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    Home » Recipes » Dinner

    Easy Lasagne

    Published: Jan 15, 2021 · Modified: Mar 31, 2022 by Beth Sachs · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 12 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Cheat's lasagne pin image with text.

    A quick and easy lasagne recipe made with a cheat's white sauce, ready in just 45 minutes! Delicious comfort food the whole family will love.

    A slice of my easy lasagne.

    First of all a disclaimer! This is most definitely NOT an authentic lasagne recipe (Italians look away now), but what it lacks in authenticity, it more than makes up for in taste and speed.

    This cheat lasagne is one of my favourite go-to recipes for busy days when you just don't have time to be slaving over a hot stove. It's also one of the kids' most requested meals.

    👩‍🍳 Looking for another recipe using minced beef? Try this South African Bobotie recipe!

    Jump to:
    • ✔️ Why should you try it?
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 🍴 Serving suggestions
    • 📖 Variations
    • 🥡 Storage
    • ❓ FAQS
    • 😋Related recipes
    • More delicious dinners
    • Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    ✔️ Why should you try it?

    • Ready in just 45 minutes.
    • Rich and comforting
    • A great recipe for home freezing
    • Made with a cheat's white sauce rather than a traditional bechamel.

    🥘 Ingredients

    • Onion - 1 small white onion, finely chopped.
    • Garlic - 2 fat garlic cloves, finely chopped.
    • Carrots - 1 large carrot, washed, peeled and finely chopped.
    • Celery - 1 stick, finely chopped.
    • Streaky Bacon - 3 rashers, cut into small pieces.
    • Beef Mince - 500g of lean beef or steak mince.
    • Passata - 400g of smooth passata, although a tin of chopped tomatoes could you used instead.
    • Herbs - A mixture of thyme, oregano, rosemary and smoked paprika.
    • Marmite - Helps give the ragu a lovely rich flavour.
    • Lasagne Sheets - 8 fresh lasagne sheets.

    For the cheat's white sauce;

    • Crème Fraiche - 300g of full-fat creme fraiche. Soured cream could be used as an substitute.
    • Milk - Two tablespoons of milk ( I used semi-skimmed) helps thin the sauce out.
    • Parmesan - 100g of finely grated Parmesan is mixed into the creme fraiche with an additional 150g of grated Parmesan sprinkled on top before baking. To save even more time why not buy pre-grated Parmesan!

    🔪 Instructions

    The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post

    One: Make a quick ragu sauce by frying the onion, garlic, carrot and celery on a medium heat for 5 minutes. Turn up the heat and add the bacon, herbs and beef mince. Fry until the beef changes colour then add the passata, marmite and salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes on a medium heat.

    Two: Spoon one half of the beef mince on the bottom of a baking dish and lay 4 lasagne sheets on top. Add the remaining mince on top and lay over 4 more lasagne sheets.

    Three: In a small bowl mix together the creme fraiche, milk and 100g of Parmesan and spread on top of the lasagne. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

    Four: Bake in the oven for 20 minutes (at 220°c / /200 fan) until golden and bubbling.

    Step by step photo instructions for making cheat's lasagne.

    🍴 Serving suggestions

    I like to serve lasagne with a crisp green side salad and garlic bread, although fresh steamed veggies are delicious too.

    If you don't have fussy kids in your house, a sprinkling of chopped parsley just before serving gives the lasagne a lovely freshness.

    📖 Variations

    You could use a mixture of beef and pork mince for the ragu, or alternatively use leftover pork bolognese (I sometimes make a double batch just for this reason).

    Vary the cheeses by using a mixture of Parmesan and mozzarella, or even extra mature cheddar. If I know I'm going to be really pushed for time, I sometimes buy pre-grated cheese (shhh don't tell anyone).

    🥡 Storage

    The lasagne can be made up to the point of baking and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.

    Slices of reheated lasagne make for a comforting lunch the next day too!

    ❓ FAQS

    Do you need to cook the lasagne sheets first?

    I like to use fresh lasagne sheets as they take much less time to cook, meaning your lasagne can be on the table in super quick time. If you're using dry lasagne sheets, they don't need pre cooking but the lasagne may need an extra 8-10 minutes in the oven.

    😋Related recipes

    Some more easy pasta recipes you might like to try;

    • Easy Cheesy Pasta - Deliciously comforting easy cheesy pasta using a cheat’s crème fraiche cheese sauce pepped up with smoked paprika and Dijon mustard. 
    • Chorizo and Pepper Pasta - Perfect for busy weeknights when time is of the essence.
    • Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake - An easy and cheesy chicken and broccoli pasta bake with a crispy breadcrumb topping.
    • Turkey Bolognese - An easy turkey bolognese recipe that can be made with low-fat turkey mince or leftover roast turkey from Christmas. Ready in just 45 minutes.
    • Caramelised Shallot Pasta - A delicious and easy, caramelised shallot pasta recipe, with sweet caramelised shallots, tangy tomatoes and salty anchovies. 

