How do you make good old Lasagna (the one with Bechamel sauce)?

Answer 1

Elliot's Bistro Lasagna with Bechamel Sauce

Bechamel sauce (see recipe)

1/2 pound grated mozzarella cheese

1/4 pound grated Parmesan cheese

1 package (16 ounces) lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions

4 cups sauteed vegetables (onion, bell pepper, zucchini, eggplant, etc.)

Prepare bechamel sauce.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Mix cheeses together.

In 13-by-9-inch pan, layer as follows, starting with pasta on bottom and taking care to always surround pasta with cheese layers: Pasta, cheese, vegetables, sauce, cheese, pasta, cheese, vegetables, sauce, cheese, pasta, cheese; be sure to finish with a cheese layer on top.

Bake uncovered in preheated oven about 45 minutes. Cover with foil, bake remaining 15 minutes or until done.

Let lasagna cool and then reheat just before serving. This way the lasagna will hold together when removed from the pan. Makes 10 servings.

Elliot's Bistro Bechamel Sauce

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1/4 cup flour

3 cups whole milk

1 cup grated Swiss cheese

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Salt and white pepper to taste

In heavy saucepan, melt butter and stir in flour. Do not brown flour, but cook it 6 to 8 minutes over very low heat, stirring constantly, to eliminate starchy flavor in flour.

Gradually stir in milk to smooth blend. (Do not use half-and-half; it will break the sauce.) Add salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking to sauce consistency, then gradually add add the cheese and finally, the nutmeg.

Makes 3 cups

Good luck!

Answer 2

Lasagna Rollups with Bechamel Sauce

I cut this recipe out of something (looks like maybe a newspaper a year or so ago), and it is terrific. My family doesn't eat the old fashioned lasagna anymore!
12-15 lasagna noodles
1 1/2-2 lbs beef, ground (or use 1/2 beef and 1/2 pork)
1 package Betty Crocker's hamburger helper (or any mix of meat loaf seasonings and bread crumbs)
1 jar spaghetti sauce (I use garlic and onion)
1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded (not the kind in the can)

SAUCE
1 bay leaf
3 cups light cream or milk (or a combination)
1/3 cup butter (5 1/2 Tbsp)
2 teaspoons instant chicken broth
1/3 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350.
Cook noodles in salted, boiling water until just tender. Drain and place in large bowl of cold water and drain on paper towels.
Cook ground meat in microwave until done. Mix cooked meat and breading mix from meatloaf mixture until well blended.
Spread meat mixture in thin layer on noodles and roll up jelly roll fashion (don't roll too tightly).
Spread all of sauce over bottom of 9/13 baking dish and arrange roll ups, seam side down on sauce.
Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes at 350*.
Meanwhile, scald milk and bayleaf (I use microwave). Let stand 5 minutes and remove leaf.
Melt butter in medium sauce pan, stir in flour, and cook stirring constantly with wooded spoon until mixture bubbles.
Stir in scalded milk, instant chicken broth, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Continue cooking and stirring until sauce thickens and bubbles (about 3 minutes), and remove from stove.
After rollups have baked 30 minutes, remove foil and spoon bechamel sauce over top and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Bake 10 minutes more or until bubbly hot and sauce is golden.
It's not nearly as hard to make as it sounds, and the results are wonderful! All you need to round out the meal is a salad, and garlic bread if desired.

Answer 3

1/2 lb. bacon, coarsely chopped
3/4 c. onion, minced
1/2 c. celery, minced
1 lb. beef, minced
1 (10 oz.) can consomme
1 (5 1/2 oz.) can tomato paste
1/3 c. butter
1/3 c. flour
2 c. milk
1/2 tsp. pepper
3/4 lb. lasagna
1/3 c. Romano cheese, grated
1/2 c. minced carrots
Sliced Mozzarella cheese

MEAT SAUCE: Saute bacon in large saucepan. Remove fat and saute onions, carrots, celery, brown beef with vegetables. Add consomme and tomato paste. Season to taste. Simmer 35 to 40 minutes.
Melt butter in saucepan, add flour, cook 3 minutes. Add milk gradually. Cook until thick, add salt and pepper. Cook lasagna according to directions, cool. Place half the noodles in 9 x 13 inch pan and pour half the meat sauce over them; add cheese; cover with remaining lasagna, sauce, and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Answer 4

Wow, I have to thank you for asking this question...I had never heard of Bechamel sauce before. Your timing is great! I had just made lasagna for dinner last night..and I make a great lasagna! I got to thinking while stewing the same old sauce how many variations there could be on lasagna; this one is a new one to add. Again, thank you!

~Basic Béchamel Sauce and Variations~

White sauce and variations, including Mornay, mustard sauce, herb sauce, and more.

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup heated milk
salt
white pepper
freshly ground nutmeg (optional)

PREPARATION:
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir until mixture is well blended. Gradually stir in hot milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sauce begins to boil and thickens. Simmer, stirring frequently, over very low heat for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add a little nutmeg, if desire. Makes about 1 cup of medium thick sauce.
Mornay Sauce
Add 1/2 cup grated cheese to 1 cup of hot sauce; stir over low heat until cheese is melted. Season with a little mustard or Worcestershire sauce to taste.

Velouté Sauce
Substitute chicken, beef, fish, or vegetable broth for the milk.

Herb Sauce
Add 1 teaspoon of freshly chopped herbs or 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs to 1 cup of hot sauce. Cook for a minute or two longer to get more flavor from the herbs.

Cream Sauce
Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of heavy cream to the finished sauce. For an onion flavor, add an onion slice to the milk when heating; remove onion slice before adding milk to flour and butter mixture.

Mustard Sauce
Combine 1 teaspoon dry mustard to flour used in sauce. This sauce is especially good with fish and chicken.

Answer 5

No need to get so technical with everything. Make sure you have:

Bechemel
Meat sauce (ragu thick and chunky will do)
Lasagna (no boil if you can find it)
mozzarella
casserole dish (any size you want)

Bottom layer, Lasagna noodles, next, a thin layer of bechemel, then a layer of sauce, then sprinkle some cheese. Repeat in that order until you hit the top (make sure your last layer is cheese). If you have left overs, make another one. You can freeze it until you want it next.