What cheese do you use on your lasagna top?

[Dringo]

Boring question alert 🚨

Had a 10 year old admonish me for using cheddar cheese last night! Her mother only uses buffalo mozzarella and Parmesan don’t you know.

I’ve always just used whatever cheddar we have knocking around as I really don’t like the after taste of Parmesan and find mozzarella bland. I know it’s not authentic

i think my lasagna is gorgeous.

Well it's not authentic, but as long as you and your family enjoy it that's all that matters, and that's what I would have told the ten year old.

The only cheeses I've ever used in lasagna are ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan. I feel like cheddar would change the taste and take it in a non-Italian direction. But, if you're not going for authentic and like the taste, don't worry about it.

Why would buffalo mozzarella go weird if it were cooked? It's just normal mozzarella made from buffalo's milk.

Provolone, muenster, cheddar - depends on what I have in the fridge.

I add parmesan and red pepper flakes at the table.

Why would you think that? Of course you can cook buffalo mozzarella.

Forget relationship advice and parking disputes, I’m here for the lasagne cheese.

Indeed, but..... Emilia Romagna is the origin, and as I was taught by my very Italian DM, has only bechamel and parmigiano, and should be made with fresh egg lasagna, preferably green, but sadly you can't buy that here.

Recently I’ve taken to making my white sauce and then chilling it. The thicker consistency means it’s easier to smooth on, similar to how it would be in jar form if you buy your white sauce from a supermarket. I layer it on to the cooled down meat mix. If everything is warm it just mooshes together and the sauce seems to disappear when cooked.

What’s the recipe then?

I like to use a bit of ricotta to top it.

I think next time I'll use Dairylea and listen for the sound of Italian nannas exploding in rage

Whatever cheese I have in the fridge but I always add Parmesan

Same. This is what’s suggested in Silver Spoon as well.

That said, I’ve eaten lots of different lasagne in my life and loved them all, including some with cheddar. And IME Italian concerns about authenticity generally take the form of proclaiming that however it’s done in their home town is the authentic way and the next town along is getting it all wrong 😂

You are so right! Actually it might be that every family has special Lasagne Secrets

My English friend who is a fab cook uses beef mince, cream and lots if cheddar in her lasagne. It’s a very different dish but a delicious one that I am always happy to eat

I mix crème fraiche with soft cheese and add some grated cheese of whatever needs eating up first then sprinkle Parmesan on top

That’s a pasta gratin though. Tasty, but certainly not lasagne.

I’d argue that lasagne pretty much IS a pasta gratin 😆

i dont like parmesan
cheddar
and if we have it, mozarella

buffalo mozzarella on top but usually only one ball and I mix the pre grated hard mozzarella (which i keep frozen for pasta bakes) and Parmesan

Parmesan gets sprinkled on each bechamel layer too.

I don't like it much with English cheese on.

Depends what cheese I have! Cheddar, parmesan, pecorino, grana padano... It's all good! I have used mozzarella before but personally I'm not crazy about the texture of it on a lasagne.

I use a combination of fresh mozzarella, parmesan and (pecorino)romano. Wouldn’t a cheddar bake crispy as opposed to nicely molten with just the right stretch?

I use Parmesan and mozzarella but do sometimes put some cheddar on too...individual taste I guess!

I'm with the 10 year old. Mozzarella and parmesan. Cheddar is too strong for lasagne.

In a way, but creme fraiche doesn’t really go in a lasagne tbf. Although I use it often too in pasta dishes, and it’s very tasty!

Mozzarella, cheddar and Parmesan if we have them all in.

I use cheddar or sometimes a cheddar and mozzarella mix.