Making a lasagne from scratch

[tangerinemagic]

Does anyone actually see the return of investment of time and money here?

I spent 2.5 hours making one (before it even went into the oven). The bechemel sauce took an hour. I don’t know where the time went but melting butter was fast and adding flour but stirring in all that milk and keeping the thickness too forever and I still ran out for the top layer which was devastating (it’s a one layer lasagne). Grating 50g Parmesan to go in is a work out, that’s before the 75g of cheddar to go on the top of it all. I did have kids with me but I wouldn’t ever bother doing it again.

I grew up eating dolmio made lasagnes and that’s how I was taught but since knowing that’s not the right way and additives etc, I’ve just bought lasagne from the deli or restaurants if I go out. Shop bought Charlie Bingham is lovely.

2.5 hours is such a long time. Does anyone do this regularly? It’s like two meals. A bolognaise then a bechemel and that’s before the art of the quantities and building the darn thing.

AIBU to feel so frustrated by this and not want to ever bother again. (Not going back to dolmio either)

Forgot to say I just use the large field mushrooms now. Frozen onion and garlic are very handy to have in as well.

I make my lasagna from scratch .. BUT
I don’t bother with béchamel sauce. Use mozzarella and cheese between layers, it’s just as good ( if not better)
( ready to get abused by Italians on here - sorry guys!)
I add lots of veg too. It is the best thing ever

Just buy a ready made one OP! @tangerinemagic

Life is too short!

I have been known to use Bisto white sauce granules. They really are very good and well seasoned. I mix them with boiling water from the kettle and then add a generous helping of double cream. Everyone says my bechamel is gorgeous. Reader - I don't disillusion them!

I tend to make one whenever I’m making a batch of bolognaise. I think you were probably over-coddling the béchamel. I melt butter, saute the flour for a couple of minutes then add half the milk and bring to the boil on a high heat. That tends to given me a nice thick roux that I can beat any lumps out of, then add the rest of the milk (bit by bit, but in one go IYSWIM), and bring back to the boil stirring. Takes no more than ten mins for a large three layer lasagne.

And you definitely only need the Parmesan. Cheddar is an abomination 😜

If I’m making a lasagne, I tend to make a bolognaise the evening before and double the quantity. I use the leftover bolognaise to make a lasagne the next day.

But, even if I do make lasagne from scratch in one day, it hasn’t ever taken me more than an hour.

The more you do it the quicker you get.
Microwave the milk to bring it up to temperature. It should take less than 10 mins and not an hour.

I make a cheat's lasagne where instead of fannying around with a bechamel I mix mascarpone, cream and grated Parmesan. It's delicious and takes a fraction of the time.

Agree with others to make the sauce the day before - basically a less wet spaghetti Bol sauce. I freezes well at that stage too for spaghetti Bol or lasagna another time.

I make my cheese sauce using cornflour and butter and milk - less chance of lumps and no need to cook out the flour before adding the milk. That can also be made ahead and chilled.

when I assemble, I make 1 for today and at least 1 more for another day that I then freeze - it cooks fine from frozen. And I also make the first one a large one, as leftovers also freeze well once cooked, to be reheated another time.

Yes it’s a lot of work, but worth it - and even more as it’s far easier to increase the amounts to do 2-3 all at once rather than making. 2-3 individually over time.

I always make from scratch and the white sauce is the quickest bit! I usually make the ragu day before, I blitz all the veg in a processor, fry meat, add veg and the rest of the bits then into the slow cooker and let it cook until done enough.

Second day then it's make the white sauce which takes nothing like an hour, I don't know how that would happen! Then assembly which is my least favourite part as it's always a messy counter afterwards. I grate the cheese in processor too and when I make lasagna I make at least two large ones and freeze one. I often freeze enough grated cheese for next time too and at the moment there is a big container of ragu in freezer as well ready to make a couple of lasagnas on Monday, all I'll have to do is make the white sauce and assemble and bake.

