Lasagna is one of those quintessential comfort foods that transports youābite after biteāinto layers of flavor, warmth, and familiarity. The Savoury Minced Beef Lasagna With White Sauce happens to be one of those deeply personal recipes that carries not just taste but a piece of memory with every serving. For me, this dish holds a special placeāboth in my culinary journey and in my heart.
About a decade ago, I embarked on a path that would ignite a passion for cooking I never knew I possessed. At the time, I was just learning the ropes of making meals āfrom scratch.ā Like many aspiring cooks, I started with classics: pastas, stir-fries, baked goods. It wasnāt long before I set my heart on a more ambitious goal: creating the perfect lasagna, something that could win hearts around the dinner table. The recipe I came up with then has evolved over the years into the hearty and richly flavored Savoury Minced Beef Lasagna With White Sauce that I now proudly call mine.
Lasagna as a dish has Roman roots but has morphed across cultures, borrowing flavors and techniques along the way. Traditionally, an Italian lasagna is made with ground beef, tomato-based ragĆ¹, and bĆ©chamel (white) sauce, layered between sheets of pasta and topped with cheese. My version of this classic pays homage to tradition but carries our own householdās flavor profileāspicier, richer, and with a balance of textures and aromas that hit all the right notes.
When I first crafted this meal, it was a learning experience. I was managing everything from boiling the pasta sheets just right (careful not to overcook or let them stick), to making a lump-free white sauce, to layering the lasagna so that each bite had the perfect combination of components. I remember overcooking it the first time. The top was too dark, some sheets stuck to the dish, and the white sauce was a bit runny. But it was goodāgood enough that we sat down, served ourselves generous helpings, and enjoyed it with real hunger.
What truly refined the recipe over time, though, was my husbandās unwaveringly honest critiques. Heās the type of eater whoās generous with compliments when theyāre due, but also firm in his criticism when somethingās not quite right. āToo dry,ā heād say. āCould use more spice,ā or āMaybe a touch more creaminess in the white sauce.ā At first, I took them to heart a little too heavily, but over time I realized that if I listened with an open mind instead of a defensive one, I could improve. And I did. So in a way, I owe a big part of this recipeās success to that processāof learning not just how to cook, but how to evolve.
Letās talk a bit about the core elements of this Minced Beef Lasagna.
The first major component is the savory minced beef. Rather than sticking solely to a basic tomato and onion base, I infused the meat with aromatic spices such as cumin and coriander seeds, roasted and powdered to enhance depth of flavor. The ginger and garlic base adds a punchy warmth up front, while Worcestershire and soy sauces give the dish an umami undertone that adds richness without heaviness. Chili powder and salsa (optional for those who prefer mild flavors) provide zest and heat to awaken the palate. Thinly sliced green onions and green capsicum (bell pepper) are stirred in during the final stage of cooking to contribute freshness and crunch, counterbalancing the meatās robust flavor.
Next comes the white sauceāofficially known in French cuisine as bĆ©chamel. It’s essentially made from a roux (a mix of butter and flour), to which I slowly add milk and cooking cream. This is an area where patience pays off. Fast stirring is key to avoiding lumps and achieving a smooth, velvety texture. A touch of salt and pepper brings out the natural creaminess of the sauce, which is then layered between the pasta and savory meat.
The pasta sheets form the vessel that carries the layers, and I always recommend boiling them, even if theyāre labeled as āno pre-cooking required.ā In my experience, a brief boil with salt and a dash of oil makes the pasta more pliable and easier to work with, not to mention more palatable. Iāve found that even using pre-cooked lasagna sheets can result in a texture that is overly tough or too chewy if skipped. Boiling just softens them enough to meld better with the other layers.
Of course, shredded Mozzarella and Cheddar cheeses bring everything together. The Mozzarella offers that beautiful melt and pull, while Cheddar adds a savory sharpness. Youāll sprinkle these over each layer, but reserve most for the final topping, which turns a golden, bubbling brown after a turn in the oven thatās neither too short nor too longājust enough to develop that satisfying crust without drying the dish.
Lasagna is more than just foodāit’s celebration, sharing, and effort. Itās a dish that takes time, both to prepare and to perfect. While it may take over an hour to create from start to finish, every second is worth it when you see your family eagerly awaiting their portion, or hear that satisfying āmmmā come from someone biting into it for the first time.
