If you're looking for an easy lasagne recipe, you've come to the right place. This is my tried and tested recipe for cheesy lasagne that I've been making for longer than I care to remember! It's one of my favourite recipes to make, and with good reason. There are only three easy steps, and most of the cooking time is hands-off, so the oven does all the work!
I've packed lots of extra vegetables into the meat sauce, so all you will need to serve with this delicious lasagne will be some slices of garlic bread and perhaps a fresh green salad.
What is lasagne?
Lasagne is an Italian pasta dish made from a rich meaty sauce, layered between sheets of tender pasta and cheesy bechamel sauce. It is topped with a layer of grated cheese which melts and turns golden brown in the oven, resulting in a delicious and economical family meal.
This recipe for cheesy lasagne has double cheese in it, because not only is it covered with grated cheese, there is half a carton of soft cheese in the bechamel sauce.
The meat sauce does take quite a while to cook. It has to simmer for at least 90 minutes (or longer if you have the time). But believe me, it is absolutely worth the time it takes to get the thick luscious meaty sauce that almost melts in your mouth as you eat it.
It's been a long time since we had lasagne at home and I made this recipe for supper the other day. I made a big dishful, intending to freeze half for another meal, but hubby enjoyed it so much that he insisted we eat the leftovers the following night too!
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The three steps
This is an easy lasagne recipe and there are only three steps involved.
- Make the meat sauce.
- Make the bechamel sauce.
- Assemble and bake.
With the prep and cooking time, this cheesy lasagne takes about 2 and a half hours to cook so you will need to consider this and make an early start. However, most of the hands-on cooking time is spent preparing the vegetables and browning the meat. The rest of the time is hands-off while the sauce simmers on the stove and then again while the assembled dish is baking in the oven.
To save time, you could make the meat sauce the day before and store it in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
**You can get the complete list of ingredients and full instructions for making this cheesy lasagne on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**
This recipe will easily feed 4 people.
The meat sauce
- Lasagne sheets - I use lasagne sheets that don't require any pre-cooking and can be used straight from the packet. The packet should be labelled as such.
- Beef mince - try to get beef mince with a low-fat content - 5% or 12% is fine. Anything higher will result in too much fat in the sauce.
- Vegetables - I use carrots, onions, celery and garlic.
- Canned tomatoes - I used a can of chopped tomatoes but you could use fresh coarsely chopped tomatoes instead. Otherwise, you can substitute with passata. I make homemade passata and freeze it in cup-sized (240 ml) portions. You will need 2 cups of passata for this recipe.
- For the seasoning, you will need dried mixed herbs, tomato paste, salt and sugar. A small amount of sugar improves the flavour of the tomatoes.
- Stock - if you have beef stock you can use that, otherwise substitute with a beef stock cube dissolved in a cup of boiling water.
- Oil - to fry the meat and vegetables - you can use sunflower oil or olive oil.
Bechamel sauce
- Milk - either full-fat or semi-skimmed.
- Soft cheese - use your favourite brand of cream cheese or Ricotta cheese.
- Butter - if you use salted butter you may want to leave out the salt.
- Flour - used for thickening the sauce.
- Grated cheese - I've used cheddar, but you can use any cheese that grates well.
Instructions
Meat sauce
Prep time - 15 minutes.
Cooking time 90 minutes.
Step 1: Chop the onion and celery into small pieces. Grate the carrot on the smallest hole of a cheese grater and mince the garlic finely.
Step 2: Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan and fry the beef until it is brown and crumbly. Remove to a plate and drain most of the oil from the pan leaving just a tablespoonful.
Step 3: Add the prepared vegetables to the pan, turn the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. Leave the vegetables to steam gently for 5 minutes or until they are starting to soften. Stir occasionally.
Step 4: Add the meat back to the pan along with the mixed herbs, tomato paste, salt, black pepper and sugar. Stir in the tomatoes and the stock. Bring to a boil then turn the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 90 minutes.
The sauce should be thick, without too much moisture. If the sauce hasn't thickened sufficiently you can do one of two things:
- Remove the lid and let the sauce cook until some of the excess liquid evaporates; or
- Make a slurry with one heaped teaspoon of cornflour and 2 tablespoons of water and stir it slowly into the sauce until it thickens. You may not need all of the cornflour slurry.
Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Bechamel sauce
Cooking time - 10 minutes.
Step 5: Melt the over moderate heat in a saucepan.
Step 6: Once the butter has melted, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the flour, taking care to remove any lumps.
Step 7: Add the milk and return the pan to the stove on medium heat. Stir until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens. The sauce should not be too thick, just thick enough to leave a slight trail when you draw a spoon through it.
Once the sauce is thick, stir in the soft cheese over gentle heat, and continue stirring until the cheese has dissolved.
Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Assemble and bake
Prep time - 5 minutes
Cooking time - 30 minutes
Step 8: Spoon a thin layer of sauce onto the base of your baking dish. This will stop the lasagne from sticking to the dish.
