#HealthyRedMeat Challenge – Making an Awesome Lasagne

As a farmer’s daughter I have grown up eating red meat, it was always roast beef on Sundays, homemade pasties and of course beef stews with dumplings. This was our food. So when I was asked to join the #HealthyRedMeat challenge with Britmums and the Meat Advisory Panel it was like the perfect challenge made for me!

Nowadays red meat has been in the spotlight quite a lot, and experts fear that the nutritional benefits have been overshadowed by misleading negative views. To cut through the confusion, the Meat Advisory Panel, an independent group of health and nutrition experts, is partnering with BritMums to promote red meat in the diets of children.

As a busy working mum I batch cook most of our food, so when both my husband and myself get in from a long day at work, it’s just a matter of heating up what I have made previously. One of my favourite batch cook meals is lasagne. Out of one 750g packet of mince I can make enough lasagnes for the whole week for the three of us. It also happens to be one of our favorite meals so we honestly don’t get bored eating it for a week! I do garlic bread extra vegetables and sometimes chips or salad to go with.

Did you know that  lean red meat provides a range of important nutrients that are often low in toddlers and children – including iron, zinc, B vitamins, selenium and potassium. It’s recommended by experts to include lean red meat in a weaning diet and onwards. Now lean read meat also includes Lamb or Pork so you are not just restricted to Beef.

Dr Emma Derbyshire, a public health nutritionist and mother, says:

“Including a small portion of red meat in the diet a few times a week after weaning can help to bridge nutrient gaps and so help to maintain good health through childhood and beyond.”

Here is my recipe for making the most awesome lasagne. That is full of vegetables, quick to make and ideal for batch cooking.

I have a huge saucepan that is capable of holding a lot of sauce as you can see below. This is needed to make huge dishes of lasagne.

Ingredients

• 750 g beef mince
• A bag of frozen sliced onions
• A bag of frozen mixed veg
• A pinch of oregano
• 3 jars of pasta sauce ( you can make your own, but at this time I’m showing you the quickest way)
• 2 jars of white lasagne sauce
• 2 packets of lasagne pasta sheets
• Lots of grated cheese

How to make an awesome lasagne

• Brown off the mince
• Steam/boil or microwave the mixed veg – important to cook it before you add to the saucepan
• Add the bag of frozen onions to the browned minced beef
• cook down
• Add the pasta sauces and pinch of oregano
• Add the cooked mixed veg and stir. Leave to simmer for 15 mins.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees
• Next comes the fun part – constructing the lasagne!
• At the bottom of the dish add a layer of mince sauce
• Next add a layer of pasta sheets
• With a spoon smooth on a layer of white sauce covering the pasta sheets
• These steps need to be repeated so you have 3 layers of pasta sheets.
• On top of the last layer of white sauce sprinkle generously with cheese.
• Cook in the oven for 45-50 minutes until top crispy

You should have enough ingredients to make 2 huge dishes of lasagne.

Baby girl is a huge pasta fan and this dish is one of her favourites. At 19 months old she will clear her little plate full with a slice of garlic bread as well.

Here she is enjoying her lasagne.

If you enjoyed this post, you may like my recipe for Spaghetti Bolognese

Thanks for stopping by today, I hope you have enjoyed this post.

*This post is an entry for the BritMums #HealthyRedMeat, sponsored by the Meat Advisory Panel.