Homemade Lasagne Recipe

Homemade Lasagne

Ingredients:

1 lb lean steak mince - dry fry and then cook in water for 2-3 hours until very tender then drain off all the fat and water
1 onion - finely chopped
6 oz mushrooms - finely chopped
1 red pepper - chopped small
1 tin condensed mushroom soup
1 tin condensed tomato soup
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tsps mixed herbs - dried or fresh
2 tbsps tomato puree

12 sheets pre-cooked lasagne (I usually use a mixture of egg and spinach for colour)

Bechamel Sauce

3 ozs Butter
6 ozs plain flour
2 pints milk (approximately)
Salt and Pepper
3 ozs grated cheese - optional

Method:

Saute the onions and peppers until transparent and then add the mushrooms - cook for a couple more minutes.  Add the herbs, salt and pepper if you want it and tomato puree.  Stir well and then add the chopped tomatoes.  Once cooked through - add the condensed mushroom soup and tomato soup and stir well again.

For the sauce:

Melt the butter - don't let it colour or it will colour the sauce - add the flour and stir well with either a wooden spoon or whisk.  Add salt and pepper and let the flour cook for a few minutes - you will see it change colour as it cooks - if the flour doesn't cook for long enough you will be able to taste it in the white sauce once finished.  Keep it at a low heat so that the pan doesn't brown.  Add the milk a little at a time, stir well - keeping on low heat and as the mixture thickens - add more milk and repeat the process until the sauce is the consistency of double cream.  Add the cheese if you want it at this point - I use a good cheddar - but you could use a creamy lancashire cheese which wouldn't colour the sauce.

To make up:

In a large rectangular ovenproof high sided dish place a couple of spoonfuls of the meat mix covering the bottom of the dish, then place three sheets of lasagne side by side - pour over the white sauce to cover the pasta sheets then repeat the whole process until you have used all the meat mixture, pasta sheets and white sauce.

Cook in the middle of the oven on Gas Mark 4 for about 40-50 minutes until golden brown on the top.

Cut the lasagne into 8 portions, serve with a side salad or garlic bread or potato wedges/chunky chips or jacket potatoes.  What you don't use will freeze brilliantly in single portion foil dishes.  This is a good recipe for students as it goes a long way.