
Strip the leaves from sprig of fresh rosemary and sprig of fresh sage and chop them.

Make the ragù

Heat olive oil in a large pan over a medium-low heat.
Lift the porcini out of their water, keeping the water, and chop them. Add to the pan with the onions, garlic, herbs and dried oregano.
Fry for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onions are soft.
Turn the heat up, pour in red wine, checking the label says vegetarian, and let it bubble until most of it has gone.
Add tinned chickpeas with their liquid, dried green lentils, dried bay leaf and chopped tomatoes. Pour in the porcini water, leaving any grit behind.
Bring to the boil, then simmer for 1 hour, stirring now and then, until the lentils are tender and the sauce is thick. Add a splash of water if it catches.
Take out the bay leaves and season with the rest of the salt.

Roast the vegetables

While the ragù simmers, preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and boil the kettle again.
Pour the boiling water from the kettle into a large pan, add a good pinch of salt and bring back to the boil.
Boil the potatoes for 5 minutes, then drain and leave to steam dry.
Spread the potatoes over a large roasting tray. Toss with half the olive oil, half the dried oregano and half the black pepper.
Rinse the aubergine slices, pat dry with kitchen paper and spread over two more trays. Toss with the rest of the oil, oregano and pepper.
Roast all three trays for 35 minutes until golden and tender, swapping the shelves halfway.

Make the béchamel

While the vegetables roast, crumble feta cheese and grate pecorino cheese for the sauce, then crumble feta cheese and grate pecorino cheese for the top. Keep them apart.
Warm semi-skimmed milk in the microwave until hot but not boiling.
Melt unsalted butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in plain flour and cook for 1 minute.
Whisk in the hot milk a ladle at a time until smooth, then simmer for 5 minutes, stirring, until thick.
Take off the heat and stir in the cheese for the sauce.
Separate medium egg. Once the sauce has stopped steaming, whisk in the yolks. The whites aren't needed.

Assemble and bake

Lay the potatoes over the base of your containers, one meal to each.
Spoon over half the ragù, then lay over half the aubergines. Repeat with the rest of the ragù and aubergines.
Pour the béchamel over the top and scatter over the cheese for the top.

To eat now

Bake for 40 minutes until golden and bubbling.
Leave to stand so it sets.

How to freeze

cool any warm dishes before putting them in your freezer, says the Food Standards Agency.
Put the lid on the container.

How to defrost

the safest way to defrost food is in the fridge overnight, says the Food Standards Agency.
Take the lid off.
Heat it in the oven until it’s steaming hot all the way through and golden.
it is important that food is cooked to steaming hot throughout, rather than warmed, says the Food Standards Agency.
Leave to stand so it sets.

Moussaka (vegetarian)