The Perfect Lasagna
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Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • 500g minced beef (I used the 5% fat version)
  • 6 rashers of bacon, cut into small pieces
  • 4 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 apple, core removed and chopped into 4
  • 2 x peppers
  • 1 spoonful of oil
  • 1 tsp garlic granules
  • good pinch of black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried mixed Italian herbs
  • 1 Schwartz Lasagne recipe mix
  • 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 1 x 500g pack of passatta
  • 1-2 tsp sugar (depending on taste)
  • *CHEESE SAUCE*
  • 250g grated cheese - I use a mature one, which is a half fat version - just to help with the calories ;)
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 500ml milk
  • A dash of english mustard
  • sprinkling of cayenne pepper
Instructions
  1. *Meat Sauce*
  2. place the minced beef into a large non stick pan and brown it
  3. after a few minutes add the bacon and continue to cook for about 5 minutes
  4. meanwhile, place the onions, carrots and apple into a food processor (otherwise chop very finely if you do not own one) and blitz until they are tiny pieces
  5. add the veggie mix to the pan with the beef and bacon and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes
  6. do the same with the pepper with the food processor, and then add this to the other veggies and meat and cook for 5 more minutes. Remembering to stir often so they don't stick to the pan
  7. add the Schwartz recipe mix and give it a good mix
  8. Add the tinned tomatoes, passatta and the garlic, herbs and pepper and give it a good old stir.
  9. Increase the heat and bring to the boil. One this has happened, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low and gently simmer away for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally
  10. minutes into the simmering, pre heat the oven to 180oC / 160oC (fan)
  11. *Cheese Sauce*:
  12. Add the butter to a medium sized non stick saucepan and when it is starting to melt add the flour and stir well until combined.
  13. Keep stirring and very soon the mixture will come away from the sides, once this happens the mixture must be cooked for 1 minute to cook the flour, and it must be continually stirred.
  14. Once this has happened remove from the heat and add a few glugs of milk to start with, and stir the pan so that the flour mixture and the milk combine. You may find that using a whisk helps here. The idea is to get rid of the lumps before you return the pan to the heat.
  15. Once the lumps have gone, return the pan to the heat and while stirring all the time, allow the milk to heat up. Add the rest of the milk and after a couple of minutes you should feel the sauce thicken. Now add your cheese, probably in three parts, and again keep stirring.
  16. Once the sauce comes to the boil, keep stirring and allow it to cook for 1 minute.
  17. Remove from the heat and add the mustard and the cayenne pepper and stir well. The cheese sauce should be lovely and thick now.
  18. *Assembling*
  19. Once both sauces are ready, get a large square/rectangular oven proof dish and lightly grease the bottom of it
  20. Line the bottom of it with the ragu sauce
  21. Add a layer of lasagne sheets
  22. Add a layer of cheese sauce
  23. Repeat layers, making sure the final one has cheese sauce on the top
  24. Add the mozzarella liberally across the top of the lasagne
  25. Cook in the oven for about 30-35 minutes until the cheese is all golden and bubbling
  26. Cut into portions (you could possibly get 8 portions if you served with chips) and serve with salad and garlic bread, or whatever takes your fancy
Recipe by Mummy Mishaps at http://www.mummymishaps.co.uk/2016/09/the-perfect-lasagne-recipe.html