What order do your lasagne layers go in?

[Ilovelurchers]

I am just about to make a chicken and veg lasagne - my first lasagne in years - and I can't remember for the life of me what order I used to do the layers in. (I used to cook a lot but have kind of lost my confidence with it lately, as this thread demonstrates!)

I am thinking - meat and veg/pasta/white sauce/meat and veg/pasta/white sauce (+cheese on top).

Does this sound ok?. Or do some of you use a pasta "floor"? If so what are the risks/rewards of this?

I know I could ask A I, but I trust Mumsnet more!

Massive thanks to anyone who takes time out of their day to reply!

I do meat, pasta, sauce, meat, pasta, sauce, cheese

Though I feel like I've been missing out and should put a layer of pasta first

I mean, my layers don’t include chicken / veg really 😂

Base layer of white sauce (béchamel) and then a layer of bolognese, then pasta + repeat! Top layer is just béchamel on top of the final pasta layer then maybe some cheese.

I’ve actually heard rumours of fajita pasta - so chicken fajita mix, cheese and tortilla wraps. I feel like that’s a chicken lasagna idea I could get behind!

I'm actually making a lasagne for tonight! I never do a pasta floor, I do meat/pasta/white sauce and repeat until dish is full. It's always white sauce and cheese on top!

I am still in shock from discovering that English make lasagne with white sauce. Lasagne bechamel should have nutmeg in it and Parmesan should be sprinkled over each bechamel layer.

100% on the nutmeg! I was told this years ago and honestly it changed the game. However I now have to freshly grate it each time and always lose the tiny grater 😂

I call mine white sauce, but it is exactly as you describe. Just different term used.

I always put a lasagna in the bottom..... You need a firm slice. So lasagna, meat, bechamel, parmesan, lasagna, meat, bechamel, parmesan. Top with bechamel and parmesan.

I use cheese sauce i.e beschamel? isnr white sauce without the cheese?

Anyway I dont do pasta floor as it burns in my oven. I do meat - pasta - cheese sauce - pasta - meat - pasta - cheese sauce - cheese.

You aren't doing many layers.

I do pasta, ragu, bechamel, repeat so 6 layers of each in total. The pasta layer of the floor makes it hold together better when serving.

I do bolognaise, lasagne sheets and a good cheesy sauce then repeat. I always use a good strong cheddar.

Ragu, pasta, bechemel, ragu, pasta, bechemel, ragu, pasta, bechemel, mozzarella on top. No cheese in the white sauce but I do put nutmeg in it.

Bolognese
Pasta
Bolognese
Bechamel
Parmesan
Pasta
Bolognese
Bechamel
Mozzarella
Pasta
Bolognese
Bechamel
Parmesan
Pasta
Bolognese
Bechamel
Mozzarella
Pasta
Bolognese
Bechamel
Parmesan
Pasta
Bechamel
Both cheeses
Sprinkling of panko breadcrumbs

Obviously the bechamel has fresh nutmeg in it.

Meat, Pasta, Meat, Pasta, Meat, Pasta, Bechamel, Cheese

Oddio!! Cheddar??!! 😱

It doesn't really matter as long as the top 3 are (from the top) cheese, bechemel, pasta.

A pasta sheet on the bottom makes it easier to lift out neat whole slices. But may burn if you have a bottom-heating oven.

Meat
pasta
bechamel
pasta
meat
pasta
Bechamel,
pasta
meat
Pasta
bechamel
cheese

The bechamel between two layers of pasta is an indulgence I no longer care to deprive myself of.

White sauce is a bechamel, what do you think it is?

Wow, so many responses! You guys are the best.

Re the chicken and veg as a replacement for Bolognese - this is a new thing for me but I am on a bit of a healthy eating kick, specifically trying to include more veg in my diet! And eat less red meat. So this seemed like a good way to disguise it from myself (as if I were a three year old!)

The nutmeg is a good idea. I have been musing about including cheese in the bechamel throughout (tho this may undo the "healthiness" to a certain extent.)

I think I am going to give the pasta floor a go, in the interests of giving the whole thing more structural integrity, as it's clearly not entirely unheard of....

I will report back later, if I survive the process!

Bolognese, cheese sauce, pasta. Repeat. Last layer is pasta with cheese sauce on top, with more Parmesan.

This is how Saint Delia does it, so it’s good enough for me!

spread about a quarter of the ragù over the base of the prepared dish. Cover this with a quarter of the remaining cream sauce, followed by a quarter of the diced mozzarella, then arrange a single layer of the lasagne over the top, which you can cut to fit the dish. Repeat this process, finishing with a final layer of pasta followed by the reserved cream sauce.
Then cover the whole lot with the grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese – and the lasagne is ready for the oven.

(From https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/international/european/italian-recipes/lasagne-al-forno)

I do bolognaise, pasta, bolognaise, pasta, bolognaise, bechamel, cheese.

We don’t like bechamel in any other layer than the top.

Have you tried her summer vegetarian lasagne? It’s delicious.

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/pasta-recipes/roasted-mediterranean-vegetable-lasagne

Meat. Sheet. Sauce.

And absolutely no cheese in the bechamel or cheddar on top

I keep it in the jar with the nutmeg. Or I'd lose it too.

And a quick look in the fridge has just revealed that I have both parmesan and strong cheddar. Which would you go for? (Or both?)

Definitely not cheddar. Cheddar has no place in a lasagne