Try this mouth-watering beef lasagne, consisting of a tomatoey mince mixture, a creamy béchamel sauce and layers of pasta…

INGRIDIENTS
12–16 lasagne sheets
2 cups grated cheddar
For the mince
250g bacon, chopped
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 yellow pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 kg mince (½ lamb, ½ beef is ideal)
2 carrots, grated
2 × 410g tin chopped tomatoes
1 cup red wine
1 cup beef stock
1 sprig rosemary
2 tbsp chopped origanum
Salt and pepper
For the béchamel
1 onion
4 cloves
1L milk
2 bay leaves
80g butter
⅓ cup flour
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper

METHOD
For the mince
1. In a large pot, dry-fry the bacon until golden. Remove and set it aside
2. In the bacon fat, fry the onion until golden and soft, 10 minutes. Add the garlic and peppers, and fry for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
3. Heat the oil and brown the mince, stirring every now and again.
4. When all the extra liquid has cooked out of the mince and it has some colour, add back the bacon, onion and peppers. Add the remaining ingredients.
5. Leave to simmer on low heat for 2 hours.
For the béchamel 
1. Stud the onion with the cloves.
2. Place the milk, onion and bay leaves in a pot and bring to the boil. Switch off the heat and let the milk sit for 15 minutes. Strain.
3. In another pot, cook the butter and flour for 3–5 minutes. Add the milk slowly, whisking constantly. Simmer for 5 minutes, still whisking.
4. Season to taste with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
The assembly
1. Preheat oven to 180ºC.
2.  Soak the lasagne in boiling water for 10 minutes.
3. Layer the ingredients in a 20 × 20 cm ovenproof dish: one fifth of the béchamel, 3–4 lasagne sheets, a quarter of the mince.
4. Repeat 3 times, ensuring you end on a layer of béchamel. Sprinkle with the cheese.
5. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the lasagne is golden and bubbling.

Want something with more vegetables? Try this delicious Ratatouille bake.

The post Classic Beef Lasagne appeared first on MyKitchen.

With winter on its way, it’s time to get back into delicious comfort dishes. What better way to start than with a hearty corned beef lasagne?

SERVES 6 // COOKING TIME 1 hour 15 min

INGREDIENTS
For the filling
Vegetable oil, to fry
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp mixed herbs
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
1½ tins corned beef, finely chopped
2 tins chopped tomatoes
For the white sauce
1½ cups milk
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
To assemble
250 g lasagne, cooked
100 g Cheddar, grated

METHOD
For the filling
1. Heat a little oil in a large pot and fry the onion. Add the carrots, garlic, herbs, sugar, salt, pepper and paprika. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
2. Add the corned beef, turn up the heat and fry for 3 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes and ½ cup water. Simmer for 10 minutes.
For the white sauce
1. Heat the milk in a pot.
2. Melt the butter in a separate pot. Whisk in the flour and salt.
3. Slowly add milk, whisking. Cook until the sauce thickens.
To assemble
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Place a layer of beef at the bottom of your oven dish. Cover with a layer of lasagne. Repeat until the beef is finished.
3. Pour the white sauce over the top and sprinkle with Cheddar.
4. Bake for 30–40 minutes, until golden brown on the edges.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

The post Corned beef lasagne appeared first on MyKitchen.

Classic beef lasagne: layers of pasta and delicious tomatoey mince mixture, smothered in a creamy sauce, all topped with cheese.

SERVES 8 // COOKING TIME 200 min

INGREDIENTS
For the mince
250g bacon, chopped
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 red and 1 yellow pepper, seeded and chopped
1 kg beef mince
2 carrots, grated
2 × 410g tin chopped tomatoes
1 cup red wine
1 cup beef stock
1 sprig rosemary
2 tbsp origanum
For the béchamel
1 onion
4 cloves
1L milk
2 bay leaves
80g butter
1/3 cup flour
Pinch of nutmeg
To assemble
12–16 lasagne sheets
2 cups grated cheddar

METHOD
For the mince
1. Dry-fry bacon until golden. Remove and set aside. In the bacon fat, fry onions until soft.
2. Add garlic and peppers, and fry for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
3. Heat a little oil and brown mince. When all extra liquid has cooked out, add bacon, onion and peppers.
4. Add the remaining ingredients. Leave to simmer on low heat for 2 hours. Season with salt and pepper.
For the Bechamel
1. Stud onion with cloves.
2. Place milk, onion and bay leaves in a pot and bring to the boil. Switch off the heat and let the milk sit for 15 minutes. Strain.
3. In a separate pot, cook butter and flour for 3–5 minutes. Add milk slowly, whisking constantly. Simmer for 5 minutes. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
To assemble
1. Soak the lasagne in boiling water for 10 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 180˚C.
3. Layer ingredients in a 20 × 20 cm dish: one fifth béchamel, 3–4 lasagne sheets, a quarter mince. Repeat 3 times – end on a layer of béchamel.
4. Sprinkle with the cheese. Bake for 40 minutes

The post The ultimate beef lasagne appeared first on MyKitchen.