Help me save my lasagne please?

Flirtini_2

Ok, so the foil helped somewhat - the middle of the top softened a bit, the edges were pretty unsalvageable. The rest tasted ok - perhaps a bit too much mince in comparison to everything else, so I think I need to invest in a smaller dish and use less mince in future!

Thanks for all the comments/advice. I'll hopefully do a better job next time! :-)

nuatha

Alternatively, if you have freezer space, do the same again (with more white/cheese sauce), split into four portions and freeze two. Adding veg (onions, grated carrot, mushrooms, peppers etc) helps the mince go further and adds more flavour. Red lentils will almost disappear in the mince (need to add more water) help bulk out the mince and add additional protein.

Stephen_Leak

Good advice above, as always on here. For next time, try this. I'd suggest doing the Bolognese sauce with some spaghetti a couple of times first until you are confident with it, then going for broke with the white sauce and the lasagne.

LASAGNE

Serves 2

1. BOLOGNESE PASTA SAUCE

Enough for pasta for 2

INGREDIENTS

2 cloves of garlic
2 onions
1 tablespoon of olive oil
500g of minced meat
400g tin of plum tomatoes
140g tin of tomato puree
1 beef stock cube
2 teaspoons of mixed herbs

METHOD

Peel the garlic and chop it into tiny pieces. Peel the onions and chop them into tiny pieces.

Put the oil into a frying pan on a medium heat. Add the garlic and onion. Fry the garlic and onion for about 2 minutes. Stir frequently to stop it sticking.

Put the meat into the pan and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring all the time. By this time, it should have broken up and be an even colour, with no pink bits.

Open the tin of tomatoes. Pour the juice into the pan. Chop the tomatoes while they are still in the can (it’s easier than chasing them around the pan). Pour the chopped tomatoes into the pan.

Crumble the stock cube into the pan. Add the tomato puree and herbs. Mix thoroughly. Continue to cook, stirring as the mixture boils, until the sauce has reduced.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

Use minced beef, lamb, pork or turkey. If the pack is a bit less than required, add some finely chopped mushrooms and/or grated carrot at the same time as the meat.

Use 1 teaspoon of oregano and 1 teaspoon of rosemary instead of the mixed herbs.

Add a glass of wine and cook for a bit longer. Or drink the glass of wine and cook for the same time.

TIPS

Plum tomatoes can be used either whole or chopped. It is difficult to stick chopped tomatoes back together again if you need to use them whole.

2. WHITE SAUCE

Makes 250ml

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of flour
250ml of milk

METHOD

Put the butter into a saucepan on a medium heat. Melt the butter. Add the flour and cook for a minute, stirring all the time.

Take off the heat. Add the milk a bit at a time. Stir each time to make sure it is smooth.

When all the milk has been added, put the pan back on the heat. Bring to the boil. Keep stirring.

Turn down the heat until it is just boiling (simmering). Cook for 2 minutes, stirring all the time.

ADDITIONS AND ALTERATIONS

If the sauce is too thin, add a little bit more flour. If the sauce is too thick, add a little bit more milk.

TIPS

The trick is to keep stirring.

3. LASAGNE

INGREDIENTS

1 quantity of Bolognese sauce
1 quantity of white sauce
125g (½ a 250g packet) of pre-cooked lasagne pasta sheets
1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese

METHOD

Put a thin layer of the Bolognese sauce in an ovenproof dish. Cover with a layer of the pasta sheets. Then another layer of Bolognese sauce. Then a layer of white sauce. Then pasta, then Bolognese sauce, then white sauce.

However many layers you end up with, they must finish with a layer of white sauce on top. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top.

Cook in a preheated oven at 180°C, 350°F, gas mark 4 for about 30 minutes. The top should be golden brown.

ADDITIONS AND ALTERATIONS

You can make a vegetarian version, with minced Quorn or any other mince substitute, and a vegetable stock cube.

anniemf2508

is your OH a coeliac or just wheat intolerant? if a coeliac i'd be a little concerned that you'd put normal pasta in a dish he was eating?

Flirtini_2

Sorry for the delayed reply, only just logged back in. Stephen, thank you for that recipe, I'll give that a go!

Anniemf2508 - he's not coeliac thankfully, and does occasionally eat things he shouldn't! He has a gluten intolerance but it's not an allergy and if he does eat small doses he's fine - although I am trying to get him out of the habits of burgers and beer! As cross contamination wasn't an issue I figured it'd be fine to do half gf pasta and half normal so long as I remember which side is which - that way he gets the good GF stuff for him and I can still eat the cheap stuff to be a bit moneysaving!

Thanks x

Kiwisaver_2

YORKSHIRELASS wrote: »

OK at the very worst the top layer of pasta is going to be hard and crunchy and not edible.

I'm having trouble understanding this concept of hard and crunchy cheesy pasta being 'not edible' :eek: It's the best bit!!

anniemf2508

Flirtini wrote: »

Sorry for the delayed reply, only just logged back in. Stephen, thank you for that recipe, I'll give that a go!

Anniemf2508 - he's not coeliac thankfully, and does occasionally eat things he shouldn't! He has a gluten intolerance but it's not an allergy and if he does eat small doses he's fine - although I am trying to get him out of the habits of burgers and beer! As cross contamination wasn't an issue I figured it'd be fine to do half gf pasta and half normal so long as I remember which side is which - that way he gets the good GF stuff for him and I can still eat the cheap stuff to be a bit moneysaving!

Thanks x

Thats a relief....as i said it kinda worried me...my husband is a full blown coeliac so we have to deal with the cross contamination issues everyday.

heretolearn_2

I love the crunchy bits too :-)

nickyhutch

I think the Ainsley Harriot lasagne in his Friends and Family cookbook is the best. Oh so tasty.

Justamum

Kiwisaver wrote: »

I'm having trouble understanding this concept of hard and crunchy cheesy pasta being 'not edible' :eek: It's the best bit!!

My children are always raiding the cupboard to eat uncooked pasta, so I suppose some people must like it. Likewise if I've not stirred spagehetti enough and there are clumps stuck together they fight over them. I've always thought my children were a little strange though :rotfl: