Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary

a food & travel blog

Home » Recipe » Hoof & Feather » Beef » Child-Friendly Lasagne with Cheddar Cheese Sauce

Child-Friendly Lasagne with Cheddar Cheese Sauce

Published on by 27 Comments
Last Updated on

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

In collaboration with Schwartz.

Child-Friendly Lasagne with Cheddar Cheese Sauce

Child-Friendly Lasagne with Cheddar Cheese Sauce - no bits, no hidden vegetables, just proper family comfort food.

Child-Friendly Lasagne with Cheddar Cheese Sauce – no bits, no hidden vegetables, just proper family comfort food.

When it comes to mealtimes our youngest two children are polar opposites when it comes to taste and preferences. Our nearly ten year old daughter is a vegetarian, she just doesn’t know it yet. Saying that, she did devour two helpings of slow cooked lamb the other day! An example that springs to mind is that meal where I made everyone else a most gorgeous macaroni and cheese dinner, opting to serve myself a pretty measly low-calorie salad (I was trying to shift a few pounds). She sat there, indignant, poking at her oozy gooey mac n’ cheese asking why I get all the nice food.

You’ve no idea, dear, no idea.

On the other hand, our youngest, eight, is a carnivore. A vegetable daren’t touch his plate without eliciting copious complaining and endless coaxing him to just try a bite, honest, you need the goodness in the vegetables – please eat the vegetables! When faced with a full roast beef dinner, mashed potatoes, vegetables, Yorkshires and gravy he comments: “Mum, why do you only make yucky food?!”.

See what I’m faced with?!

Child-Friendly Lasagne with Cheddar Cheese Sauce

Schwartz are currently promoting a “Food Stories” campaign – a campaign that encourages us food bloggers to share the stories behind our family favourite recipes. Recipes that evoke fond memories; recipes that have been handed down through the generations, or something we’ve perfected ourselves that we cook for our own families.

This lasagne recipe is one of our firm family favourites, variations of which I have been making for at least the last ten years. For the purposes of this food story I’ve pared it back to its basic components – no bits touching other bits, no hidden vegetables in the sauce, just pure comfort food. Food our youngest son, at least, will eat.

It’s at this point I should probably mention our third child: The Teenage Boy, who, at the age of 16, will eat absolutely and utterly everything without care, and lots of it. Except a mushroom. Ever.

Child-Friendly Lasagne with Cheddar Cheese Sauce

As far as food stories go, our own food story here in Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary has taken a new turn. We’ve branched out into making recipe videos! My husband over at AudioBoy Productions is a rather talented musician and sound engineer (by night – by day he’s a postman!). For years he’s been working on this that and the other project and he’s created quite a database of soundtracks on his computer. Soundtracks crying out to be heard by the world.

He also knows his way around Adobe Premier Pro and After Effects, which means together we’re beginning to churn out some rather snazzy content (watch this space – we’ve got a few awesome videos waiting to be released!).

We’re still in the learning process when it comes to recipe video making, so please bear with us as we work out the kinks. For example, a) while making the video below we learned that using a highly reflective induction hob is not ideal – you can spend the whole time looking up my nose in the video below, if you fancy. b) I need to learn how to use an induction hob (my regular cooker has a ceramic top). c) All ingredients should be laid out in advance, and d) it’s not a good idea to start filming just before the school run. Oh, and e) the sun (or lack thereof!) is a pain!

Still, it turned out rather well, and there’s some pretty fantastic music to listen to while you watch. My husband is going to start uploading his tracks to his channel on Audio Jungle for download, if you want to use them yourself.

Now I have to confess that I am a fan of fresh herbs and freshly ground cracked black pepper, but when it comes to a fussy veggie phobic child a piece of basil in a sauce looks terrifyingly like spinach, and should a speck of freshly ground pepper land on his tongue he cries out, “Fire in the mouth! Fire in the mouth!” and rushes off for a glass of milk to calm down the inferno.

Schwartz Herbs & Spices

So, for the purposes of this child-friendly version I’ve used Schwartz dried parsley, basil and oregano and their pre-ground black pepper. That way the finished dish gets the flavour of the herbs and spice without actually seeing it. My spice rack is filled with all sorts of awesome dried herbs and spices from Schwartz and they’re a godsend, especially during the winter months when fresh herbs are scarce.

