Smith Lasagne

Ingredients:

Bolognese Sauce Ingredients

• 1 lb extra lean mince (95%)
• [optional] 2 carrots, very finely sliced
• 1 large or 2 medium onions, finely diced
• 1 tin of peeled Italian whole tomatoes
• 1/2 tube (4 tbsp) of tomato puree, or more if desired
• 2 tsps of sugar
• 1 tsp minced garlic or garlic puree (to taste), less if using dried garlic
• 1/2 - 1 tsp of dried mixed herbs
• [optional] 3 - 4 bay leaves
• 2 beef stock cubes
• 2-3 cups of water
• 1 lb box of no-cook Lasagne sheets, enough to cover dish base 3 times

White Sauce Ingredients

• 4 tbsp flour (self-raising or plain is fine)
• 1 pt milk (we use semi-skimmed, 2%)
• 2 -3 oz butter (more butter makes the flour easier to mix with the milk)

Directions:

Bolognese Sauce

1. Brown the mince in the pot, stirring regularly until browned evenly (start on high heat, turn down to medium).
2. Add chopped onions, and lightly brown them.
3. Add the carrots.
4. Add minced garlic and mixed herbs.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes + puree + sugar.
6. Add the bay leaf, lightly tearing the edges to release the flavor.
7. Make the stock with boiling water and add to pot.
8. Allow to simmer gently for about half an hour (you can make the white sauce in the meantime).

White Sauce

1. Melt the butter in a large microwaveable jug (or other suitable dish), covered to avoid spatter.  Make sure the container has enough space to hold all the milk we'll be adding as we go.
2. Add flour and stir into a paste.
3. Cook for 2 minutes in the microwave.
4. Add the milk a quarter of a pint at a time, stirring with a whisk to avoid lumps, and microwaving for a minute each time.   The mixture will get thicker each time you microwave it.  If it hasn't thickened give it an additional 30 seconds before the adding the milk.
5. When you're done, it should have thick pouring consistency.  You may choose to season to taste with salt and pepper at this point (we don't bother).
6. You may optionally add grated cheese (eg cheddar) to make this a cheese sauce.  Do NOT put back in microwave after adding cheese or it will become tough.

Putting It All Together

1. Preheat the oven to 190C or 375F (check your lasagne sheet directions).
2. Removing the bay leaves from the bolognese sauce.
3. Put one layer of bolognese sauce (half) on the bottom of a large, oven-safe dish.  You'll be making 7 layers, so make sure it's deep enough.
4. Add a layer of dried lasagne sheets on top.
5. Cover the lasagne sheets with the half the white sauce.
6. Add another layer of lasagne sheets.
7. Add the rest of the bolognese sauce.
8. Add another layer of lasagne sheets.
9. Tops with the rest of the white sauce.
10. You should now have 7 layers: B L W L B L W (where B=Bolognese, L = lasagne sheets, W = white sauce).
11. Optionally, you can sprinkle grated cheese top.
12. Put the dish into the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes.  You may want a baking tray underneath to catch any overflow if your dish wasn't deep enough for when it expands.
13. Enjoy!