Step 9: Arrange a single layer of lasagne sheets on top of the meat sauce.
Step 10: Cover the lasagne sheets with a thin layer of bechamel sauce.
Step 11: Repeat the three layers (meat sauce / lasagne sheets / bechamel sauce) until all the sauce has been used. Make sure to end with a final layer of bechamel sauce. Cover with a layer of grated cheese.
To bake - place the assembled lasagne into a hot oven (200 degrees C / 400 degrees F) for 25 to 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.
Tips for a successful outcome
Here are my top tips to ensure your easy lasagne always turns out perfectly.
- When preparing the vegetables, chop them as finely as possible. It makes all the difference to the finished texture of the dish.
- Also, take the time to grate the carrots on the smallest hole of your cheese grater. This will allow the carrots to disintegrate into the sauce as it cooks, leaving only their flavour.
- The cooking time of 90 minutes for the sauce may seem excessive, but the long slow cooking time allows the meat to become extremely tender and the sauce to develop a rich flavour.
- I always add a teaspoon of sugar when cooking with tomatoes as it cuts through the tartness and enhances the flavour. You can leave this out if you prefer.
- Do watch the sauce as it cooks - if it seems to be drying out, turn the heat down and add an extra splash of stock or water.
- When making the bechamel sauce, don't worry if it seems a little thin; it will thicken more once the cheese has been added.
- On the other hand, if the sauce turns out too thick, thin it down with a little extra milk. You are looking for a thick pouring consistency.
- Depending on the size of your cooking dish you will find you can make either two or three layers of the meat sauce, bechamel and lasagne sheets. When I made this recipe for the photos I used a large shallow dish and only managed to get two layers of each. I've made it subsequently in a smaller but deeper dish and had enough sauce for three layers of each. It's delicious either way!
- To check the lasagne sheets are cooked, slide a sharp knife into the baked dish. The knife should slide in with no resistance. If you feel the lasagne needs to be cooked a little longer, return it to the oven for a few more minutes.
Variations
There are various ways you can alter this recipe depending on your taste. Here are a few ideas:
- Fry some sliced mushrooms in butter until they have softened and layer them on top of the meat sauce.
- Wilt a packet of baby spinach leaves in a little boiling water and layer them on top of the meat sauce.
- Add extra vegetables to the meat sauce. Why not try adding grated courgette or zucchini? Finely sliced leeks would also make a nice addition.
- Slice some fresh tomatoes on top of the grated cheese and sprinkle them with salt, black pepper and ground oregano before baking the dish in the oven.
- For extra flavour, use a combination of beef and pork mince.
I've also had great success in making this dish with macaroni rather than lasagne. See this recipe for mac 'n' cheese lasagne.
Equipment
This dish can be baked either in a shallow baking dish (you'll get 2 layers) or a smaller, deeper dish (for three layers). The dish I used in the photos was 8" x 11" (20cm x 27cm). You can also make it in a slightly deeper 7" x 10" (17cm x 25cm) dish. I used an enamel dish, but a ceramic baking dish will work just as well.
You will need a saute pan or large frying pan to fry the mince and vegetables and make the sauce. You could also use a large saucepan. It doesn't really matter, but what is important is that your pan has a lid!
For the bechamel sauce, you will need a small saucepan.
Other items that will come in handy are a sharp knife a chopping board and a cheese grater.
Freezing
This lasagne freezes very well. You can freeze it in one of two ways:
- Uncooked - assemble the lasagne and make sure it has cooled to room temperature before freezing. Cover the top of the lasagne with a layer of tinfoil, then wrap the dish in a double layer of plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 4 months.
- Cooked - allow to cool and then cover with tinfoil and wrap in plastic wrap as above. Freeze for up to 4 months.
To use:
- Uncooked - cook from frozen in a preheated oven at 200C/400F for 35 minutes.
- Cooked - allow to defrost in the refrigerator and then reheat in a hot oven (200C/400F) for 15 minutes.
Top Tip
If you intend to freeze the lasagne, why not assemble it in a disposable aluminium container so you don't take up space in the freezer with a bulky baking dish?
Get ahead
You can prepare the meat sauce ahead of time and leave it in a covered container for up to three days in the refrigerator.
I often make a huge batch of meat sauce and freeze it in meal-sized portions. It's great, not only for lasagne but also makes a tasty spaghetti bolognese and is delicious when spooned over a baked potato.
