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.

Thankyou again. Noticing the Parmesan and Cheddar themes and to avoid Stilton. I'm not planning an all-out Stilton assault, just a hint to add a little piquancy. Plus, it's only for me anyway so I don't have to worry about faithfulness to recipes and the reactions of horrified dinner guests. I have been known to use Stilton on pizzas too but, again, not much.

Bechamel sauce, OK, I get it. Don't buy it!

I use a mix of parmesan and cheddar. For the sauce, I use a couple of cheddar cheese sauce sachets (mix it up with milk and cook in saucepan - dead quick and delicious!)

I put a good sprinkle of cheddar on top of each layer of ragu, then bechamel on the top (plenty of black pepper, a pinch of nutmeg and a couple of eggs beaten through so that it sets as it bakes. Parmesan or grana padano(as it's cheaper) all over the top.

I use the Gordon Ramsay version for my meat lasagna. Works every time. I do sneak a bit of black pudding into the bol though, it really works.

https://www.tumblr.com/gordonramsaysbollocks/10823627513/gordons-classic-lasagna-al-forno-recipe

Chef Parmalat is the only shop bought béchamel - Ocado do it and Italian delis.
On top parmesan, cheddar, mozzarella.
No to stilton.

For me the ragu has to be half pork mince and half beef mince, too.

Stilton has no place on a lasagne. That is just odd. Cheddar, mozzarella and Parmesan are fine.

I would argue about cheddar too.

If you don't want to make a béchamel sauce, you can buy frozen cubes from Picard on Ocado. I think it tastes homemade and definitely not artificial like the jars do.

If this is for your Christmas dinner I would make it the day before. Then the flavours really develop. To pp who asked about freezing I freeze it, and have had no problems with it.

If I freeze a lasagne, I freeze it uncooked and I've never had a problem with it being watery. It's great to cook ahead.

I make a cheese sauce, and you add the milk and cheese in lumps and stir slowly until it's gloody and all melty nice.
And then add some more cheese on top if you didn't put it all in the sauce.

Cheddar and Parmesan for me. I find shop bought bechemel sauce just tastes and smells weird! If not making my own, I buy a tub of fresh cheese sauce (for pasta) and use that as a substitute, which works really well.

I’m now wishing I was having lasagne for Christmas dinner.

Looks like I’m in the minority but I use shop bought white sauce as it burns on the pan when I make it and I use ricotta cheese!

Homemade bechamel, or at a push, mascarpone with a little hot water to thin. It's really good if you don't have time to make a bechamel. Shop bought is bleugh!

Stilton has no place on a lasagne.

Ragu made this afternoon. Been looking at wedges of Blue Stilton in the supermarket this morning. Parmesan? Pah!

Use a lower heat & whisk a lot!

I'll be putting the ragu in the freezer after a few days in the fridge (might have room in the freezer by then). But I'll make the actual lasagne on the day I'm having it and put it straight in the oven.

Dont bother faffing around with a bechamel, just use mascarpone and cheese mixed together.

I thought mascarpone was used to make Italian desserts? That's why I've always avoided and shop-bought pizza that has mascarpone on it.

Mascapone is nice on a ham and mushroom pizza.

Glad to hear the ragu is being frozen for a while. I think lasagne is better when baked the day after assembly, so would make it up on the 24th. Definitely cheddar, maybe mozzarella too, definitely homemade bechamel.

Step away from the Stilton on the lasagna. It won't work. You can have it as a cheese course afterwards. Although if you need to, you didn't put enough cheese in the lasagna.

It does work well in a spinach lasagna though.