Lasagne recipe?

kelzcash

Thanks guys, what a great help. Would it be sad of me to say this web-site has changed my life?

Finances and debt are in control and now I'm beginning to cook better for cheaper.

Thanks again.

katiepoppycat

if you wanna get flash with your new found skills how about a chilli lasagne? instead of a bolognese sauce, use a chilli con carne sauce or packet, make as above and before you grate the cheese on it put some tortilla chips on it If you make a biiiiig batch of chilli you can have chilli and rice one night, freeze the rest and have chilli lasagne later in the month! Well done you and hope everytihng is working out for you.

hjb123

No it wouldnt be sad of you to say that!

This website has no doubt changed alot of peoples lives for the better - I know its made a huge difference to mine and have learnt moneysaving tips and made friends through it too!

maow425

Wow! What a great OH! Lasagne is pretty simple to make, and once you get the hang of it, you can make loads of variations.

Definately go for the slow cooker! It's invaluable for making things like bolognese sauce (freeze in portions to make different pasta dishes as you go) and so easy for casseroles - just bung in the ingredients, and wait for the house to smell lovely!

White sauce (or bechamel sauce) can be used for lots of things, and is very simple to make at home.

Melt some butter or Stork margarine (about 50g) in a medium sized pan. When butter is melted, add 2 tablespoons of plain flour (can be subbed for self raising) and whisk to an even mix. Then add about 1 pt of milk bit by bit (or just pour in very slowly) whilst whisking continuously. This stops it lumping. Let simmer while stirring for a couple of mins, and hey, white sauce! Once the sauce is made, you can add herbs or cheese, let your imagination loose!

Good luck to both of you!

Nicki

Different brands of lasagne cook at different speeds, but if you check the instructions on the side of the packet it should tell you how long to cook for once you have assembled all the layers. Make sure you buy the stuff you don't need to pre-cook (I bought the other kind without realising once, didn't precook and the results were inedible).

Chilli is another good one to bulk cook (and can be done in slow cooker too) - make it a bit milder than usual if she is breastfeeding until you find out whether little one likes spicy milk! You can have it with rice the first time, then with baked potatoes and a salad, then with taco shells or fajitas, sprinkled with cheese and some sour cream. Makes three quite different meals from the same base, though you probably wouldn't want to have them all on consecutive nights. To make fry your mince with some onion and garlic, when brown add tinned tomatoes, squeeze of tomato puree, kidney beans, chilli powder and salt and pepper, and simmer for about 45 mins (or leave in slow cooker until ready to eat it). You can bulk it out with other veg to make it go further.

Another two in one dish is chicken in white sauce, with mushrooms and peas. On first night you can have it with rice or pasta as a fricasee, and on the next night top it with frozen puff pastry or mashed potatoes, pop in the oven until chicken is heated through and top is brown and you have chicken pie. To make this, you just brown cubes of chicken breast, add to a white sauce (made in the same way as for a lasagne), add any veg you want and salt and pepper, and simmer until veg is warmed through. Season with salt and pepper, and any suitable herbs.

squeaky

Once you get the hang of it you might like to browse these threads from the Cooking section of the MEGA Index sticky:-

Lasagna:
- Cheese sauce
- HM Lasagna sheets?
- With creme fraiche?

Debt_Free_Chick

kelzcash wrote:

Hey guys,

Has anyone got a quick and easy giude to making Lasagne?

I'm trying to cut down on buying pre-maid foods and doing it myself.

OK ... I'm going to be contrary and probably upset a lot of people ... but the following struck me as I read this thread ....

If you want to cut down on ready-made foods, there seems little point in buying "ready-made" white sauce and "ready-made" bolognese sauce. You will almost certainly find it more thrifty simply to buy "ready-made" lasagne :eek:

The problem with lasagne - and any other (bolognese) ragu-based dish is that it's not quick. You need to simmer the tomatoey sauce down for a few hours until it thickens. So ... make your tomato/bolognese sauce/ragu at the weekend when you have more time. You don't need to stand over the sauce, but you do need to return to it from time to time.

Having made the sauce, freeze it in meal-size containers for a convenient "ready meal" You can even use it as a pizza topping. Or add chilli & red kidney beans for a Chilli Or add veg for a pie or pasty .... the possibilities are (nearly) endless. From a single base, you can make half a dozen or so different meals.

HTH

hjb123

Ive never made a lasagne that takes a few hours!

Okay I use jarred sauces but often for the price you can get them economy or smart price you cant make it for! Also doesnt take as long so the OP can spend more time with the other half but that the effort is still there!

Debt_Free_Chick

hjb123 wrote:

Ive never made a lasagne that takes a few hours!

No need to take offence* - there's nothing wrong with what you do, if it works for you, but the OP said that they wanted to get away from "pre-made" ..... I guess it depends on how one interprets that ....

Okay I use jarred sauces but often for the price you can get them economy or smart price you cant make it for!

Won't be far off as the tommy sauce can be made from tinned toms (15p per tin), onions, garlic & herbs. Total cost for two portions is almost certainly less than 50p - and no "additives" either. In both cases, you need to add the meat & white sauce (and cheese )

Also doesnt take as long so the OP can spend more time with the other half but that the effort is still there!

That's certainly something that the OP needs to weigh up - time with OH or time in the kitchen.

Regards

* In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt "No-one can make you feel inferior, without your consent"

maow425

Nicki wrote:

Chilli is another good one to bulk cook (and can be done in slow cooker too)

Mmmmm...chilli... My favourite way of having chilli, is chilli, chips and cheese. Chips on a plate, chilli ladled over, then a cheese sauce and sprinkled grated cheese on top. OK! I know what we're having for tea tonight:D !