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:
Use a mild cheddar cheese if your kids don't like the taste of sharp (mine do).
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!
Omit the cheddar cheese and add a dash of ground mace for a traditional bechemel sauce. Season with ground white pepper, if desired.
Add a layer of ricotta cheese mixed with chopped up spinach sauteed just until it wilts. Stir in an egg to bind it together.
Add a layer of grilled vegetables - I like courgette and peppers.
Top with little spoonfuls of basil pesto.
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.