Brazilian White Sauce Lasagne Bolognese

Brazilian White Sauce Lasagne Bolognese

serving 6 - 8

Ingredients: 

18 oz (2 boxes)- oven ready lasagna

16 oz- mozzarella
25g- Basil

Bolognese Sauce

1 tbsp- salt

1 tbsp- pepper

3/4 cup- onion

4- minced garlic cloves

2- tomatos

10g- italian parsley

2 lb- ground beef

22.5 oz (1 1/2 cans)- tomato sauce

White Sauce

1 tbsp- salt

1/2 tbsp- pepper

 6 tbsp- flour

3 tbsp- butter

1/4 tsp- nutmeg

4 & 1/2 cups- milk

1 tsp- dijon white wine mustard

Before starting: Please remember to include dijon mustard it is listed under ingredients, but I forgot to include in the above picture.  I also want to mention this recipe takes anywhere from 2 to 3 hours depending on how fast of a cook you are. I recommend to separate the recipe into 2 to 3 days. I will explain how you can do so at the end of the recipe under tips. 

Chop up the tomatoes, basil, parsley, onion, and mince all the garlic groves. 

Make sure the tomatoes and onions are cut in tiny small squares and when chopping the basil make sure there not to small.

 bolognese sauce 

(look under Bolognese sauce ingredients for the amount of each ingredient)

In a tall frying pan place 2 tbsp of oil, minced garlic gloves, and onions. On medium to low heat, stirring at all times. 

Let the ingredients cook for 1 minute or until it looks something like the picture above. Then add in the tomatoes and let it cook for another minute. Stirring at all times.  

Add in the ground beef, salt, and pepper. Cook it for about 6 to 10 minutes on high heat, stirring occasionally. Keep in mind its okay if your meat creates water and it's not really frying.  

Add in the tomato sauce and parsley. 

At this point your bolognese sauce is almost ready make sure to taste it for flavor. The 1 tbsp of salt and pepper is only to start out with, you may need to put more. Place a lid and lower the heat to low, let it cook for about 5 to 10 minuets or until it start boiling. Once it starts boiling go ahead and turn the fire off, and your bolognese sauce is ready.

White Sauce

(look under white sauce ingredients for the amount of each ingredient)

In a tall frying pan place the butter, onions, and minced garlic gloves, on medium heat.  

Cook it for about 1 minute. Stirring at all times.

Add only 3 & 1/2 cups of milk.

Place the rest of the milk in a cup with the flour. Stir it really good taking out all the clumps.

Place the cup of milk thats mixed with flour with the other milk thats cooking. Add the nutmeg, mustard, salt, and pepper. On a medium to low heat make sure to stir at all times. Be careful with the nutmeg and the mustard, they have really strong flavors which could possible over power the other flavor.

After a while the white sauce will thicken, you want to make sure its REALLY thick. If your sauce is not really thick you might need to get another tbsp of flour mixed in with a little bit of milk, and put it in the sauce. If your sauce tastes like flour or has no taste, you might need more salt and pepper, nutmeg or mustard. PEASE be carful with the nutmeg and mustard to not put too much as this can over power the other flavor. If your sauce clumps up, like mine did, use a blender to take out all the clumps. keep in mind that when you use a blender it will make the sauce thiner thats why before using the blender make sure your sauce is nice and thick and tasting exactly how you want it to. 

Place out all your ingredients to start building your lasagna. Pre- heat your oven to 350 º F

(My Pan Size L: 12 1/2in W: 8 1/2in H: 2in )

The pan size that you use does not really matter because you can always use two if you need to, just try not to use one thats too big. I did write the size of mine above. You want to start out buy placing a layer of white sauce on the bottom. 

Place a single layer of lasagna sheet on the bottom of the pan. Its okay if there's space in between like mine because they expand when cooked.

Place your bolognese sauce with some mozzarella for your first layer. 

Go ahead and do not be scared to use your bolognese sauce and your white sauce as much as you want when building your lasagna, because you have plenty. On the other hand be careful to not use all your mozzarella inside because you need enough to cover the top. 

Then place the white sauce with mozzarella and basil leaves. 

Those are the two layers of lasagna all the way until you reach the top of the pan. You should have about 7 layers. 

layer 1- ONLY white sauce on the bottom 

layer 2- bolognese & mozzarella 

layer 3- white sauce, mozzarella, basil

layer 4- bolognese & mozzarella 

layer 5- white sauce, mozzarella, basil

layer 6- bolognese & mozzarella 

layer 7- White sauce & cheese ONLY

When you reach layer 7 which is the last layer you want to pour the rest of your white sauce on top,on  the sides, and all over your lasagna. Cover the top with the rest of your mozerella. 

Cover with an aluminum foil.

Place it in the oven to cook for 30 minuets, when its done un cover it and let it cook for another 15 minuets. 

ENJOY!!!

Substitutes: To make sure this recipe is healthier you can always light butter and oil, make sure you buy meat that has less fat, low fat mozzarella, and either 1% or 2% milk. I used 2% milk but you can also use whole milk. This recipe is really easy because you can use any type of ingredient and it would not really change much of the flavor, any type of tomato sauce, milk, mozzarella, butter, parsley,  or flour. It douse not have to be exactly what I have on the ingredient picture.

TIPS: If for some reason you do not have a lot of time to do this recipe from start to finish you can break it down into 2 to 3 days, which I do recommend. Day 1 make sure all your ingredients are chopped and ready for cooking on the next day, day 2 make both of your sauces and  leave it in the fridge, and day 3 put together your lasagna and place it in the oven. You can also make your lasagna a week prior to the date your going to serve it, as long as you place it in the freezer, and on the day your going to serve it just keep in mind it might take more then 45 minuets to cook. I personally have not done that yet so I don not know how it would come out, but Im pretty sure that it would taste just as good and look just as good.

If you have some white sauce left over you can always save it and pour it on top of some chicken with mozzarella, or make some spaghetti and use it as the sauce. If you have some bolognese sauce left over you can save it and eat it with anything really, rice, mash potatoes, or spaghetti.  If your wondering what I used to decorate my lasagna on top, I  put some thyme leaves which gives it a really nice flavor. When it comes to decorating your plate you can use anything really, even basil and parsley if you want.