Can moussaka be frozen? - The best way

Eastern Europe and the Balkans have a lot to offer in terms of traditional cuisine. A clear example is the Moussaka, which is one of the few dishes that have spread throughout the world and have become the favorite of many cooks.

If you have ever eaten Moussaka, you would probably associate it with Greece because it is primarily considered a Greek dish. However, the truth is that the origin of the musaka is not very clear and it is made with different ingredients in each country.

Now, to the question: can musaka be frozen? Although there are many variations of Moussaka, they all have one thing in common: it can be frozen! In most cases, you can freeze Moussaka both baked and unbaked. 

Read on to learn the best way to freeze musaka, as well as tips for reheating it and using up leftovers.

Your guide to freezing moussaka

Although the Greeks were behind the popularization of Moussaka in the last century, the name of the dish comes from Arabic. In all likelihood, the Middle East is also its place of origin, even though it is too popular in the Balkans.

Traditional Greek moussaka is made in a similar way to lasagna : layered, and the main ingredient is eggplant. We are sure that this is the Moussaka you had in mind.

In Turkey, for example, it is prepared in a totally different way, without layers. In Bulgaria and most of the other Balkan countries, moussaka is always made with potatoes instead of aubergine, and each country is unique in its traditional dish.

How to freeze baked moussaka

In most cases, people freeze unbaked Moussaka as it is a convenient way to have an entire meal pre-assembled to bake.

Other people prefer to freeze it baked, which we’ll explain in a second. There are also cases where you have leftovers that you want to keep for, say, a week later.

Anyway, once you have your baked moussaka , you have to cool it down to room temperature before moving on to the second step. When you feel like it’s ready to move, put it in the fridge until it’s cold.

So you have two options:

Option 1 : Seal the casserole with aluminum foil and transparent film.

Option 2 : Divide the moussaka into smaller containers before sealing and putting them in the freezer.

If you decide to split it, you’ll have several servings and you won’t have to reheat the whole moussaka when you’re hungry.

How to freeze musaka without baking

In most cases, people assemble the moussaka and freeze it for later use. It’s a great way to prepare for a big family gathering. It’s better than a tiring and stressful day of cooking on the day of the event.

So you have your dish assembled in a suitable pot for cooking. Now how do you freeze it?

To protect the dish from freezer burn , use a piece of parchment paper and place it directly on top of your béchamel. Then, seal the casserole with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

It’s good to know that you can keep this no-bake moussaka frozen for up to 3 months, which in most cases won’t be necessary. For when you have to bake it, leave it overnight in the fridge to thaw.

If you’re in a hurry, you can also bake it from frozen, but it will take longer to cook perfectly.

Freeze the musaka in portions

Although freezing the musaka in portions is not mandatory, it is the most effective solution and, honestly, an absolutely logical choice.

Why freeze the entire plate when you can divide it into convenient portions and defrost only what you need for the meal? 

You have several options when it comes to portion freezing and it all depends on how you want to keep the shape of your moussack and also the type of moussaka you have made.

By this we mean whether your moussaka is layered like a traditional Greek moussaka or if it is prepared more like a Turkish moussaka, which has no layers and everything is mixed together.

If you don’t have layers , you can use a rigid container or whatever soft freezer bag is available, although we think freezer bags are impractical when it comes to moussaka.

We suggest you use any type of small, airtight rigid container you can find . In this way, your portions will retain their shape even after months in the freezer.

If you want to be even more efficient in your freezing, you should consider oven-ready containers. This, of course, if you don’t feel like eating on a plate.

How to reheat moussaka

In general, you will always have to put the moussaka in the oven if you really want to reheat it. However, there are certain subtleties that you should keep in mind, although they are not mandatory.

When it comes to frozen moussaka, we suggest leaving your desired portion in the fridge overnight before reheating it for your meal. If you need it for the same day, give it as much time as possible to thaw in the fridge. Never reheat moussaka that hasn’t been previously thawed.

From here, the options are optional.

As soon as it has thawed successfully in the fridge, you can pop it in the oven and reheat it, or wait another hour for the musaka to come to room temperature outside the fridge.

From our own experience with moussaka, we suggest bringing it to room temperature first. 

Whatever your choice, you will eventually have to put it in the oven. Assuming you’ve already baked the moussaka, if you want to reheat it, make sure you keep the oven at medium-high heat, as you don’t want to bake it any further.

Also, don’t forget to cover the moussaka with aluminum foil if you can. This, of course, if you have a whole batch or casserole of moussaka to reheat.

If you have a slice, there’s no need to use aluminum foil as it will reheat in a matter of minutes.

You will still need to leave any large batch of moussaka for about 30 minutes in the oven on medium-high heat to reheat it well.

Related questions

How long does moussaka keep in the fridge?

Honestly, it depends mostly on the temperature of your fridge. At best, you should keep the musaka for no more than 3-4 days.

It is not that it cannot be kept longer, but it will simply lose most of its properties and it will not taste the same.

Can you eat cold musaka?

Musaka can be consumed in all possible states . It is curious, but each country serves it differently.

For example, the Balkan countries and Greece serve their versions of the dish hot. Instead, the Arabic version of the dish is usually served cold, which would be unethical in a Balkan country.

Can I make the béchamel in advance and can I freeze it?

You can make the béchamel in advance, but the time in advance depends on how you intend to preserve it. For example, if you plan to use a refrigerator, you can keep it for 3-5 days, depending on the temperature.

The case is totally different if you decide to freeze it.

People are often surprised when they learn that béchamel can stay frozen for months.

Normally you shouldn’t keep it longer than 3 months in the freezer, but people have done tests and it seems it can be kept longer as well.

Many home cooks don’t realize that sauces change once frozen. For example, it’s absolutely normal for your béchamel to look separate once you open it. If it looks bad, don’t throw it away!

Instead, reheat it in a saucepan over low heat and you’ll soon find it coming back together in a matter of minutes. Best of all, it will taste the same as if you had made it at the moment.

Why do the Balkan countries substitute potatoes for aubergine?

The reasons can be several and there is no written rule on the preparation of moussaka, apart from the fact that the Greek moussaka is the most popular and widespread variant.

It could simply be because the Balkan countries have always had disputes related to food. It is quite common for a traditional dish of one to be adopted by the other and modified to resemble their own. 

Another plausible reason is the fact that potatoes are more common in the Northern Balkans than aubergines and therefore people have adopted this way of preparation as it is quite cheaper and more accessible.