Homemade Classic Beef Lasagne Recipe

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This homemade classic beef lasagne recipe is made up of layers of rich meat and tomato sauce, cheesy sauce and pasta sheets. There’s nothing quite like a lasagne made from scratch!

Sometimes you just can’t beat a classic recipe, you know? As much as I love being creative and coming up with exciting recipes occasionally I fancy something a bit more familiar.

For me that can mean a sausage and bean stew on a Sunday night, an easy beef stroganoff slowly cooked on a Saturday afternoon or a hearty chicken and vegetable soup to use up leftovers from a roast dinner.

Or it can mean the ultimate in classic, a homemade lasagne (or lasagna if you’re in the US!). Crunchy edges, gooey cheese and rich meaty sauce. It’s so dreamy.

Ooo I love a good traditional lasagne recipe me. You guys know what I’m saying? (I’ve got several other versions on the blog including a one pot vegetarian lasagne and a butternut squash lasagne).

How you can get a ready made lasagne and it’ll be…ok I guess…but when you’ve gone to the effort of making one from scratch it literally cannot be bad.

Tell me, have you ever had a bad homemade lasagne? I’m 100% sure the answer is no, never, homemade lasagne is the best!

I used to be slightly obsessed with those ready meal lasagnes. The kind of gross ones that you get out the fridge bit in supermarkets. They’re all sloppy and anaemic looking and you can cook them in two minutes in a microwave.

They actually kind of fall apart when you try to get them out of the plastic tray because the sauce is so thin. But when I was a kid that was my go to dinner whenever my mum went out and my dad was left to get me dinner. And I loved them, trust me.

Anyways, you’re probably wondering why I’m grossing you out with the thought of bad lasagne when I’m trying to convince you to make this amazing one!

Nowadays I’m not really down with those things. I’m exclusively a homemade lasagne type of girl. Which is fine except that it’s kind of a pain to make homemade lasagne from scratch if you’re not totally in the mood.

But on a weekend when you’ve got a couple of hours to make something tasty, especially if you’re making it for someone special, then there’s nothing better to make than a homemade classic beef lasagne.

Alternatively, if you’re looking for a super simple, weeknight deal then check out this one pot lasagne instead!

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED TO MAKE BEEF LASAGNE:

• Olive Oil
• Onion
• Beef Mince (Ground Beef)
• Smoked Bacon
• Garlic
• Carrots
• Mushrooms
• Red Wine
• Chopped Tomatoes
• Salt and Pepper
• Dried Oregano
• Dried Basil
• Beef Stock Cube
• Chilli Flakes
• Tomato Puree
• Butter
• Flour
• Milk
• Dijon Mustard
• Parmesan
• Nutmeg
• Cheddar
• Lasagne Sheets

Keep scrolling to get the full recipe for this homemade classic beef lasagne…

This recipe is completely delicious and you can’t underestimate the sense of accomplishment you get from making a lasagne from scratch. When you take it out of the oven and it’s all bubbling and amazing and you bring it to the table ready for people to fight over the crispy corners (#crispylasagnecorners4life). 

How do you make beef lasagne?

• Making a lasagne is all about being organised. The beef sauce needs to simmer for 30 minutes so make that first so that it has time to get all unctuous.
• While the beef cooks then get your cheesy white sauce on the go. This is a great way to add extra flavour so hit it with the mustard, parmesan and a little nutmeg. Make sure you bubble until it thickens a bit to avoid a sloppy lasagne!
• Get your sauces, lasagne sheets and cheese all laid out ready to assemble then you’re ready to make your lasagne.

How do you season ground beef for lasagne?

For the meat sauce for this lasagne I like to start off with onion and then some bacon because it adds so much more flavour to the beef. Garlic, dried oregano, dried basil and red wine help to round out the sauce and make it rich and delicious. 

What kind of meat can be put in lasagne if you don’t like beef?

While beef is the classic meat used in lasagne I think this recipe could also more really well with turkey mince so feel free to try that if you don’t like beef or are looking for a slightly lighter option.

What’s the difference between lasagna and lasagne?

I always thought that one was American and one was British but in Italian it’s actually the difference between singular and plural meaning that lasagna refers to a single lasagna sheet and lasagne means more than one sheet. 