You can find their herbs and spices, as well as their ready made spice mixes in all good shops. In fact, even our rural island village stop stocks their products, so they really are everywhere!

Child-Friendly Lasagne with Cheddar Cheese Sauce

The verdict?

He loved it! He was so chuffed when he came home from school to find out that we were having lasagne with no hidden bits in it served with garlic bread, two of his most favourite things in the whole wide world. He wasn’t that fussed with his salad (his sister ate his!), but there were clean plates all around.

Mission accomplished.

Win!

Now, to convince him that it’s ok to have his picture on the Internet. Our youngest is quite conscious of not having his face shown in my blog posts – hence the mask!

Child-Friendly Lasagne with Cheddar Cheese Sauce

Child-Friendly Lasagne with Cheddar Cheese Sauce

For those children who don't like bits in their food, or food touching other food!
0 from 0 votes
Print Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Author: Elizabeth

Ingredients

for the tomato sauce

  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 90 grams smoked bacon rashers finely chopped
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 500 grams Scotch lean beef mince
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 400 grams tinned chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 150 ml beef stock

for the cheddar cheese sauce

to assemble

  • no cook lasagne sheets
  • 80 grams Parmesan cheese grated
  • freshly grated nutmeg
  • 50 grams mature cheddar cheese grated
  • 1/2 tsp dried parsley

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 200 C.
  • Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat.
  • Gently saute the onions until they begin to soften and change colour slightly.
  • Add the garlic cloves and the chopped bacon and cook for a few minutes.
  • Add the dried herbs, salt and pepper and stir well.
  • Add the beef mince and cook until browned all over.
  • Add the tomato puree and stir well, then spoon in the tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and beef stock. Stir well, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes until the sauce becomes nice and thick. Set aside.
  • To prepare the cheese sauce, heat the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the flour, and stirring continuously, cook for one minute.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and pour in a little milk, stirring constantly. Slowly add the rest of the milk and whisk until there are no lumps.
  • Return the pan to the heat and stir until it begins to thicken.
  • Switch off the heat and add the grated cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted into the sauce. Set aside.
  • To assemble, spoon a little of the tomato sauce onto the base of your casserole dish and arrange a layer of no cook lasagne sheets over the top. I break mine to fit my awkward sized dishes, using the little broken bits to fit any gaps.
  • Spoon some more tomato sauce over the lasagne sheets and pour over 1/3 of the cheese sauce.
  • Sprinkle with freshly ground nutmeg and 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese.
  • Repeat until all the ingredients are used up, finishing with a layer of cheese sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining cheddar cheese, Parmesan and a little sprinkle of parsley.
  • Bake for 30 minutes until golden and bubbly. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool before cutting.

Notes

Optional variations:
  1. Use a mild cheddar cheese if your kids don't like the taste of sharp (mine do).
  2. Use a food processor to chop up celery, courgettes and carrots very, very finely and add them into the tomato sauce. Only the most observant of children can find bits in that!
  3. Omit the cheddar cheese and add a dash of ground mace for a traditional bechemel sauce. Season with ground white pepper, if desired.
  4. Add a layer of ricotta cheese mixed with chopped up spinach sauteed just until it wilts. Stir in an egg to bind it together.
  5. Add a layer of grilled vegetables - I like courgette and peppers.
  6. Top with little spoonfuls of basil pesto.
  7. My husband adds a tin of tomato soup to his lasagne sauce instead of beef stock. It adds a lovely tomato creaminess (he's also the one who whizzes up the veggies and hides them in the sauce!). My kids love his version too.
Tried this recipe?Mention @TangoRaindrop or tag #elizabethskitchendiary!

OTHER SCHWARTZ FOOD STORIES YOU MIGHT LIKE
Chilli con Carne Tacos by Fab Food 4 All

LINKING UP WITH SOME BLOGGING CHALLENGES
Recipe of the Week by A Mummy Too

This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Schwartz. Thank you for supporting the brands who make it possible for me to do what I love: mess up my kitchen and share recipe stories.

[color-box]

Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary

Have you made this recipe?

