Poor Food (Siromašni Hrana)

My maternal grandmother said that when she was a young girl in Serbia, food was often scarce and that you made a meal of whatever was in your pantry or what you traded with your neighbors for ingredients. This dish was popular with all her neighbors and family and sometimes big batches were made for a communal supper with each household contributing ingredients or a side dish or dessert and served on large tables outside in the yard. This dish was known as Poor People Food because of this fact. I call it Serbian Moussaka. It is a great meal for a weekend and served with Šopska Salat and Vikendica Hleb.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 pound ground beef (or ground lamb)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk 

1 pint heavy cream 

Salt & pepper to taste
5 potatoes, sliced
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded Mozzarella  cheese
1 cup milk 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onions until translucent; set aside. Cook ground meat until evenly brown. Drain excess fat, and set meat aside. Melt butter in the skillet. Add flour, and stir with a whisk for 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in 3 cups milk, then the cream. Simmer, stirring frequently, over medium-low heat for 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened and is smooth. Season with salt and pepper, and remove from heat.

 Spread a small amount of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole dish. Alternate layers of potatoes, onions, ground meat, cheese and sauce, with 2 to 3 layers of each. Reserve some cheese to sprinkle on top. If you run short of sauce, press down on all layers, and add milk as needed. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until potatoes are soft.