Save for later
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Related recipes
You can find many similar recipes on my pasta recipes page. Here are a few you might enjoy:
📋The recipe
Easy lasagne recipe
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- 1 8" x 11" baking dish 20cm x 27cm
- 1 Saute pan with lid
- 1 Small saucepan
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping Board
- Cheese grater
Ingredients
Meat sauce
- 6 to 9 quick cook lasagne sheets or sufficient to assemble dish
- 1 pound / 450 grams beef mince 5% or 12% fat content
- 14 ounce / 400 grams canned chopped tomatoes
- 1 large carrot approx 1 cup finely grated
- 1 large celery stalk approx 1 cup finely diced
- 1 large onion approx 2 cups finely diced
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic or to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup beef stock or 1 stock cube dissolved in 1 cup of boiling water
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or sunflower oil for frying the meat and vegetables
Bechamel sauce
- 2 ounces / 60 grams butter
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 4 ounce / 125 grams soft cream cheese
- salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ cup grated cheddar cheese for topping
Instructions
Meat sauce
- Chop the onion and celery into small pieces. Grate the carrot on the smallest hole of a cheese grater and mince the garlic finely. Set the vegetables aside while you fry the meat.1 large carrot, 1 large celery stalk, 1 large onion, 2 to 3 cloves garlic
- Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan and fry the beef until it is brown and crumbly. Remove to a plate and drain most of the oil from the pan leaving just a tablespoonful.2 tablespoons olive oil or sunflower oil, 1 pound / 450 grams beef mince
- Add the prepared vegetables to the pan, turn the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. Leave the vegetables to steam gently for 5 minutes or until they are starting to soften. Stir occasionally.
- Add the meat back to the pan along with the mixed herbs, tomato paste, salt, black pepper and sugar.1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 teaspoon sugar, salt and black pepper to taste
- Stir in the tomatoes and the stock. Bring to a boil then turn the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 90 minutes.14 ounce / 400 grams canned chopped tomatoes, 1 cup beef stock
- The sauce should be thick, without too much moisture. If the sauce hasn't thickened sufficiently you can do one of two things:Remove the lid and let the sauce cook until some of the excess liquid evaporates; or Make a slurry with one heaped teaspoon of cornflour and 2 tablespoons of water and stir it slowly into the sauce until it thickens. You may not need all of the cornflour slurry.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Bechamel sauce
- Melt the over moderate heat in a saucepan.2 ounces / 60 grams butter
- Once the butter has melted, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the flour, taking care to not to leave any lumps of flour.2 tablespoons flour
- Add the milk and return the pan to the stove on a medium heat and stir until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens. The sauce should not be too thick, just thick enough to leave a slight trail when you draw a spoon through it.2 cups milk
- Once the sauce is thick, stir in the soft cheese over a gentle heat, and continue stirring until the cheese has dissolved.4 ounce / 125 grams soft cream cheese
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste.salt and black pepper
Assemble and bake
- Spoon a thin layer of sauce onto the base of your baking dish.
- Arrange a single layer of lasagne sheets on top of the meat sauce.6 to 9 quick cook lasagne sheets
- Cover the lasagne sheets with a thin layer of bechamel sauce.
- Repeat the three layers (meat sauce / lasagne sheets / bechamel sauce) until all the sauce has been used. Make sure to end with a final layer of bechamel sauce. Cover with a layer of grated cheese.
- Sprinkle the grated cheese on top.½ cup grated cheddar cheese
- Place the lasagne into a hot oven (200 degrees C / 400 degrees F) for 25 to 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.
- Check the lasagne is fully cooked by sliding a sharp knife into the dish. It should slide in with no resistance. If you feel the pasta needs more time to cook, return it to the oven for a few minutes.
Notes
- When preparing the vegetables, chop them as finely as possible. It makes all the difference to the finished texture of the dish.
- Also, take the time to grate the carrots on the smallest hole of your cheese grater. This will allow the carrots to disintegrate into the sauce as it cooks, leaving only their flavour.
- The cooking time of 90 minutes for the sauce may seem excessive, but the long slow cooking time allows the meat to become extremely tender and the sauce to develop a rich flavour.
- I always add a teaspoon of sugar when cooking with tomatoes as it cuts through the tartness and enhances the flavour. You can leave this out if you prefer.
- Do watch the sauce as it cooks - if it seems to be drying out, turn the heat down and add an extra splash of stock or water.
- When making the bechamel sauce, don't worry if it seems a little thin; it will thicken more once the cheese has been added.
- On the other hand, if the sauce turns out too thick, thin it down with a little extra milk. You are looking for a thick pouring consistency.
- Depending on the size of your cooking dish you will find you can make either two or three layers of the meat sauce, bechamel and lasagne sheets. When I made this recipe for the photos I used a large shallow dish and only managed to get two layers of each. I've made it subsequently in a smaller but deeper dish and had enough sauce for three layers of each. It's delicious either way!
- To check the lasagne sheets are cooked, slide a sharp knife into the baked dish. The knife should slide in with no resistance. If you feel the lasagne needs to be cooked a little longer, return it to the oven for a few more minutes.
- Uncooked - assemble the dish and make sure it has cooled to room temperature before freezing. Cover the top of the lasagne with a layer of tinfoil, then wrap the dish in a double layer of plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 4 months.
- Cooked - allow to cool and then cover with tinfoil and wrap in plastic wrap as above. Freeze for up to 4 months.
- Uncooked - cook from frozen in a pre-heated oven at 200C/400F for 35 minutes.
- Cooked - allow to defrost in the refrigerator and then reheat in a hot oven (200C/400F) for 15 minutes.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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