3 Cheese Lasagne

INGREDIENTS

For the filling:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 500g Dunnes Stores Beef Mince
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 150g Dunnes Stores Irish Bacon Lardons
• 75g mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, peeled and coarsely grated
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 250ml red wine
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 x 400g Dunnes Stores tins of chopped tomatoes
• Sea salt and ground black pepper
• Handful of basil leaves, chopped
• 8 Dunnes Stores fresh sheets of lasagne

For the cheese sauce:

• 50g butter
• 50g plain flour
• 600ml warm milk
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 75g Dunnes Stores Bleu D'Auvergne, crumbled
• 75g Dunnes Stores Sweet & Intense Extra Mature Cheddar, grated
• 50g Dunnes Stores Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

METHOD

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the mince and fry for 2–3 minutes until browned. Remove the mince from the pan and set aside on a plate.
2. Heat the rest of the oil in the frying pan, then add the bacon and fry for about 2 minutes until cooked through. Add the onion and garlic and fry for a further 2 minutes, then stir in the carrot and mushrooms and fry for 2 minutes more. Return the mince to the pan with the tomatoes, tomato purée, red wine and oregano. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes. Season with sea salt and ground black pepper to taste, then stir through the basil.
3. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5. To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour quickly so you have a smooth paste. Gradually whisk in the warm milk and bring the sauce to the boil. Reduce the heat to a steady simmer and simmer for 2 minutes until the sauce becomes thick.
4. Add the cheeses (saving a little of the Parmigiano and cheddar for sprinkling on the top) and English mustard. Season with sea salt and ground black pepper.
5. Spoon a layer of the Bolognese into a high-sided 27.5 x 20cm baking dish, then top with a layer of lasagne sheets followed by a layer of the cheese sauce. Repeat the process until the Bolognese and cheese sauces are used up, finishing with a layer of cheese sauce. Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top and bake in the oven for 30–35 minutes until the lasagne is bubbling and browned on top. Serve straight to the table.