Making a lasagne from scratch

Cook the bolognaise in your slow cooker the night before. Buy grated Parmesan. I can do the Bechemel in 20minutes and throw the whole thing together in half an hour. Haven’t heard about using Cheetos.

Or you could try reading what I wrote. My post would then have made sense.

Well no it wasn't obvious, you quoted me. It came up in my notifications that you had done so. If you want to reply to a specific poster that is already part of a quoted message you need to either @ that poster or go back and quote them direct.

I meant the poster you were replying to, which I thought was obvious.

Interesting! The one in The Complete Cookery Course (my edition is from the late 1970s) has no pork mince but the one from the Winter Collection (which I think is probably the source of the one I linked to above) does include minced pork as well as minced beef, pancetta and chicken livers. That's the one I use. I don't recall minced pork being widely available back in the 70s, so maybe that's why she didn't put it in originally.

Okay not sure why you are specifically quoting me to tell me what's in anchor butter. The list of ingredients I posted is for Dolmio creamy white sauce. It even shows that on the screen shot. I also specifically say that the only thing likely to be added to butter is salt?

I assume that poster was thinking of spreadable butter, not block butter, but there won't be many with a list of ingredients like the one you've found. This is Anchor spreadable: Anchor Butter (50%) (Milk), Rapeseed Oil (33%), Water, Salt (1.1%), Colour (Beta Carotene), Blended Spread 74% (41% Milk Fat, 33% Rapeseed Oil)

I'm finding all 3 recipes slightly different @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g! The one in the book is only beef, chicken livers, and bacon, whereas the one you linked to also includes pork.

I do want to try a new recipe, but now I've got too much choice 😄.

Chicken livers are quite traditional in some Italian recipes, Ive seen Carluccio do them with livers on a programme once.

Not my cup of tea but I bet its lovely and rich

I find grating Parmesan finely does take time. Worth it, though.

How odd, you're right - the current recipe on her own website doesn't include chicken livers. I have most of her books and work from those. This is the original recipe. I love the chicken livers in it, but I'm sure it would still be very good without. https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/anauthenticragubolog_66229

Cant see the Coop ingredients online, but this ready meal, bog standard doesnt have any additives, not sure why people keep making out ready meals are full of additives. Some are, some arent

Obviously it wouldnt be nice to eat but its not full of additives

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/310130809?sc_cmp=ppcGHS+-+Grocery+-+NewMPX_PMAX_All_OT_Top+Offers_Online+Budget_1012764**310130809*&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19769785635&gbraid=0AAAAADiyNaupbJgddUfwdo0P2oJrtDq21&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxo_CBhDbARIsADWpDH4eeqqT1eX7Lv678GenQvS8gUrmNoRPge1YJf5Q47ukOZ1_WSNfEusaAu13EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Oh, the current Delia online recipe is different - beef, pork, and pancetta.

I just looked up Delia's ragù bolognese recipe, which was mentioned upthread - it has chicken livers and bacon in it though. Do these really make it better? I'm worried I might not like it, but maybe they'd just make it more complex / rich.

I'm wondering how the op grates the cheese if it's so arduous. It takes very little time using a good box grater.

😀It is!

I think proper home made lasagne is definitely worth the effort (mine is anyway) but I totally agree with you about how long it takes to do it! I only do it for special occasions because it is a faff - but I do make the meat sauce in bulk so that I have some ready in the freezer to defrost. I need SO much cheese sauce in mine! I use a cheese sauce rather than a plain bechamel - I don't care that it's not correct - it is tasty. It does take a while to make in the quantities I need, but not 3/4 hour. I heat the milk separately while I'm making the roux rather than using all cold milk, that does help to speed it up.

If I was to make it all from scratch (apart from the pasta sheets which there is no way on earth I'm going to make) it would probably take me about 3 hours, but I do simmer the meat sauce for at least 2 hours before using it.

Sounds like you're faffing a bit of it took 2.5 hours!
I always add cheese to the white sauce and wine to the mince - makes it even nicer 🥰

DP makes lasagne from scratch including the pasta and it is so, so much more delicious than ready lasagnes (goes for any food really). The pasta has a lovely silky texture, the ragu is perfectly seasoned and deeply flavoured.

He says it's among the easier meals he makes - it's time-consuming but not especially difficult or fiddly or technical. When he does one - which will last several days - he usually does another to go in the freezer. So it's a few hours of cooking for over a week's worth of eating. Certainly seems worth it to me (though my contribution is only the washing up!)

Good luck. You must continiously whisk the sauce.

I make lasagne fairly often. I don’t follow a recipe and just have my own way of doing it. Béchamel sauce takes about 10 mins to make. The bolognaise about 20 mins. It’s not a particularly complicated process.

You can also just make the whole bechamel in the microwave if you're really worried about burning it.

https://www.indianveggiedelight.com/easy-microwave-white-sauce-3-min/#recipe

Honestly cannot fathom how it’s taken you that long !

Can I come to yours please? Your DH’s lasagna sounds awesome.

Wow!!

DH makes lasagne from scratch. Really from scratch as he makes the pasta sheets himself as well as all the sauces. It takes him significantly less than 2 hours from start to getting it on the table and it is delish.

He is not a chef or Italian. In fairness it has taken a while to get to this stage. Initially he used all ready made sauces and dried pasta sheets. Over time he has perfected the sauces. Within the last year he dug our pasta machine, which we bought over 30 years ago and used about twice, out from the under stairs cupboard and started experimenting. Now he has nailed it.