It’s a cold and miserable day. The sky is grey and full of rain and my tummy is crying out for comfort food.

I don’t often make lasagne, probably once a year. I always think of it as such a faff but in reality it takes no time at all. It’s a great way to use up all the random things you have in the fridge / freezer. Plus you can make  a few meals out of it. The flavour is nicer the next day – it kind of matures.

What I like about lasagne is that I feel it is a leveller. You can do meat, veggie, vegan, gluten free,  dairy free. Whatever your dietary requirements are covering all bases.

Please feel free to use this recipe as a rough guideline. Tailor it to suit your taste.

Top tip

  1. DO NOT panic about making a white sauce. If you whisk  it at the times I say it won’t be lumpy!!
  1. If you don’t have enough mince, use some red lentils. They bulk it out and give it a lovely texture.

For the sauce

1 box lasagne sheets

100g of grated strong cheddar (dairy free alternative)

2 pints of milk (alternative options)

75g butter (alternative)

1 veggie stock pot

2 heaped tablespoons of flour

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

75g cheese for the top

Firstly melt the butter over a low heat.

Once melted add the flour and whisk until  you get one big lump or a paste.

Then add the milk.

Keep whisking on a low heat until thickened. You know when it’s done as you can feel resistance in the whisk

Once it’s got to a sauce consistency take it off the heat or it will jus keep thickening

Add all the other ingredients. Leave to one side

For the filling

1 bag veggie mince or quorn

1 red onion finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic crushed

1 teaspoon Italian dried herbs

Olive oil for frying

1 can of chopped tomatoes

2 cartons pasata

1 veggie stock pot

1 red pepper finely chopped

Any veggies you like

A handful of red lentils for bulk.

Fry the onion, red pepper and garlic in a large frying pan

Then add mince

Bung in the tomatoes and pasata

Season with the herbs and stock pot

Leave to simmer on low heat for 10 mins

Grab yourself a large roasting type dish – high sided and long

Place your mince mixture on the bottom

Add a layer of lasagne sheets covering all the tomato

Get your white sauce blob a spoonful on to each lasagne sheet and spread. Making sure it covers everywhere nicely. Don’t add to much but don’t scrimp either!!

Repeat until all your mince mixture is used up. Finish on a layer of lasagne sheets then white sauce and sprinkle cheese all over!

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