Lasagne
Who says homemade lasagna has to be a hassle? With my thermal cooker, you can enjoy this rich, cheesy classic without standing over the stove for hours. Perfect for busy days, camping trips, or just saving on energy costs!✨ Why it’s amazing:✔ Cooks itself while you get on with your day✔ Saves money and energy✔ Locks in all the flavor for a hearty, satisfying meal
Ingredients
For the Meat Sauce:
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 sticks of celery diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 500 g minced pork
- 500 g minced beef
- 2 tins 400g each of chopped tomatoes
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 sprig of bay leaves optional
- Optional: Oregano thyme, or other herbs to taste
For the Béchamel Sauce:
- 570 ml milk
- 50 g butter
- 25 g plain flour
- ¼ tsp grated nutmeg optional
- 1 good handful grated Parmesan cheese or cheese of your choice
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For the Lasagna Assembly:
- Fresh or dried lasagna sheets
- Grated Parmesan or mozzarella for topping
- Water for thermal cooker base, approximately 2L for a Mr D's 3L cooker and 2.4L for a Mr D's 4.5L cooker
Instructions
Prepare the Meat Sauce:
- Heat rapeseed oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, celery, and carrots. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the minced pork and beef. Break up the meat while cooking, stirring for another 5 minutes until browned.
- Stir in the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- Add a sprig of bay leaves, if using, and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Cover the pot, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Set aside.
Prepare the Béchamel Sauce:
- Place milk, butter, and flour in a saucepan (no heat yet). Add grated nutmeg if desired.
- Stir continuously while cooking over medium heat. Keep stirring to prevent lumps.
- Once the sauce thickens, lower the heat and cook for an additional 5 minutes to eliminate the raw flour taste.
- Stir in grated Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Assemble the Lasagna:
- In the thermal cooker’s top pot (or your chosen dish), spread a layer of meat sauce on the bottom.
- Add a layer of lasagna sheets, cutting them to fit if needed.
- Spread a layer of béchamel sauce over the pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
- Repeat the layers (meat sauce, pasta, béchamel, Parmesan) until the pot is almost full, finishing with a béchamel layer and extra cheese on top.
Cooking the Lasagna:
- Pour 2L of water into the base of the Mr D's 3L thermal cooker.
- Bring the water to a boil, then place the top pot with the assembled lasagna into the thermal cooker.
- Bring the water and lasagna back to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes.
- Transfer the pot into the thermal cooker’s insulated outer container and leave it to cook for 2-3 hours. It can remain hot for up to 6-8 hours.
Serve:
- Optionally, brown the top under a grill.
- Serve with a salad, crusty bread, or your favorite sides.
- Enjoy your delicious homemade lasagna, whether at home or on the go!