Beef Lasagna for 20

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 1hour 45 mins (1 hour for ragu, 45 minutes to complete)

Allergens: Beef lasagne commonly contains major allergens milk (béchamel/cheese), mustard (béchamel), wheat/gluten (pasta/flour), eggs (pasta) and celery (ragu sauce).

Ingredients

For the ragu

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 3kg beef mince
• 6 onions, roughly chopped
• 8 sticks celery, finely chopped (optional)
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 6 level tbsp plain flour
• 450ml beef stock
• 10 tbsp tomato purée
• 3 tbsp chopped thyme
• 6 tins chopped tomatoes

For the béchamel (white sauce)

• 150g butter
• 150g plain flour
• 3 litre hot milk
• 4 tsp Dijon or English mustard
• 150g Parmesan, finely grated
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the lasagne

• 36 lasagne sheets
• 300g mature cheddar, grated

Method

1. Preheat the oven to160C/140C Fan/Gas 3.
2. For the ragu, heat a large frying pan until hot and add the oil.
3. Cook the mince until browned all over.
4. Remove from the heat and transfer to a plate.
5. Add the onion, celery and garlic to the pan and cook until softened.
6. Return the meat to the pan and stir in the flour.
7. Add the stock and bring to the boil.
8. Add the tomato purée and thyme, then stir well.
9. Stir in the tinned tomatoes.
10. Bring to the boil again, cover and simmer in the oven for 1 hour, or until the beef is cooked.
11. For the white sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan.
12. Add the flour and cook over the heat for one minute.
13. Gradually whisk in the hot milk, whisking until thickened.
14. Add the Dijon mustard and Parmesan and season generously with salt and pepper.
15. For the lasagna, put one third of the meat sauce in the base of a 2.3 liter/4 pint shallow ovenproof dish (or split across smaller dishes).
16. Spoon one third of the white sauce on top. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange one layer of lasagna sheets on top.
17. Spoon half of the remaining meat sauce on top and then half of the white sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
18. Put another layer of lasagna sheets on top, then the remaining meat sauce and remaining white sauce.
19. Sprinkle over the cheddar.
20. Set oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
21. Cook in the middle of the oven for about 45 minutes or until golden brown on top, bubbling around the edges and the pasta is soft.

Last updated 12:52 on 11 February 2026