Making a lasagne from scratch

Sounds about right to me, I (we) would typically make twice as much ragu as required for the lasagne, and then you can have another meal for the same effort, plus a bit of reheating the next day - we'd often do another pasta or rice.

When I do a lasagna properly it can take me most of the day but it is not labour intensive and I normally have some bits prepared in the freezer. Last time I did one it took.

2 hrs to make the stock (Probably 5 mins of actual work the rest was just boiling away in the pan)
2 hrs for the ragu ( probably 15 mins of actual cooking)
20 mins for the béchamel
5 mins to assemble.

like previous posters I will make much more than I need and either freeze whole other additional lasagnas or just the ragu for future use.

you should try again, you will find it goes so much smoother the second time.

Lasagne takes time. La besciamella no. 15 minutes.
The ragù is minimum of 2 hours cooking time.
And il soffritto is a must.

I regularly make Lasagne from scratch. It can be time consuming, but is worth the effort. Shouldn't take an hour to make a bechamel sauce though. I know you probably don't feel like making it again, but you'll get better each time you make it. Sorry, but shop bought doesn't even come close.

What?

Dolmio is pretty good in terms of natural ingredients, there are probably just as many additives in the one you cook from scratch if using butter. Just stick with the dolmio.

It is something I very rarely make for that reason. But blimey, 2 1/2 hrs seems extreme. A bechamel is really quick to make. If I do make one I’ll do a big batch of bolognese one day, then use the rest to put in lasagne the next, so it’s only the bechamel and putting it together I need to do.

I give up making lasagna mines always too wet somehow. Maybe too much white sauce.

It is labour intensive. I used to make 2 at a time and freeze one.

Sorry your DH was such a dick, @tangerinemagic - egg and (oven) chips for him from now on.

I use jars

Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall published his mum's recipe. It takes seven hours.

I can put together a lasagne in two hours and that includes cooking the meat sauce for 90 minutes. Bechamel takes me 15 minutes.

I do it & my mum/grandma did it about once a week max so I do think it's worth the effort

I just asked my DH, who is the cook in our household, and he makes the most fantastic lasagne from scratch. He says a good ragu takes about two hours to cook, and the béchamel is ten to fifteen minutes, and then maybe 20 to 30 minutes in the oven. HOWEVER, he very often makes the ragu the day before, saving time on the day of cooking, plus leaving it overnight develops the flavour.

I hear you. I'm a really slow cook and a lasagne takes me a similar amount of time. I do it rarely as we do all love it properly homemade but I need to have a completely free afternoon. I've also never mastered the art of a non lumpy bechamel so I've given up trying now - just bung it all in the pan together, heat it up, give it a whizz with the stick blendet and then heat some more.

I only ever use cornflour for sauces.
It doesn't need cooking to remove the floury taste and just behaves so much better than flour.
Also, it remains the consistency it's made at. If you reheat or keep something hot, with flour sauce it gets even thicker.
Cornflour is also gluten free, if having guests.

Agreed, it's delicious, but not enough for me to make it at home. I like the cooking but the cleaning is too tedious. Plus my kids don't really like it.

I love making nigella's lasagne of love! (with a few twists like some anchovies added to the ragu). It takes a while but it is all very easy steps - I put an audiobook on and it's really relaxing. And the kids can taste instantly that I've made that specific recipe, it's their favourite. It is absolutely enormous so the payoff is there is always plenty left over for another day when we are too busy to cook

Make bog sauce.
Make white sauce. The key is to microwave the milk first to get it warm. Do not bother starting off with fridge cold milk.
Assemble 2 layers lasagne sheets/bog sauce. Top with all the white sauce and cheese_ I use emmental and a sprinkle of parmesan on the top.
In the oven for 40 mins. Leave to stand for 10 before serving.

Yes I make a huge one that feeds us for 2-3 evenings.

Oh OP you are a hero for making lasagne from scratch while looking after two very young children on your own! I agree it's a massive faff.
I hope you enjoy eating it at least.

Buy Charlie Bigham's next time, it's expensive but worth it.

I am compelled to advise many PPs that there is no letter i in the word bolognese.

If I'm making Bolognese it takes so long I do an enormous batch. Part of the leftovers gets frozen for a lasagne, so then the lasagne isn't too onerous.

Lasagne is my go to simple easy meal that lasts a few days in portions! Maybe because its a vegetarian lasagne so meat takes longer, I use the usual veg and quorn mince. Yeah it takes time to cook but in terms of actual labour it's not much, as alot of it is oven time. I usually do other bits round the kitchen while stirring the sauce pot once it's all in.

Bechamel takes minutes, I do it after I've built the rest of the lasagne, though I use pre bought lasagne sheets. Then oven and voila, food for days!

I always do the bolognese the morning of or night before in a slow cooker, ready made white sauce. Half and half here. I do prefer my own bolognese.

i do enough for 2x lasagne though and freeze the remainder.

That said - I often whip up a white/cheese sauce for cauliflower cheese and agree with PP it’s 20 mins max.

I make a large batch - 500g beef mince, do pork, cartons of chicken livers & cubed pancetta etc.
Takes about 30 minutes to sweat onions & brown meat, add the rest then leave for 2-3 hours with occasional forays into the kitchen to top up wine stir.
Freeze in portions. Lasagne sheets are covered with boiling water for 5 minutes, bechamel takes 10, than assemble.

It really doesn't take that long.