What should I serve with lasagne?

I love mine served with a simple side salad. The lasagne is so rich that it’s nice to have something to cut through that cheesiness and meatiness. Try some little gem lettuce, cucumber, tomato and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic. Delicious!

How do you store lasagne?

Cooked lasagne will last for 3-5 days in the fridge, just make sure it’s tightly covered with foil or cling film. If you’d like to store it for longer then freeze it.

How do you freeze lasagne?

Follow the instruction to cook the lasagne as normal then leave to cool completely and cover. Place in the freeze and store for up to 3 months. When ready to eat defrost thoroughly and place in the oven for 10 minutes to heat through.

Do you need to cover lasagne while baking?

Covering the lasagne for half of the cooking time helps to make sure it doesn’t go dry and the top doesn’t brown too much. Use foil and remove it halfway through cooking.

Want more? Try these other pasta recipes!

• One Pot Smoked Gouda Pasta
• Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Thyme
• Creamy Lemon Vodka Salmon Pasta
• One Pot Cheese and Tomato Pasta Bake
• Roasted Cauliflower Pasta
• One Pot Pasta with Chicken, Spinach & Mushroom

WONDERING WHAT TO DO WITH THE LEFTOVER INGREDIENTS YOU’VE GOT FROM MAKING HOMEMADE CLASSIC BEEF LASAGNE?

If you’re anything like me then you’re always looking for ways to save money and avoid food waste so I want to make sure you’ve get plenty of ideas on how to use up any ingredients that are leftover from my recipes!

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Homemade Classic Beef Lasagne

This homemade classic beef lasagne recipe is made up of layers of rich meat and tomato sauce, cheesy sauce and pasta sheets. There's nothing quite like a lasagne made from scratch!

4.34 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 675kcal

Author: Amy

Ingredients

Meat Sauce

• 50 ml Olive Oil
• 1 large Onion chopped
• 600 g Beef Mince
• 4 rashers Smoked Bacon chopped into 1 inch squares
• 4 cloves Garlic minced
• 2 Carrots peeled and chopped
• 125 g Mushrooms chopped
• 250 ml Red Wine
• 2 400g tins Chopped Tomatoes
• Salt and Black Pepper
• 1 tbsp Dried Oregano
• 2 tsp Dried Basil
• 1 Beef Stock Cube
• 1 pinch Chilli Flakes
• 2 tbsp Tomato Purée/Tomato Paste

White Sauce

• 50 g Butter
• 50 g Plain Flour
• 750 ml Milk
• 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 30 g Parmesan Cheese grated
• Salt and Pepper
• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
• 50 g Cheddar grated
• 250 g Dry Lasagne Sheets
• Extra Cheddar grated, for topping

UK Measures - US Measures

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 190°C. Heat the olive oil in a big pot or frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes until softened. Add the beef, bacon, garlic, carrots and mushrooms and cook until the beef has browned. Pour in the red wine and bring to a boil before adding the chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper, oregano, basil, stock cube, chilli flakes and tomato purée. Simmer for half an hour.
• While the tomato sauce is cooking make the white sauce. Melt the butter over a medium heat and whisk in the flour. Once you have a smooth paste gradually pour in the milk while whisking. Add the mustard, cheeses, nutmeg and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cook for 5-10 minutes until thickened. Remove from the heat.
• You're now ready to assemble your lasagne. Spread a couple of spoonfuls of meat sauce in the bottom of a baking dish, top with lasagne sheets and a spoonful of white sauce. Repeat the process until you've finished the meat sauce and make sure to finish with a final layer of white sauce. Top the whole thing with grated cheddar, cover with foil and cook for 45 minutes removing the foil half way through cooking.

Nutrition Facts

Homemade Classic Beef Lasagne

Amount Per Serving

Calories 675 Calories from Fat 441

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 49g 75%

Saturated Fat 20g 100%

Cholesterol 123mg 41%

Sodium 608mg 25%

Potassium 739mg 21%

Total Carbohydrates 20g 7%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 9g

Protein 29g 58%

Vitamin A 79.1%

Vitamin C 5.7%

Calcium 30.5%

Iron 18.4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notes

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