Potato and Meat Lasagna

Side view of potato lasagna with meat filling and white sauce in rectangular dish.

This potato lasagna is made with thinly sliced potatoes instead of traditional pasta, a rich and delicious meat filling mixture and creamy bechamel sauce, topped with mozzarella cheese and baked until golden. Easy to make, satisfying and full of flavour!

Course Main

Cuisine Italian fusion

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 10

Servings servings

Calories 406kcal

Author Monika Dabrowski

Equipment

Saucepan and whisk
Box grater
Large pan with lid

Ingredients

1⅓ pounds potatoes approx. 3-4 large potatoes, see *Notes

For the filling mixture

1⅔ pounds ground beef can be combined with pork (2:1), 5-10% fat
1 med/large onion finely chopped
1½ celery ribs finely chopped
3 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 med. carrot peeled, shredded
1½ cups passata
1 cup beef stock
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Italian herbs
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup mozzarella shredded, can be combined with cheddar (2:1)
Salt and pepper to taste

For the white sauce

1¾ cups light/semi-skimmed milk
3 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose/plain flour
⅕ teaspoon nutmeg

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cook vegetables: Heat the oil, add the onion, celery, garlic and bay leaf and cook over a medium heat for about 3 minutes stirring often.
Add meat: Add the meat, stir and cook for several minutes over a med/high heat until all the moisture has disappeared stirring often. Add the ale and soy sauce, stir and continue cooking until, again, the moisture has been absorbed and the meat starts to brown.
Cook filling mixture: Pour in the stock, passata, Worcestershire sauce, add the herbs and lots of freshly ground pepper. Stir, cover and bring to the boil then lower the heat and simmer for about 1 hour 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the carrot, cover and continue cooking for 15 more minutes. Remove from the heat, taste the sauce and adjust the flavour if required.
TIP: Once you have added the carrot preheat the oven to 375F/190C/170 fan/gas mark 5.
Prepare potatoes: While the filling mixture is bubbling away prepare the potatoes. Peel then cut the potatoes thinly lengthwise into approx. 3 mm-thick slices. Rinse the potatoes by placing in a pot of water then drain (to get rid of the starch), add fresh water and about ⅓ teaspoon of salt. Cover and bring to the boil then lower the heat and simmer for about 5-6 minutes. The slices should be cooked but still a little firm (so they keep their shape). Drain thoroughly and set aside to cool.
Prepare white sauce: In a saucepan melt the butter then add the flour and quickly whisk in until no longer visible. Add a little milk and whisk in until the mixture is smooth then gradually add most of the milk whisking all the time (increase the heat a little to speed things up but don’t stop stirring). When the sauce has thickened and bubbles appear on top cook gently for about 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat, add the nutmeg and a bit of salt to taste and set aside to cool a little.
Assemble lasagne: Spread half of the filling mixture over the bottom of your oven dish and cover with ⅓ of the white sauce (add the remaining milk if the sauce has become too thick to spread comfortably). Sprinkle ⅓ of the cheese then arrange a layer of potato slices on top (not overlapping one another). Add the remaining filling mixture, cover with another layer of sliced potato, pour over the rest of the white sauce and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.
Bake: Bake your potato lasagna in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes then increase the heat to 400F/200C/180 fan/gas mark 6 and bake for another ten minutes or until the top is nicely browned. Remove from the oven, set aside for 10 minutes then serve.

Notes

*Use floury/starchy potatoes or all-rounders, such as russets/regular white potatoes (or Maris Piper in the UK). Make sure the slices aren’t too thick (so they don’t overpower the filling mixture).

I used a combination of beef and pork (2:1), but you can just use beef.

While the filling mixture is bubbling away prepare the potatoes and cook the white sauce.

Cool the white sauce a little before assembling the dish (it will thicken as it cools). The sauce should be quite thick so it doesn't disappear into the dish. If, however, it becomes too thick to spread comfortably stir in a little more milk.

I used a combination of mozzarella and cheddar cheese (2:1), but you can just stick with mozzarella, if preferred. Adjust the amount to your taste.

This meat and potato lasagna can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave.

Freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition