Beef Lasagne

When’s your Dolmio Day…

No disrespect to store bought sauces but you cannot replicate the texture & flavour of the homemade variety, besides they often contain high levels of sugar & salt which can alter how your body digests food & stores fat – not in a good way! … JJ

Ingredients & Costing…
Premium Minced Beef x 450gm	2.89
Spanish Onion x 1 finely diced	0.10
Fat Clove of Garlic x 2 (crushed)	0.10
Red/yellow/green Pepper x ½ each	0.40
Baby Spinach x 20gm	0.70
Tin of Plum Tomatoes x 1	0.37
Tomato Puree x 1 heaped tblsp	0.15
Beef Stock Cube x 1 (300ml dissolved)	0.32
Dried Chilli Flakes x ½ tsp	0.05
Dried Mixed Herbs x 1 tsp	0.05
Lasagne Sheets x 9 sheets	0.44
Maldon Sea Salt	0.05
Freshly Ground Black Pepper	0.05
Olive Oil to Fry	0.10
Cheese Sauce
Milk x 750ml	0.56
Mature Cheddar x 50gm	0.34
Butter x 15gm	0.25
Flour x 15gm	0.10
Dried Mustard Powder x 1 tsp	0.05
Maldon Sea Salt	0.05
Freshly Ground Black Pepper	0.05
6 Hearty Portions	€7.18

It Couldn’t be easier…

æ      Heat the olive oil in a heavy based saucepan or wok & sauté the onion until translucent, add the finely diced red/yellow/green peppers & sauté for a further 5-10 minutes

æ      Add the minced beef & a little salt to season, stir continuously until beef is cooked, turn up the heat slightly and allow any excess water to evaporate

æ      Add the crushed garlic, chilli flakes, dried herbs & cook for a few minutes

æ      Dissolve the stock cube in 300ml of boiling water & add to the pan together with tinned tomatoes & tomato puree, stirring well to ensure all ingredients are mixed thoroughly

æ      Allow to boil rapidly for approx 20 minutes stirring occasionally until the liquid had reduced by ½ the mixture should be loose but not too wet

æ      Add the baby spinach & stir into the sauce allowing it to wilt, season well with salt & freshly ground black pepper

æ      In a clean saucepan melt the butter adding flour & dried mustard powder to make a roux. Slowly add the milk incorporating it well into the roux at each stage avoiding any lumps, simmer gently until the sauce thickens. Add a little grated cheddar allowing it to dissolve into the sauce, add the remainder of the cheese & season to taste

æ      To assemble the lasagne line the base of a baking dish with sheets of lasagne, cover with half the mince mixture, spoon over some cheese sauce, repeat again finishing with a layer of lasagne sheets topped with a least half of the cheese sauce, sprinkle with a little extra grated cheddar

æ      Cook on the centre shelf of a preheated oven (gas mark 5) for approx 40 minutes until golden, serve with garlic bread & a rocket salad

Lentil Lasagne…

I usually bulk out beef lasagne with as many vegetables as I think I will get away with because really I wish I was making my favourite ”Lentil Lasagne” - rather than include it as an afterthought here I will dedicate a separate post to it shortly  JJ