Rich and creamy, this is an elegant twist on the usual lasagna.
This recipe came with a ceramic pie pan many years ago, but it’s been modified often since then.
This is time-consuming, a lot of work, and gets a whole bunch of dishes dirty in the preparation. I always make at least a double batch and freeze the extra.
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Bechamel Lasagna
Add all seasonings to taste.
Ingredients
- 1 lb lasagna noodles
Filing
- 2 lbs hamburger
- 1 lb ground sausage
- 1 lb bacon
- 2 large carrots diced
- 2 onions diced
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 3/4 cups sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 1 lb fresh mushrooms sliced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 teaspoons dried basil
- 3 teaspoons dried oregano
- dash pepper
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 8 oz Parmesan cheese
- a few healthy glugs of Marsala wine
Sauce
- 8 oz butter 2 cubes
- 1-1/2 cups flour
- 6-1/2 cups milk substitute 1/2 cup of milk with chicken stock or Marsala if you have it
- 1 teaspoon salt
- dash pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg or more to taste – essential to this dish
Instructions
Filling
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Sauté bacon, hamburger, and vegetables until hamburger is browned and vegetables are slightly tender.
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Drain grease. (there will be a lot of grease)
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Stir in tomato paste and sour cream.
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Cook on low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
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Cook noodles while the filling is cooking.*
Sauce
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Melt butter. (I use the microwave – much less stirring necessary.)
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Stir in flour.
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Microwave for 1 – 3 minutes, or until it bubbles.
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Stir in remaining ingredients.
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Microwave on high for about 6 minutes (or until thickened; depends on your microwave), stirring every minute.
Assembly
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Line 9 x 13 baking dish with one layer of noodles, meat and vegetable mixture, sauce, Parmesan.
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Repeat for second layer, and third if you have enough for three layers.
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Bake at 350º for 45 minutes or until brown on top and heated through.
Recipe Notes
*I don't pre-boil the noodles, but add about a cup of water to the sauce. That's enough liquid to cook the noodles while the lasagna bakes. To avoid extra-hard crunchy noodle bits, make sure every bit of every noodle is covered with sauce.
