Proper lasagna is a faff..

[BarrelOfOtters]

it is though.

I don’t meaning dumping jars of dolmio in a slow cooker. But a proper ragu and roux.

Yes, I have 9 individual ones in my freezer just now, I make them up as normal an put in freezer uncooked, then let it thaw fully then cook as normal

Yeah. It always seems to get referenced here as an easy midweek meal and I've even seen people say it takes minutes to throw together. Well not the lasagne I make 😆. To me it's a proper treat food along the same lines as a full roast or proper steak pie with homemade pastry or similar

It is a huge faff- cannelloni is even worse ( I haven’t done that for many many years)

Yes it isn’t a quick dinner option but it is a favourite in our house so worth it. We sometimes do it in cannelloni instead and that really is the fiddliest thing ever but the kids absolutely love it more than any other pasta dish. I think it’s because they know my blood, sweat and tears have gone in to filling each little bastard tube 😂

Ah cross post!

Slow cooker lasagne 👀

Well worth it though. Never found a ready made that doesn’t taste “artificial” somehow.

The roux / white sauce is easy (I follow Rick Stein’s method of using a whisk and it works all the time). It’s the meat sauce that takes ages

It is a faff, but I usually make it at the weekend instead of a roast. Compared with a roast it uses fewer pans.

Ragu takes a while to cook but you don't have to be actively watching it the whole time. Just a quick stir every now and then.

I use the Delia all in one method for the white sauce.

It is so much nicer homemade than bought from the supermarket, which makes it worth doing.

Oh my word it is. But I love the whole process. If I'm in the mood....

But so worth it.

Dh and I did lasagne for 16 a couple of days ago. He did the vege while I prepared the meat version.
A lot of work, especially the vegetarian one, as you need to roast the vegetables first, but results are amazing.

Tastes so much better than any ready made version.

I agree OP. That's why I never make it.

I don't find it that faffy. Not a dinner to make after work though. The ragu just simmers away. It's easier than fish pie and not much more complicated than cottage pie. I find it quite therapeutic, organising the layers.

Can you give me the recipe please

@ssd this is the first time I've heard of it, but I need it in my life!

So used to making it from scratch and enjoy cooking anyway, no jars involved and kids love it

It isn't difficult or not straightforward. It's a faff, which is different! Just time consuming and needs several pans. I need a pan for meat ragu, one for veg ragu and that's quite a lot of chopping, then a pan for the roux, pasta to make, two dishes for assembling, various utensils. The ragu also needs slow cooking really. When dd's vegan friend comes over, I have to make two lots of roux. Compared to other pasta and ragu based dishes, it's just quite faffy.

It takes forever - always amuses me when people ask you to “just bring a lasagne”. I batch cook vast quantities of bolognese sauce (as in 3 / 4 kilos mince) in the aga for 3 hours or so and then freeze in Tupperware. Makes lasagne a doddle and spag Bol super quick.

We had one last night. I hardly ever make it because it is a faff, made from scratch. But we cook the ragu sauce and freeze it in batches, using some for spaghetti and some for lasagne. So when we want the lasagne we only ever have to make the roux and layer it up.

But all that batch cooking, portioning, freezing and honestly I'd struggle with my freezer, and it still taking an hour, indicates it's a faff.

What sort of preservatives are in the ready meals? I just maje a lot of ragu, use some for lasagne, and freeze the rest in portions.

I think it's a bit of a faff. It's more that it's really time consuming isn't it? It's actually my favourite thing to make if I'm not in a rush and can just take my time pottering in the kitchen. It's actually much easier than something like a roast where your timings need to be spot on.

I do find making a white sauce from scratch a bit stressful though as it's like I need everything exactly right and all the stars aligned for it not to go lumpy. Having read lots of these posts I'm considering trying it with a jar of white sauce as a half way house between home made and ready meal.

I do sometimes make ragu using those bags of frozen chopped veg - carrot, onion and celery I think. That's a great time saver.

I was going to say the exact same thing.

Just use crème fraiche, and I grate a load of Parmesan into it, job done.

It isn't difficult or not straightforward. It's a faff, which is different! Just time consuming and needs several pans. I need a pan for meat ragu, one for veg ragu and that's quite a lot of chopping, then a pan for the roux, pasta to make, two dishes for assembling, various utensils. The ragu also needs slow cooking really. When dd's vegan friend comes over, I have to make two lots of roux. Compared to other pasta and ragu based dishes, it's just quite faffy.

I agree. Although if I had a vegan visiting they'd have got a jacket potato with some margerine and a tin of beans. No way would I be doing two separate white sauces and two separate meat or veggie layers. It's enough work with one.

Yeah, it’s a faff and one of my DC doesn’t like lasagne so it’s just lovely, having worked away in the kitchen for the best part of 90mins to watch someone pick at the food like I’ve just presented them with a shit on a plate. My dad used to make the most amazing lasagne. Nothing I do will ever be able to live up to that.