Home made lasagne - two quick questions

[TheTecknician]

I'm out of touch coz I've not made one for years:

What sort of cheese or cheese do you put on top? I'm thinking of at least a little Blue Stilton among others.

I'm happy with a shop-bought Bechamel sauce. Which would you recommend?

Thankyou.

Cheddar and Parmesan for me. I love stilton (and all blue cheese) but I don’t think this is its place, blue cheese needs sweetness and acidity and it’s not getting enough of either of those in lasagne in my view.

Shop bought bechemel is a bad idea. I once tried a dolmio jar and had to throw out a whole lasagna, it was so sweet. Make your own. I put a bit of parmesan the sauce.

Then a bit of grated mozzarella and more parmesan on top.

Cheddar and mozzarella here - good taste and nice stringy bits of cheese.

I do:

-Thin layer ragu
-pasta sheets
-proper layer ragu
-grated parmesan
-bechamel (homemade)
-pasta
-ragu
-parmesan
-bechamel
-cover top with grated mozzarella mixed with grated cheddar

For an 8 portion lasagne I use a whole wedge of Parmesan

I hate Stilton but love lasagne

Mozzarella on mine

Cheddar and Parmesan on mine. Bechamel in jars is horrible; I'm no cook and always make my own.

The bechemel is the quickest bit to make

Please just make your own bechamel. Its so easy and jarred is so disgusting.

Thanks all. I'm not making it until Christmas Day so plenty of time to decide on cheese and stuff. I'll make the ragu sooner so it has time to 'ferment'.

Just Parmesan here. I make the bechamel with milk, butter, flour, bayleaf and grated nutmeg. Lots and lots of Parmesan. (That would be for a meaty Bolognese sauce.)

For a vegetarian lasagne, I use a ricotta and spinach topping with Mozzarella if I remember but again a lot of Parmesan.

Cheddar for me, but I know it should be Italian cheese. Definitely not stilton - unless you're doing a completely alternative lasagne that isn't actually lasagne at all.

I try to get everything ready/prepared before Christmas Day so that I don't have to spend too much time in the kitchen away from everybody, so if I was doing lasagne I would put it together the day before (or even freeze it in advance uncooked) and then I would just need to put it in the oven on the day.

I second not using Dolmio (or other) bechamel in a jar. Disgusting stuff (in my opinion).

Blue cheese on normal, meat lasagne? Definitely not for me. Homemade bechamel sauce and parmesan.

Don't use shop bought béchamel sauce, it's not nice, but you can make it more easily by using corn flour rather than a roux, then add cheese

You can make your bechamel sauce beforehand if you want. It freezes perfectly well.

Stilton has no place on a traditional lasagne! Maybe on a roasted root veg version, or a leek and stilton version (which would be lacking without stilton!), but a ragu-based lasagne should have parmesan and/or cheddar on top.

I use slices of mozzarella for stringiness and parmasan for flavour usually but sometimes I get provolone

Absolutely agree with everythingʻ here. I was about to write the exact same thing

Mozzarella only

i use a Ricotta mix instead of Béchamel, just mixing with milk and some pepper.

Cheddar and Parmesan with a home made bechemel.

Parmesan, cheddar, mozzarella- any combination of the three. Stilton (or Gorgonzola, dolcelatte or any other blue) does not belong anywhere near lasagna - and I love a blue cheese.

If you don’t want to make your own I find the ‘fresh’ Taste of Sainsbury’s cheese sauce in the fresh pasta section isn’t terrible. I’d definitely add some Parmesan over the top though.

Are you freezing it beforehand? I'm making lasagne and unsure to cook a day or 2 before or a week ahead and freeze. Will it be watery if frozen?

Just grated mozzarella in the layers and parmesan on top. No messing with the original.

Mozzarella on top. I like using the little balls.

Please don't use a jar of bechemel. So simple to make the sauce

• melt butter in pan
• Add plain flour
• Take off heat
• add milk bit by bit
• Back on heat
• Stir continuously until it thickens

Keep the blue cheese away from the lasagne!! Are you trying to incite cheese wars or was that a genuine question?

Home made bechamel is super easy. Mozzarella in the layers with the bechamel and Parmesan on top in mine.

If you really have to use a shop-bought sauce, get a chilled one from Waitrose or something.
But your own will be loads better.