Similar to one I made recently… I’m going to add wine and some milk to meat sauce next time too and use better mince. I imagine it takes a while when you’re looking after young kids. It’s definitely not a bash together tea but shouldn’t take two hours - maybe an hour. It does also use loads of pans and stuff in the kitchen. I’ve bought M&S ready cooked soft lasagna sheets and also pre grated cheese 😅 … for me this really helped speed things up.
Hope it tastes nice @tangerinemagic ! X

I know Mary Berry is a national treasure but I find her recipes and a bit shit compared with the likes of Delia, Nigella grits teeth to say this Jamie etc. Personally if I want to make lasagne from scratch I plan way ahead and batch cook a massive bolognaise sauce to freeze in portions, some to have as spag bol and some to use in lasagne, means you don't have to do all the work in one go. Delia has an easy bechamel recipe where you whisk plain flour into cold milk, add a blob of butter then whisk over a lowish heat until thickened. And my secret weapon for smooth cheese sauce (if you're not aiming for 100% upf-free) is to chuck a processed cheese slice in along with the grated cheddar- you can't taste it but it stops the sauce from going grainy.

It takes me about 3 hours to make a lasagne. I make enough béchamel to put a portion into the freezer, and use some of the ragu to go with pasta later in the week. I love cooking and can pretty much do it on auto pilot now, but I enjoy every step of the process.

I think, as with so many things, you can knock a version of lasagne together in 30 minutes - as several posters have mentioned - or do it the long way round. To me, you can absolutely taste the difference between the two, and I think every minute spent doing it is worth it.

Other people think the 30 minute version tastes good enough, and they would rather be doing other things than rolling out pasta, so that's fine.

It’s just practice. I can whip one up from scratch in no time. My husband is painfully slow. He is not confident with the bechamel so can’t double hand like me (I get the bolognese started, then cook the bechamel and deal with both together.) He is also worried about the bechamel getting lumpy so works with a much lower heat along with taking time measuring things I do by eye.

For him, I say make a large bolognese a couple of days before (it gets more flavour this way anyway). You can have this with jacket spuds, spaghetti, loaded fries.

Then you only have to concentrate on the bechamel on the day you make it and use what’s left of the bolognese.

I make a large batch - 500g beef mince, do pork, cartons of chicken livers & cubed pancetta etc.
Takes about 30 minutes to sweat onions & brown meat, add the rest then leave for 2-3 hours with occasional forays into the kitchen to top up wine stir.
Freeze in portions. Lasagne sheets are covered with boiling water for 5 minutes, bechamel takes 10, than assemble.

It really doesn't take that long.

I always do the bolognese the morning of or night before in a slow cooker, ready made white sauce. Half and half here. I do prefer my own bolognese.

i do enough for 2x lasagne though and freeze the remainder.

That said - I often whip up a white/cheese sauce for cauliflower cheese and agree with PP it’s 20 mins max.

Lasagne is my go to simple easy meal that lasts a few days in portions! Maybe because its a vegetarian lasagne so meat takes longer, I use the usual veg and quorn mince. Yeah it takes time to cook but in terms of actual labour it's not much, as alot of it is oven time. I usually do other bits round the kitchen while stirring the sauce pot once it's all in.

Bechamel takes minutes, I do it after I've built the rest of the lasagne, though I use pre bought lasagne sheets. Then oven and voila, food for days!

If I'm making Bolognese it takes so long I do an enormous batch. Part of the leftovers gets frozen for a lasagne, so then the lasagne isn't too onerous.

I am compelled to advise many PPs that there is no letter i in the word bolognese.

Oh OP you are a hero for making lasagne from scratch while looking after two very young children on your own! I agree it's a massive faff.
I hope you enjoy eating it at least.

Buy Charlie Bigham's next time, it's expensive but worth it.

Yes I make a huge one that feeds us for 2-3 evenings.

Make bog sauce.
Make white sauce. The key is to microwave the milk first to get it warm. Do not bother starting off with fridge cold milk.
Assemble 2 layers lasagne sheets/bog sauce. Top with all the white sauce and cheese_ I use emmental and a sprinkle of parmesan on the top.
In the oven for 40 mins. Leave to stand for 10 before serving.

I love making nigella's lasagne of love! (with a few twists like some anchovies added to the ragu). It takes a while but it is all very easy steps - I put an audiobook on and it's really relaxing. And the kids can taste instantly that I've made that specific recipe, it's their favourite. It is absolutely enormous so the payoff is there is always plenty left over for another day when we are too busy to cook

Agreed, it's delicious, but not enough for me to make it at home. I like the cooking but the cleaning is too tedious. Plus my kids don't really like it.

I only ever use cornflour for sauces.
It doesn't need cooking to remove the floury taste and just behaves so much better than flour.
Also, it remains the consistency it's made at. If you reheat or keep something hot, with flour sauce it gets even thicker.
Cornflour is also gluten free, if having guests.