Lasagna is a common dinner that British families usually buy premade from the store, but you can easily make it yourself with the right recipe.
Mary Berry’s family lasagna is easy to make as a simple homecooked dinner and the Great British Bake Off cook explained that she enjoys making it for her family at weekends instead of a Sunday roast.
She said: “A real family favourite and there’s no last-minute carving to do or gravy to make as there would be with a roast.
“Just serve it with a salad and maybe some warm garlic bread. I don’t use a lot of pasta, as we find most people prefer it not too solid.”
This is the best recipe to serve to a large crowd of people and while it takes a little while to cook, it is quick to prepare and perfect for anyone wanting a tasty and uncomplicated meal that will impress guests.
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Instructions
To make the meat sauce: To begin, preheat the oven to 160C (140C Fan or Gas Mark 3), chop of the onions and crush the garlic cloves.
Place the casserole dish on the stove on a high heat and then add the bacon lardons. Cook for a few minutes until the fat has rendered out.
Then, add the mince and one teaspoon of oil and cook until the mince is brown all over. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
Add the onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes. Then, sprinkle in the flour and cook for another minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, redcurrant jelly, beef stock and thyme leaves.
Cook the meat sauce mixture for a couple of minutes and then season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, give it a good stir and then cover with a lid.
Place the mixture in the oven and let it slowly roast for one hour and 30 minutes until the meat is tender. Alternatively, you can allow it to simmer on the stove for the same amount of time without using an oven.
Once the meat sauce is ready, take out the oven to cool.
To make the white sauce: Turn the oven temperature up to 190C (170C Fan or Gas Mark 5).
Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, and then add the flour and cook for one minute.
Then, pour in the milk and continue to stir until the milk comes to a boil and begins to thicken.
Grate the cheese and add half to the saucepan along with the nutmeg and mustard., then season with salt and pepper.
To assemble the lasagna: Spoon one layer of meat sauce onto the ovenproof dish, lay sheets of lasagna on top, but be careful not to overlap the sheets, and then spoon a layer of cheese white sauce on top.
Continue assembling the lasagna until you have two layers of each sauce, and then place the lasagna sheets on top and finish with the cheese sauce.
Sprinkle the other half of the grated cheese on top of the lasagna and then place in the preheated oven. Cook for around 45 to 60 minutes or until golden brown and the pasta is tender.
Take out the oven and your delicious lasagna is ready to serve.
