Anonymous wrote:Thanks, all! I will go with the ground turkey in the Moussaka... the recipe I found doesn't call for the eggplant to be breaded. Does that make a difference? Also, wine pairing advice is welcome.

I have never heard of or seen breaded eggplant in a Moussaka.
Signed,
A greek

Does your guest eat pork? I'd go with that over turkey. But the turkey will work if you have to use it.

I think ground chicken is more flavorful than ground turkey. That being said, I've made moussaka with ground turkey before, and it was good.

Oh and here is the stew recipe in case anyone is wondering... it is SO good and you can also shred the meat and serve it over pasta

https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/turkish-style-beef-eggplant-stew-recipe

Anonymous wrote:I would do chicken maqluba instead of moussaka without the meat… here’s a recipe:

https://www.fufuskitchen.com/chicken-makloubeh/

This looks amazing... adding it to the recipe file!

Thanks, all! I will go with the ground turkey in the Moussaka... the recipe I found doesn't call for the eggplant to be breaded. Does that make a difference? Also, wine pairing advice is welcome.

I would do chicken maqluba instead of moussaka without the meat… here’s a recipe:

https://www.fufuskitchen.com/chicken-makloubeh/

I sub ground turkey for beef all the time. Moussaka is a great candidate because it is highly seasoned. (like chili, meatballs, tacos, etc.). You season the meat with nutmeg and other seasonings. Plus, breaded eggplant and bechamel are really the stars. I think this could work wonderfully well

(I'm going to try it too OP- thanks for the inspo)

First, this sound delicious, please invite me!

To your question, ideally I would not veer off the menu - would the guest eat the stew but pick out the beef? (I don’t eat red meat but am not a vegetarian which sounds like your guest, and I’d do that.) You could add Turkish rice or bulgar as a side. You could also add a vegetarian dish like stewed chick peas (although maybe you don’t want to serve a stew plus stewed chick peas?) or lentil patties.

Another idea is to make turkey meatballs in place of the beef in the stew you have planned.

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I am hosting 5 people for dinner on Saturday. Originally I was making a stew with beef, eggplant, peppers, etc. and planned a whole Greek/Turkish theme around it. One of my guests doesn't eat veal, beef, or lamb but loves eggplant. I was thinking of making moussaka but with ground chicken instead of beef. I could use turkey for more flavor but it's so close to Thanksgiving. Anyone does this? Any tips? Wine pairings? Also any ideas for the Greek/Turkish theme? Starting the meal with bacon wrapped dates, a feta and phyllo ring and a kale salad with chickpeas and feta. Dessert from the local Turkish shop.