LAYER ME IN A LASAGNA

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 1 hour

Serves: 6-8

Features: Dairyworks Tasty Natural Cheese Slices - Value Pack

Ingredients:

1kg beef mince

2 onions, finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, crushed

1 large carrot, grated

½ cup tomato paste

2 cups beef stock 

2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes

2 tablespoons dried oregano

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 cups spinach, chopped

400g packet of lasagne sheets

Bunch of basil leaves to garnish 

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Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C 

Mince

1. In your largest frying pan, heat a little oil over a high heat. When the pan is hot, add half the mince, breaking up the big lumps quickly with a wooden spoon. Leave the mince to sizzle until the underside is browned, then stir and brown the other side. Set aside and repeat with the remaining mince.

2. Discard any excess fat from the pan, replace over a medium heat and add a dash of oil. Add the onions, garlic, carrot and cook, stirring for about 10 minutes until soft.

3. Add the mince back into the pan with the tomato paste, stock, tomatoes, oregano, sugar and balsamic vinegar. Simmer gently for 25-30 minutes or until reduced to a thick sauce.

4. Add the spinach with 5 minutes to go. Season to taste.

Cheese sauce

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat.

2. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 3-5 minutes (don’t let it brown).

3. Remove from heat and slowly add all the warmed milk in a thin stream, whisking all the time, until smooth. Return to heat and cook, stirring, until thickened.

4. Add the cheese and stir until smooth. 

To assemble

Grease your largest baking dish. Add a layer of lasagne sheets to the bottom and spread over a third of the meat sauce followed by a third of the cheese sauce and layer over Dairyworks natural cheese slices. Repeat until ingredients are used up, finishing with a layer of cheese slices. Cover with tinfoil with a couple of steam holes, and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and cook a further 10 minutes or until the top is golden brown and bubbling. Serve with a fresh basil.