Over the years, Iāve served this to guests, brought it to potlucks, and enjoyed it as leftovers the following day (it somehow tastes even better when reheated!). Each time, it’s met with praise, disbelief that I made it from scratch, and empty plates.
Now that this recipe has been refined and retested dozens of times, I can whole-heartedly say itās among the best dishes in my repertoire. And thatās not just from meāeveryone in the household agrees. Even the pickiest eaters find something to love in it, whether it’s the cheesy top, the spicy meat, or the creamy bĆ©chamel tucked between the layers.
If youāre thinking of making this lasagna, my advice is to take your time. Donāt rush the sauces. Taste as you go, especially the minced beef mixture. It should stand on its own as a flavorful component before it ever reaches the baking dish. Feel free to adjust spice levels depending on your preferenceāmake it milder for younger kids, or load up on chili or peppers if you like heat.
Cooking is not just about feeding bodiesāitās about storytelling. Each layer in this lasagna tells a chapter of my journeyāof trial and error, of learning to welcome criticism, of persistence, and ultimately, of joy. I hope when you prepare this Savoury Minced Beef Lasagna With White Sauce, youāll find just as much joyāwhether itās your first try or the fiftieth.
Bon appƩtit!
Savoury Minced Beef Lasagna With White Sauce
Ingredients
Minced Beef Ingredients
Ā¼ cup vegetable oil- 1 pound lasagna sheets - boiled with salt
- 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
- Ā½ teaspoon rosemary - dried
- Ā½ teaspoon oregano - dried
- 3 medium tomatoes - sliced
- 250 grams hot salsa - optional
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder (chilli powder in British English)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds - roasted and powdered
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds - roasted and powdered
- 1 kilogram ground beef (minced beef)
- 2 Ā½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 Ā½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 sprigs green onions - thinly sliced
- 1 medium green pepper (green capsicum) - sliced
- 250 grams Mozzarella cheese - shredded
- 250 grams cheddar cheese - shredded
White Sauce Instructions
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 dash salt
- Ā¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup cooking cream
Instructions
Minced Beef Instructions
- Take 1/4 cup of oil and add in it ginger and garlic paste. Fry for 30 seconds and add ground beef, fry for 2 minutes.
- Add rosemary and oregano and fry it for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes or tomato puree, salt, red chillies, cumin seeds and coriander seeds (crushed and powdered).
- Give it a good stir and cover it with its lid. Keep it on high heat for 10 minutes. Lower the heat and leave it on the stove for about 20 minutes with the lid.
- Check the mincemeat. It must have been cooked by now. At this stage, add hot salsa sauce, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce and cook it for about 5 minutes. Now add sliced green onions and capsicum to it. Fry it for about 5 minutes, and your minced beef is ready.
- For lasagna sheets, itās your own choice to boil them or use pre-cooked sheets. I boil them for a few minutes; no pre-cooking is required, even if itās written on it. It makes the sheets softer, and the people in my home like it better this way. Add salt and 2 tablespoons of oil in boiling water and then put the sheets in it. Youāll have to check the sheets when they are cooking. Otherwise, theyāll stick to each other.
White Sauce Instructions
- Melt butter in a pan. Add flour to it and fry it till it changes its colour to light brown.
- Add salt and pepper to it. Mix it well, and then add hot milk to it little by little. Keep stirring it till it gets thick and creamy when there are no lumps in the sauce. Remove it from the stove and add cream to it and mix well. Your white sauce is ready.
Assembly Instructions
- Now take a dish. Use a teaspoon of oil to grease the dish. Place the lasagna sheets in the first layer to cover the bottom of the dish. Make the second layer using the cooked mincemeat. Put 2 Tbsp of white sauce over it and sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese. Repeat all of the above steps till your dish is full. The last layer at the top should be lasagna. Pour all of the remaining white sauce to cover the whole lasagna sheet. Decorate it with bell peppers, green capsicums, shredded mozzarella, olives, dried oregano and mixed Italian herbs.
- Bake it in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes at 180 degrees in grill mode till the top layer is golden brown.
