It only makes sense that the first recipe I post would be one of my favorite foods ever: Lasagna!!!! Lasagna has been one my favorite foods for as long as I can remember, probably due to my obsession with Garfield and the ridiculous amount of cheese involved. I’ve made tons of lasagnas through the years, but this one is the only recipe I use now. Instead of ricotta or cottage cheese I make a bechamel sauce to go on top. For those who don’t know what bechamel is, it’s this amazing cheesy, garlicky, creamy sauce that I am obsessed with!! I learned this bechamel trick from one of my bosses who was from England, then I came to find out that’s how most people in the UK, as well as Australia, make their lasagna and it really does make all the difference. I also make my sauce from scratch, which I think makes all the difference really. It’s zesty, rich, and full of flavor! So enough chit chat, here’s my recipe!

Preparation

1. Small dice onion, carrot, and celery. Heat a deep pot with 1Tbs olive oil, add veggies and garlic and sauté until onions are translucent.
2. Add beef and sausage to veggies and brown. After meat is browned make a well in the center and add tomato paste and Worcestershire and sauté until warm. Mix paste and sauce with meat. Add in all other seasonings as well as 1 tsp each of salt and pepper. Taste and add more seasonings to your liking.
3. Open cans of tomatoes and pour into meat mixture. Bring to a simmer for 15 min, cover with a lid. Continue stirring occasionally, and taste. If sauce is too acidic add a tsp of sugar. If still acidic continue adding more sugar.
4. Once you are pleased with the flavor, cover with lid and simmer for an hour
5. While the red sauce is simmering preheat oven to 350 F or 180 C.
6. Melt butter in a different pan. Once melted, add garlic and minced onion and sauté until onions are translucent.
7. Add in Italian herbs and flour to make a roux. Cook flour for 10 minutes to remove the floury taste it can leave.
8. Add chicken stock slowly and mix continuously to avoid lumps. Once chicken stock is mixed in, add milk and bring to a boil. Mix in about 2.5 cups of cheese and remove from heat.
9. Once your sauce has cooked for an hour it’s time to assemble!!!
10. Get a 9×13 baking pan and line bottom with a ladleful of sauce and spread out evenly along bottom of pan. Line 3 noodles and cover with sauce and repeat until you run out of space in pan. When done layering, finishing with red sauce, top with bechamel. Then top with remaining cheese, cover with foil and bake. *See Tips*
11. Once the lasagna is baked to perfection turn on the broiler and broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
12. Remove from oven, be careful this baby will be heavy!! Then let rest for about 30 min to an hour so lasagna can set up.
13. Serve!

Tips

Baking depends on which type of noodle you use. If using pre cooked noodles or fresh pasta sheets, bake until sauces are bubbling on sides. If using oven bake noodles, add in liquid amount the box calls for (I always recommend chicken stock), then bake to boxes instructions.

Also feel free to substitute beef/pork with any form of protein you prefer! I made this lasagna again just recently and used ground lamb and pork and it was incredible!!