Take a photo and tag @tangoraindrop or use the hashtag #elizabethskitchendiary and share on Instagram and Twitter. It would make my day to see your creations!

[/color-box]

Comments

  5. haha loved reading this and it looks delicious! Totally something I would enjoy eating 🙂 (I can be a fussy easter!)

    Reply

  6. My children sound just like yours too! Thanks for sharing the recipe and video. My family all adore lasagne and I love the idea of blitzing some vegetables and hiding them in the tomato sauce for extra goodness.

    Reply

  9. You had me at “child friendly”. We have similar kids! I have one who is basically vegetarian. One meat eater and one that eats everything. And my name is Elizabeth too. Except we are across the Atlantic and at the other side of America in S. California.

    Reply

  11. Elizabeth, I love food stories… especially the family ones! I raised 4 sons, and I was not very indulgent so I had to laugh. My boys got the veggies and the fresh herbs, and even a few years of cooking almost solely vegetarian!

    Your lasagna looks both adult and kid friendly, the video is so nicely done, and adding hiding the Schwartz herbs and spices was pretty clever!

    Reply

  12. Sounds like he is quite savvy about not having his face on the internet and ah-hem I believe his mother is not too keen on showing her face either! The Lasagne on the other hand is showing it’s face rather well and looks totally gorgeous.
    Janice recently posted…Slow Cooker Chicken Pot PieMy Profile

    Reply

  15. This is definitely kid friendly but I want to stuff my face with it so it must be adult-friendly too! Looks amazing!

    Reply

  16. Don’t get me started on children food peculiarities! My son LOVES one thing one week and declares it ‘best ever!’ and then next time I make it doesn’t eat a single bite! But I think no one in the family would complain if presented with this totally glorious lasagne!

    Reply

  17. This looks cheesy good. Perfect for entertaining….I would make a double batch and freeze some for later. Awesome!!

    Reply

  20. This lasagne looks delicious, but you’re making me glad I don’t have children… I don’t think I could put up with all those differing tastes and dislikes! Awesome video, so glad you’ve started making these too 🙂

    Reply

  22. “Our nearly ten year old daughter is a vegetarian, she just doesn’t know it yet.” You cracked me up there :))
    This sounds like a lovely recipe, thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  23. What a lovely recipe and the story. I remember myself when I was 16, everything was the same 🙂 New tastes terrified me, so my mom always stayed with the basic ingredients 🙂 Well, except from hiding some veggies in sauces from time to time, ha!

    Reply

  26. I have to confess that Lasagne is my favouirte meal and I always tend to have it if we go out somewhere new and it’s on the menu. My daughter has suddenly decided to become very fussy about food so I am going to give this a go as it looks delicious!

    Reply

  27. Have bookmarked this! Looks delicious – Im sure everyone in the family would love it even our Connor who doesnt like my current recipe.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badge

Latest Posts

In this easy recipe, lemon zest, lemon extract and lavender flowers are combined to make a delicious, fluffy, moist, perfectly baked doughnut with a lavender icing sugar glaze. #doughnuts #bakeddoughnuts #lavender #lemondoughnut #lemondonut #bakeddonut
Scottish stovies are the ultimate in Scottish comfort food. Made with the leftovers from Sunday night's roast dinner, it's a super easy Monday meal to make. Serve with oatcakes and sliced beetroot for a true taste of Scotland.  #Scottishfood #lamb #stovies
Date and oat muffins are super easy to make, and they taste absolutely fantastic! If you're a fan of sticky toffee pudding or date squares you'll love these breakfast muffins made with rolled oats, buttermilk and chopped dates. #breakfast #muffins #oatmuffins
This lazy chicken tray bake takes five minutes to prep and only has five ingredients! It's a complete meal in one tray bake, and there's only one pan to wash up afterwards! #chickentraybake #sheetpanchicken #chicken
This delicious and warming spicy carrot soup contains seven different store-cupboard spices, as well as fresh ginger and garlic. It freezes and reheats well too, so you can batch cook it if you've got a glut of carrots. #carrotsoup #soup #elizabethskitchendiary
Peanut butter cookies are a classic family favourite. This dairy free version is super easy to make! #peanutbuttercookies #cookierecipe #elizabethskitchendiary

Latest Tweets

Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.