Homemade Lasagna – this, people is comfort food!

Posted on October 27, 2016 by in beef

Homemade lasagna is one of those quintessential comfort foods. A little bit labor intensive, but so worth the while.

I don’t make homemade lasagna often. When I do, I make two, even three, because it is freezer-friendly. It is always good to know there is a meal ready to be heated when you are stuck in traffic or in the office.

Ok, so yesterday I took this labor of love a notice up and even made my own lasagna sheets. I know, totally over the top, but I had no internet and no phone line so I had a full day in the kitchen.

So, I suggest you take a morning and make a few trays of the homemade lasagna. You have to dirty the pots, you might as well use bigger pots and get the job done once.

Homemade Lasagna

Make the meat sauce

Ingredients

600 g lean beef mince

400 g pork mince

1-2 large onions – finely chopped

4 cloves garlic – finely chopped

45 ml Olyfberg Olive oil

10 ml smoked paprika

2 sprigs rosemary

salt and pepper

80 g tomato paste

410 g tinned chopped tomatoes

10 ml sugar

Method

Heat a big cast iron port on the stove and add the oil. Saute the onions and garlic until translucent. Add the herbs and smoked paprika. Add the meat and with a fork, work the meat until it has no more big lumps. Keep stirring the meat until it browns slightly. Add all the other ingredients and cook the meat sauce until the excess water has evaporated and the sauce is thick and full of flavor. Keep warm.

Make the Bechamel Sauce

80g butter

125 ml flour

1,25 liter milk

125 ml parmesan cheese, finely grated

5 ml salt

good pinch ground nutmeg

2 eggs

Method

Melt the butter in a pot over medium-high heat until it starts to foam. Add all the flour at once. Mix until the butter and flour is incorporated. Remove from heat. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly, until mixture is smooth. Return to heat. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 10 to 12 minutes or until sauce comes to the boil. Allow the sauce to thicken, if you think it is too thick for you, add a little more milk. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan, salt and nutmeg. Lastly beat the 2 eggs and mix into the sauce – it just stabilizes the sauce.

To assemble the lasagna

Ingredients

Meat sauce

Bechamel

pasta sheets – buy shop-bought or make your own

400 g St Dairy Semi-soft Natural Cheese – grated or cut in slices ( you can substitute with Mozzarella)

fresh nutmeg

100 ml parmesan

Method

Preheat oven to 180 C. Spray a rectangular oven casserole with Spray ‘n Cook. Spoon a little meat sauce in the bottom of the casserole to cover the bottom of the casserole. Place a single layer of pasta sheets over the top. Pour another layer of meat sauce over the pasta. Top with some St. Dairy Cheese and then a layer of bechamel sauce. Repeat the layers and finish off with a thin layer of bechamel. Lastly top with parmesan and a few gratings of nutmeg.

(At this point you can freeze the lasagna for later use.)

Bake for 45 – 60 min or until it is golden and bubbling. ( If you are baking from the freezer, just place casserole in a oven, then start heating the oven to 180 C.) Bake for about 60 – 70 min.

Enjoy with warm ciabatta and a fresh green salad.