How to make easy Lasagne.

In our back to basics series we are going to cover a few things in each post.   We are going to make things super easy and flexible.  Like Nana we are going to use what we have,  try and get as many meals as possible and get something added to our supplies for later.  Winning!

This is just what I do.  It is not ever going to count as authentic Italian Lasagne.  But it must be ok as I sold it to a cafe for many years.   My how to make easy pizza and other recipes will also upset those who like to adhere to the rules.   Thats ok, this is just what I do.

Lasagne is a great freezer meal and a meal all in one dish.  It is nice with a salad but is still good on its own! 

First of all I like to make things in decent sized batches.  I want a few meals for my trouble.

I start with my big pan and fry up two or three chopped onions.  You could add some garlic if you wanted.

Then I add 2 kilos of mince, (ground beef)  and some pepper and get that browned.  (that equals 4.4 lbs)

Now I add in a heap of tomato pasta sauce that I have made or bought.  In this instance I used some jars of Dolmio sauce but you can make it, use tomato soup, tomato puree.... or a mixture of any of these!    

Into that I add whatever I have...  this time it was several cups of shredded zucchini,  some parsley, oregano,  and a heap of little tomatoes from the garden.   The goal is to get it to the point where you have a nice red sauce.   Brown just freaks me out... you want it rich and red.   You also want a fair bit of liquid.  Because I use instant lasagne sheets they soak up liquid... you need to allow for that.

 

You could also add shredded spinach/silverbeet or chard.  Cooked lentils.  Grated carrot...

The secret is to simmer this for at least an hour.  Two is better.

When you are getting close to finishing the sauce make your cheese topping.   I make a white sauce using cornflour in the microwave,  as you would make a custard.  Just cornflour,  pepper and milk.  I stir it every three minutes.  Sometimes it needs the stick blender but you want plenty of it!  I do two litres of milk..

In your baking dishes place your first layer of lasagne sheets.    Scoop a layer of your meat sauce to cover them.  Have enough liquid and make an even layer.      Then make another layer of lasagne sheets...  or if you wanted you could use a layer of veggies... ie a bunch of zucchini sliced lengthways and fried...  cooked eggplant... sliced pumpkin...  these are best pre cooked.  I was just using pasta in mine.

Here I have lined my baking dish with pasta sheets and my sauce jars are upside down so I don't waste a drop.

Top with meat sauce... then finish with a top layer of pasta.    Make sure you have not overfilled your dish.  This thing is going to bubble and increase!    Your top layer is your cheese sauce.   Many people make a Bechamel sauce with flour, butter and too much patience for me.   Also dished with cheese just don't also need butter IMO. But it you want make a heap of Bechamel sauce!  Otherwise do my cornflour and milk... get it nice and thick and stir in some grated cheese and some chopped parsley.... if you have/like it.    Alternatively you can use Ricotta cheese... or you can do a layer of Ricotta cheese in the middle layer...   basically any cheese is good!   A cheese sauce is your chance to use up any random cheeses.    

Ideally you do three layers of pasta and two layers of meat sauce.

BUT if you can see your dish is going to be too full... just do two layers of pasta with sauce in the middle... and top with cheese sauce.  That will be fine.   If your dish is too full it will spill over for sure!   To be safe... always put your baking dish on a baking tray.  

Finally sprinkle the top with grated cheese.  This will make it look amazing when done.

Now cook this in a medium oven for about an hour.  It needs time for the pasta to become soft and cooked through.    Then it needs time for the top to become golden brown and lovely.   It is better to cook it slower for an hour and a half than too fast.  Check it now and then.  You will see it bubbling and looking a gorgeous colour and know it is ready.  

In my case first we had some of the sauce over spiral noodles for dinner.

Then I cooked a packet of penne pasta and threw that into a large foil tray...

In another pan I covered the base with lasagne sheets... 

I topped each of these with my meat sauce...  the penne pasta one there were no layers... just pasta, meat sauce and a layer of cheese sauce,  topped with cheese.   We call that pasta bake.  The kids love this.  They have no idea all the veggies they are eating! 

I often freeze a pasta bake or whole lasagne but also I often do a huge baking dish of lasagne with the intention of cutting it up into single serves.

One secret is if you know this dish is going back into the oven for re heating, don't brown it too much as the next time it might get too brown.   A little under means it is finished off next time.

Once cold Lasagne will cut very nicely. 

I slice it up into serves suitable for whoever it is for... and pop them into a smaller tray or wrap them in non stick baking paper then wrap with foil.   These go into the freezer.   They are so handy!    It is your choice.   

These serves went into zip lock bags that were just the right size. 

With freezing anything the key is to make sure it has been really chilled through first.  Then wrapped very well.  Then labeled.   

I also had some meat sauce left over and froze a batch of that which will go over spaghetti noodles sometime I need an almost ready meal. 

So from one pan we got three variations and 18 or 20 meals.   Chloe and I are doing an overnight trip to the city.  The pasta bake is for their dinner when we get home Thursday.   Some meat sauce is reserved for our dinner that night.   The Lasagne and container of sauce are being frozen for emergency meals and or baby week!   I used up a heap of things in this because I had so many tomatoes and so many zucchini in the fridge!  

A tray of Lasagne is a very easy dish to feed guests or to take to someone.  A French bread stick (or garlic bread) and a salad and this will go a very long way!  It is filling!  

Now there are many variations.   They all involve layers and some kind of cheese topping.   I would love it if you would add your own variations in the comments. 

Other ideas are to bake massive potatoes and serve your meat sauce over them with sour cream and grated cheese.  Or serve the sauce with Corn chips and cheese.  So many yum meals!  

No one was very sorry they made a good pasta sauce.   

The secret to everything if you are wondering if your sauce is good... taste it!   

Lasagne is one of those dishes (like soup or stew) that actually taste even better the next day or the next.  

It doesn't have to be perfect.  It doesn't have to have meat.. you could chop or shred tons or veggies. As long as you have your thick red sauce you are set!   

Now it doesn't always work out that I have a heap of zucchini or tomatoes but when I do I shred the zucchini and freeze dry,  freeze or dehydrate it,  ready for my next pasta sauce.   Then when I am having a cook up I look in the garden then the freezer... then the shelves.   And in it all goes! 

What if you have left over cheese sauce?   Make the kids a macaroni cheese.  Stir cooked pasta through it, throw it into a pan,  cover in breadcrumbs and grated cheese.   If you really want to go wild add some bits of cooked bacon.  

When there is an emergency, some one is sick,  you are really busy and no time to cook... ready freezer meals are like gold.  If I get a call from either of the girls I know I can go to the freezer,  pick a meal and head out the door.    

People do worry about freezers full of food... what if the power goes out?   The first secret is to keep your freezer FULL. If you have any spaces fill it with bread of bottles of water...  because a solid mass of frozen stuff will stay frozen for a long time.  If our power goes out we have generator.  It is usually only necessary to run a generator about 15 minutes out of an hour to keep things frozen.    We have big freezers too and yes they are kept full... and never open the lid if the power has gone out!  Mine are mostly good for two or three days before we would worry.

Our freezers are not our only food storage.  We don't put all our eggs in one basket.  If something really bad happened we keep a lot of shelf stable food.  But overall ready meals are so helpful.   I hope this helps someone.xxx