Travelling is all fine and dandy, but there’s something to be said for pottering about in the comfort of your own kitchen preparing a meal for your family.
It feels like an absolute age since I’ve spent time in the kitchen just pottering, what with working four late afternoon shifts in the week at our local shop and with all the time I spent cycle training for my recent bikepacking trip to Scotland.
Yesterday afternoon I partially caught up with imminent writing deadlines and in between catching up on a mountain of emails, piles of laundry and housework, I scraped together a rather delicious lasagne recipe using what little food there is in our house (I desperately need to do a supermarket shop but I’ve not got the time!).
This lasagne was inspired by half a packet of sundried tomatoes I found lurking in the back of the cupboard, the fact that the unopened packet of lasagne sheets was best before the 30th of June (while we were away in Belgium) and an unopened packet of Orkney smoked cheddar in the fridge.
As an aside, there are a lot of cows in Orkney, I found out recently.
A lot!
I’m well familiar with Orkney smoked cheddar – it’s one of my most favourite cheeses and, since we stock it in our village shop it makes a regular appearance in my kitchen.
Surely all these cows weren’t for the sole purpose of cheese making?
I enquired from an Orcadian friend, and it turns out that it’s beef. Orkney Gold beef is a thing. A thing I have never tried! This needs to be remedied, but I have no idea where Orkney Gold beef is sold in Shetland! If anyone knows, please tell me!
So yes, the not-so-secret ingredient of my experimental lasagne dish yesterday was Orkney smoked cheddar.
It’s so incredibly good and, combined with Parmesan cheese, lends an incredibly rich cheesy flavour to the dish.
Proper comfort food.
I might have had two helpings while curled up on the couch last night with my husband while we caught the last half of The Other Boleyn Girl on the telly.
Friday night in, folks! 🙂
Oh, and I made some bread sticks too, just because. Kitchen pottering, you know?
While pottering I came to the conclusion that I need to prioritise certain aspects of my life. There’s a source of tension I’ve been experiencing for the last few months which needs to be removed and I’m taking steps to remedy that.
This means that you’ll hopefully be seeing more spontaneous recipe posts on the blog like this. After all, that’s the whole reason I began writing Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary, to share my kitchen adventures. They won’t always be tried and tested recipes, rather like diary entries.
I’m not going to worry about creating perfectly styled photographs either. Keeping it real. See that wine stem in the top left hand corner of the top picture? It’s not in the photo because I kept drinking out of it while taking pictures as my lasagne cooled. I then ate my photograph. I always eat my photographs. It’s what I do.
I’ve missed my kitchen.
In the meantime, here’s my beef lasagne recipe with sun-dried tomatoes and Orkney smoked cheddar. It’s really rather quite nice! You might also like my post on Five Things to See & Do in Orkney in a Day, written after my bikepacking trip through the islands.
Beef Lasagne with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Orkney Smoked Cheddar
Ingredients
for the tomato sauce
- 35 grams sundried tomatoes soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes
- 1 tbsp Scottish rapeseed oil
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 500 grams Scotch lean beef mince 5% fat
- 90 grams oak smoked dry cured pancetta finely chopped
- sea salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 400 grams tinned chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 150 ml beef stock I use Essential Cuisine
- 1 handful fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves torn
for the cheese sauce
- 40 grams butter
- 40 grams plain flour
- 600 ml full fat milk I only use Shetland Dairies
- 180 grams Orkney smoked cheddar grated
to assemble
- no cook lasagne sheets
- 50 grams Parmesan cheese divided
- freshly ground nutmeg
- 50 grams Orkney smoked cheddar grated
Instructions
- Heat the rapeseed oil in a saucepan over a medium high heat and gently cook the onion and the garlic with the dried oregano until the onion begins to soften.
- Add the beef mince and the chopped pancetta and season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir occasionally until all the meat is browned.
- Add the tomato puree and stir well.
- Add the tinned tomatoes, beef stock and Worcestershire sauce and reduce the heat to medium low and leave to simmer with the lid partially open until the sauce is thick and reduced, about 15 minutes.
- Stir in the fresh parsley and basil and set aside.
- To prepare the cheese sauce, heat the butter in a small saucepan until melted and bubbling. Add the flour and stir to form a roux.
- Remove from the heat and add a little bit of the milk, whisking constantly. Add the rest of the milk and return to the heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens.
- Remove from the heat and add the grated cheddar. Stir until combined.
- Preheat your oven to 200 C. Add a small spoonful of the beef sauce to the bottom of a small casserole dish and top with a layer of no cook lasagne sheets.
- Top with a layer of tomato sauce and a layer of cheese sauce. Grate some Parmesan cheese over the top of the cheese layer and generously grate some nutmeg. Add another layer of lasagne sheets and repeat until your dish is full and you've no more sauce left, finishing with a layer of cheese sauce.
- Sprinkle the remaining Orkney smoked cheddar and Parmesan over the top and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden and bubbly.
- Leave to sit for 10 minutes before serving with salad and bread.
OTHER LASAGNE RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE
Grilled Veggie Lasagne with Wild Garlic Pesto by Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary
Lentil Lasagne by Supper in the Suburbs
Veggie Lasagne by Tinned Tomatoes
Vegetarian & Gluten Free Lasagne by Emily’s Recipes & Reviews
Veggie Packed Lasagne by Feeding Boys
LINKING UP WITH SOME BLOGGING CHALLENGES
No Waste Food Challenge guest hosted this month by Michelle over at Utterly Scrummy
Mum of three, daydream adventurer, OU Life Sciences graduate, occasional crafter, ex-pat Canadian & quite possibly Britain's most northerly food blogger.
