Beef Lasagne

Hi everyone,

Remember a while back I attempted to make a lasagne and it hadn't quite worked? Well the other day, I mastered it thanks to a few tips from my sister in law Lauren and doing a little pre prep too. Again our oven is temperamental so this recipe is based upon things not always cooking or baking to plan and how you can get around it.

Ingredients:

1 box of Lasagne Sheets

For the Lasagne Sauce:

325g Beef Mince

200g Tomato Puree

50ml Water

100g Peas

500g Carrots

3 tsp Mixed Spice

3tsp Mixed Herbs

2 tsp Garlic Granules (Optional)

1tsp Chilli Flakes (Optional)

Pinch of Salt

For the Béchamel Sauce:

3 tbsp Plain Flour

3 tbsp Butter

100ml Milk

250g Grated Cheese

Method:

1. Prepare and cook the carrots on a medium heat in a pot (keeping the water for cooking the pasta later.)

2. Then cook the mince in a little oil in a pan, ensuring it's cooked thoroughly.

3. In another pot, add the tomato puree, water, mixed spice, mixed herbs, pinch of salt, garlic granules (if using) and chilli flakes (if using), heating it on a low heat until you get a Bolognese style consistency.

4. Drain the mince and add to the sauce along with the carrots and peas (frozen peas can be done in the microwave for 5 minutes in a bowl of water.)

5. Using the boiling water the carrots were cooked in, par cook the lasagne sheets one by one until they are semi-al-dente. This just helps to ensure the pasta cooks in the oven (as ours is temperamental).

6. To make the Béchamel sauce, melt the butter in the pan on a low-medium heat, then add the plain flour (stirring to avoid the flour sticking to the pan). Add the milk and continue stirring until you have a slightly thick consistency. If it is too thick, add a little more milk. If it is too runny, add a little more flour. Then stir in the grated cheese until it has melted.

7. Now it's time to build the lasagne. Preheat your oven to 175°C/325F-350F/Gas Mark 4. In a deep dish pan (see picture below) put a layer of the lasagne sauce, add a layer of the lasagne sheets on top and then add a layer of the Béchamel sauce. Keep layering up in this manner until you get to the top of the pan. Do leave a slight gap so as to avoid spillages.

8. Cover the dish in foil and cook for 30 minutes. Once 30 minutes have passed, remove the foil and return the dish to the oven for a further 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Do you like Lasagne? Do you have any tips on how to make it yummy or tips on cooking the lasagne sheets? Let us know in the comments.

Enjoy!

Lily xxxx