    More delicious dinners

    • Easy Macaroni Cheese Recipe
    • Slow Cooker Pork Ragu Recipe
    • Easy Slow Cooker Red Lentil Dahl Recipe
    • Easy Slow Cooker Beef Curry Recipe (No Browning)

    Recipe

    cut slice of lasagne
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    5 from 12 votes

    Easy Cheat's Lasagne

    A quick and easy lasagne recipe made with a cheat's white sauce, ready in just 45 minutes! Delicious comfort food the whole family will love.
    Course Pasta
    Cuisine Italian
    Keyword cheat's lasagne, easy lasagne
    Prep Time 25 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Total Time 45 minutes
    Servings 6
    Calories 424kcal
    Author Beth Sachs
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Shallow Casserole
    • Large Baking Dish
    • Kitchen Scales
    • Chopping Board
    • Knife
    • Wooden Spoon

    Ingredients

    Metric - US Customary
    • 1 Onion chopped finely
    • 2 Garlic Cloves chopped finely
    • 1 Carrot peeled and chopped finely
    • 1 Celery stalk chopped finely
    • 3 Streaky Bacon rashers chopped
    • 500 g Beef Mince use lean mince
    • 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
    • 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
    • 1 teaspoon Dried Rosemary
    • 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
    • 400 g Passata
    • 1 teaspoon Marmite
    • Salt and Pepper

    For the cheat's white sauce

    • 300g Creme Fraiche full fat
    • 2 tablespoon Milk
    • 250g Parmesan grated

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 220°c (200 fan/ 425F/ Gas 7). In a shallow casserole or frying pan heat 1 tablespoon of oil on a medium heat and add the onion, garlic, carrot and celery. Cook for 5 minutes until soft.
    • Turn the heat up and add the bacon, mined beef and herbs. Cook until the mince has changed colour (stirring often).
    • Add the passata, marmite and season. Simmer over a medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Set aside.
    • In a small bowl mix together the creme fraiche, milk and 100g of the grated Parmesan.
    • Assemble the lasagne by placing half the mince mixture in the bottom of the baking dish and spread out with a spoon. Lay 4 lasagne sheets on top. Spoon over the remaining half of the mince and cover with 4 more lasagne sheets.
    • Spoon over the white sauce then sprinkle with the remaining 150g of grated Parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes.

    Notes

    The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
    Nutrition Facts
    Easy Cheat's Lasagne
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    424
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    28
    g
    43
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    14
    g
    88
    %
    Cholesterol
     
    88
    mg
    29
    %
    Sodium
     
    783
    mg
    34
    %
    Potassium
     
    650
    mg
    19
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    11
    g
    4
    %
    Fiber
     
    2
    g
    8
    %
    Sugar
     
    5
    g
    6
    %
    Protein
     
    31
    g
    62
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    2528
    IU
    51
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    9
    mg
    11
    %
    Calcium
     
    535
    mg
    54
    %
    Iron
     
    3
    mg
    17
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Snap a pic and tag @effortlessf00d on Instagram or Twitter

    I'm linking this recipe up to #CookBlogShare which this week is hosted by Karen at Lavender and Lovage.

    More Easy Dinner Recipes

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    • Easy Gambas Pil Pil Recipe (Garlic & Chilli Prawns)
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    • Easy Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni Recipe

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. April

      January 15, 2021 at 3:39 pm

      5 stars
      Anything that has bacon is delicious in my mind.

      Reply
      • Beth Sachs

        January 26, 2021 at 2:55 pm

        Bacon really helps to pep up the flavour! I love it.

        Reply
    2. Dannii

      January 15, 2021 at 3:42 pm

      5 stars
      You can't beat lasagna for total comfort food. This looks like a really easy version too.

      Reply
    3. Kushigalu

      January 15, 2021 at 4:14 pm

      5 stars
      Love lasagne plus how simple and flavorful this is. I will try thie soon. Yum !

      Reply
    4. Beth

      January 15, 2021 at 4:20 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is going to be a big hit here at the house! I can't wait to give this a try! Looks so delicious and tasty!

      Reply
    5. Wanda

      January 15, 2021 at 5:29 pm

      5 stars
      We are lasagna lovers here but admittedly I've never added bacon to mine! This is a game change, definitely trying this recipe!

      Reply
    6. Cat | Curly's Cooking

      January 16, 2021 at 11:49 pm

      5 stars
      There is nothing wrong with shortcuts, especially if they are as tasty as this. I don't make lasagne enough and now I really fancy it!

      Reply
    7. Karen Booth

      January 18, 2021 at 3:56 pm

      The words easy and lasagne are some of my favourite words! This looks absolutely sensational and such a lovely recipe to have for a midweek meal. Thanks for linking up to #CookBlogShare this week, Karen 🙂

      Reply
    8. Jacqui – Recipes Made Easy:Only Crumbs Remain

      January 18, 2021 at 7:02 pm

      5 stars
      Is there anyone who doesn't like lasagne. This is just the sort or recipe everyone needs

      Reply
    9. Sisley White

      January 19, 2021 at 2:26 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you so much for linking up to the first CookBlogShare of 2021.I love a lasange and one that is so delicious and quick gets all my votes!

      Reply
    10. Marissa Schaumloffel

      January 20, 2021 at 1:51 am

      5 stars
      I love an easy lasagne! This sounds like the perfect week night meal.

      Reply
    11. Jill

      February 10, 2021 at 2:47 pm

      5 stars
      That's a perfect-looking slice of lasagna. Love that thick cheese layer!

      Reply

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    Beth Sachs Food Blogger

    Hi, I’m Beth, a Mum of three (and one crazy dog), living in Cornwall, UK. I love creating easy, delicious and fuss-free recipes, perfect for busy families, just like my own.

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