A says
Wow, this looks gorgeous! I love Orkney Smoked Cheddar, and I can get it from my local supermarket despite being in southern Scotland, which is brilliant. It had never occurred to me to use it in cooking, though that’s probably because it gets eaten straight from the pack at the earliest opportunity! Such a great idea, I’ll have to try it.
Talya says
I love lasagna and always looking to try out new renditons so thanks for this!
Dean of Little Steps says
My daughter loves lasagne and this looks absolutely yum. A must-try in my books 🙂
Jenni says
Lasagne is one of my favourite meals and this looks delicious x
Leandra says
This looks so amazing. I can’t wait to try this for my boys. I know they’ll love it!
Cliona says
I rarely eat beef but sometimes I get a craving for something like lasagne and this sounds so good, The cheese looks so gooey and creamy, it’s really making me long for lasagne. Unfortunately I’d be the only one in our house to eat it 🙁
Melissa Zia says
This lasagne looks absolutely amazing! I’m very tempted to make some lasagne now 🙂
Zoe IKIWN says
Oh yum! Now this is my type of recipe! I love lasagne, and the smoked cheddar / sundried tomatoes combination here sounds like heaven on a plate. I will definitely be trying this 🙂 x
Tanya Brannan says
I am an absolute cheese fiend, and loved smoked cheddar. Strangely it has never occurred to me to use it on top of a Lasagne. Something I need to rectify soon!!!
Anosa says
A big mistake for me reading this post whilst hungry as now I want to lick this lasagne of the screen. It does look too delicious and I need to have some of these
Hannah says
Oh my goodness this sounds incredible – I am so hungry now!!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
I am obsessed with lasagne! Love the idea of using smoked cheddar, bet it really takes it up a notch. Your lasagne looks perfectly saucy, I can’t stand a dry one!
Emily Underworld says
Since being vegan, I do miss a good lasagne! I’ll have to find a vegan alternative. Orkney sounds lovely!
– Emily from http://www.emilyunderworld.co.uk ♡
Corina says
I’m so impressed you could make this just after getting back from travelling! I love smoked cheddar too as it’s so full of favour but have never seen the Orkney one. It must be great on a lasagna!
Harriet from Toby & Roo says
That looks SO yummy! I have decided to make lasagne next week 🙂 H x
Katy Stevens says
This looks and sounds delicious! I never tire of lasagne, it is one of my favourite dishes to cook and to eat.
Lisa (Travel Loving Family) says
This looks and sounds delicious. I love lasagne, this recipe has a nice twist to it
Claire says
Oh my goodness, this looks delicious – a great twist adding the smoked cheddar!
Jess says
This sounds gorgeous, lasagne is one of my favourite dishes, and I bet the Orkney smoked cheddar is delicious!
Claire Jacobs says
Wow this looks great! I’m big cheese fan and that’s not a brand I’ve tried yet so better add it to the shopping list
Sarahjane says
YUM!!! Lasagne is one of my favourite dishes to eat and to cook! This particular one looks fantastic!
Lisa @garlicandzest.com says
I wish you were pottering in MY kitchen! This looks delicious! We can’t get Orkney Cheese here in the states, but I’m sure I can rustle up some smoked cheddar! Definitely want to give this a go!
nicole says
I love when one ingredient inspires a whole recipe — this looks like an amazing lasagna that was properly inspired, too!! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Sarah says
I’m jealous. I’ve always had a difficult time finding smoked cheddar. Sounds delicious!
Katie Crenshaw says
This lasagne looks incredible. I love the indgredient list. It is making me hungry! I can’t wait to try this.
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry says
The sound of the Orkney smoked cheese being added to the lasagne is a great twist on a traditional dish.
Kira C says
I love anything with cheese on top! That smoked cheddar is making me hungry!
Jessica says
This is heavenly yummy! well, nothing more perfect than making a dish in your kitchen, The smoked cheddar is to die for. Haha
Rachel says
This looks absolutely lovely but I do love the sound of the cheese, I am a bit of a cheese fan x
WhatLauraLoves says
I absolutely LOVE making lasagne and this looks like a great twist on the classic. Will definitely try this xxx
Laura H says
Lasagne is one of my all-time favourites – it’s just such a homey dish! Just looking at that melty cheese I’m getting hungry!
William Gould says
I love lasagne and it’s so much better if you use high quality ingredients!
Tracey S Anderson says
I will certainly be making this yummy lasagne and look forward to trying Orkney Cheese which will be a new experience for me 🙂 Looks and sounds so delicious 🙂 Thank you for sharing 🙂 X x
Lyndsey O'Halloran says
That looks amazing! Your recipes always make me so hungry!
Jordanne says
This looks absolutely Delish! I love lasagne and this one is mouth watering. Your photos look amazing, makes me want to eat it straight from the screen.
Jordanne || Thelifeofaglasgowgirl.co.uk
Angela Milnes says
This looks absolutely gorgeous. I’ve not tried Orkney cheese. I’m interested to do so now! Angela
MissPond says
Wowowowow! This looks amazing. We’ve had the Orkney cheese before and it is simply glorious, I’ll have to keep this in mind for next time we get our hands one some 🙂
Katie Bryson says
You really cannot beat a good lasagne… and yours looks utterly lush!!!! Good for you with the blog approach… I love it when I can just post a recipe coz I feel like it rather than feeling like it has to be the most perfect thing ever. I also eat my photos… total perk of the job eh?!!!