Lasagna

Such a family meal! Great for the freezer, perfect for hiding vegetables and *usually* consumed by even the fussiest of eaters.  This weekend I made a huge batch, one lot for us and another as a gift to friends who just had a new baby.

Not too long ago, while sharing vegetable hiding tricks with my hairdresser (yes this is what some people talk about at the hairdresser!), I was lamenting that I loved lasagna but that it just took too long to make.  She told me her tip was to use a jar of ready made bechamel sauce.  Now I know this isn't the healthiest, or the cheapest option; but in weighing up how much time I have in the kitchen with the coins in my pocket, this is my recipe for a yummy, but quick lasagna.

600g mince
small brown onion diced quite small
two cloves of garlic finely diced
2 jars of baby food (if you are in a hurry) or a cup of vegetable puree or thick veg soup
If you like them, and have them, a few mushrooms diced small too
1 large jar of pasta sauce (approx 800ml)
1 jar of bechamel sauce
1 pack of instant lasagna (avoid the cheapest brands, they often don't soften as nicely)

1. With a splash of olive oil, fry up the onion and garlic until softened
2. Add the mince and brown
3. Add pasta sauce and baby food/puree
4. I rinse out the pasta sauce jars with a splash of red wine if I have it, water if I don't
5. Simmer slowly for at least 20 minutes - I like a fairly runny sauce
   Get a baking dish, spread a little of the meat sauce mix on the bottom
6. Layer 2 pasta sheets (this depends on the size of your dish and sheets), side by side on top the meat sauce
7. Spoon and spread thinly bechamel sauce over the pasta sheets (make sure you cover right to the edge) - don't use too much a large tablespoon per sheet is suffice
8. Layer meat sauce mix over the sauce layer
9. Repeat steps 6, 7 and 8 two more times (so you have at least 3 layers of pasta)
10. Spread a final layer of bechamel sauce over the top, using it all up
11. Cover in alluminium foil and place in the oven
12. I like to cook at approx 160C for at least two hours, you can take longer and turn it down some more if you have the time - after about 1.5 hours I remove the foil and sprinkle a layer of grated cheese over the top

Serve with some garlic bread and or salad.