Name: $4.17 per serve! Serve comfort with our Beef and Mushroom Lasagne Bake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 95 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 6-8
Ingredients: 1kg beef mince; 200g punnet white sliced cup mushrooms; 1 large red onion, finely chopped; 3 cloves garlic, crushed; 4 anchovy fillets, chopped; 2 x 500g jars tomato and basil pasta sauce; 410g can crushed tomatoes; ¼ cup shredded fresh basil, plus leaves to garnish; 250g packet instant lasagne sheets; 2½ cups shredded 3 cheese blend; WHITE SAUCE; 75g butter; 1/3 cup plain flour; 3 cups milk

With our August issue for New Idea Food hitting the shelves, we’re back with a quick behind the scenes of our cover winner.

Our Beef and Mushroom Lasagne Bake was the final pick of the bunch, but I had a secret ingredient up my sleeve I thought I’d incorporate to make this lasagne that little bit different.

New Idea Fod cover image — *(Credit: New Idea Food)*

As Food Editor, I’ve worked with a lot of ingredients and flavours in my time, and there’s one that just sings in savoury dishes.

In my home kitchen, a jar of anchovies isn’t just reserved for those special occasions; it’s a staple ingredient. It’s seriously underrated and is my go-to for an added flavour punch.

The salt that anchovies are cured in softens and breaks down the flesh, making it easy to mash and disguise in food. And once cooked down, that fishy flavour dissolves, leaving a wonderful umami element in its place. My pro tip is to mash up anchovies when frying up onion and garlic in oil for a delectable depth to a pasta sauce or casserole.

Anchovies New Idea Food — Anchovies can make the biggest difference. *(Credit: New Idea Food)*

Want to add other layers of deliciousness?

Something that’ll take any tired recipe from 0 to 100?

After we asked around, here are some other secret flavour boosters straight from the Test Kitchen to consider for your next cook up.

Balsamic vinegar or a drizzle of balsamic glaze for a sweet tang
Worcestershire sauce to add a rich, savoury depth
Tomato chutney or relish for a hint of sweetness and burst of flavour

Sometimes it’s the smallest ingredient that makes the biggest difference!

Not only that, our crowd-pleasing bake comes in around $4.17 per serve.

Ingredients

1kg beef mince

200g punnet white sliced cup mushrooms

1 large red onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

4 anchovy fillets, chopped

2 x 500g jars tomato and basil pasta sauce

410g can crushed tomatoes

¼ cup shredded fresh basil, plus leaves to garnish

250g packet instant lasagne sheets

2½ cups shredded 3 cheese blend

WHITE SAUCE

75g butter

1/3 cup plain flour

3 cups milk

Method

Step 1

Heat a lightly oiled, large, deep frying pan over a high heat. Add beef in two batches. Cook, stirring to break up mince, for about 10 mins, or until browned. Remove.

Step 2

Add mushrooms, onion, garlic and anchovies to same oiled pan. Cook, stirring, for about 5 mins until soft.

Step 3

Return beef to pan. Stir in pasta sauce, tomatoes, basil and ½ cup water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to boil. Gently boil, stirring occasionally, for about 20 mins until slightly thickened.

Step 4

WHITE SAUCE: Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour. Cook, stirring, for 1 min. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Whisk over medium-high heat until sauce boils and thickens. Remove from heat. Season.

Step 5

To assemble, spread 1 cup of the meat sauce over base of a large, round ovenproof dish (12-cup capacity). Top with a layer of lasagne sheets. Spread with one-third of the remaining meat sauce. Repeat layers twice more with lasagne sheets and meat sauce. Finally, top with another layer of lasagne sheets. Spread over white sauce. Cover with foil.

Step 6

Cook in a 180°C (fan-forced) preheated oven for 45 mins, until pasta is tender. Remove foil. Sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven. Cook, uncovered, for a further 15 mins until top is golden brown. Stand for 15 mins before serving.

Step 7

Garnish with basil leaves.

Karen Buckley Managing Food Editor

Growing up, Karen’s formative years were defined by cooking and baking alongside her loved ones. Since then, she’s turned this lifelong passion into a career, with an acquired 30 years of experience in leading test kitchens, developing the recipes you know and love. Across the New Idea, New Idea Food, Woman’s Day, Take 5, and That’s Life digital and print brands, she develops enough recipes in a year to last you 365 days (not that we’re counting). And with a TAFE Home Economics Certification under her belt, her dedication to creating healthy, affordable and delicious food has always been at the centre of the recipes she creates. And for Karen, this also applies to her own meal-planning repertoire at home: she’ll avoid buying processed products, instead incorporating fresh wholefoods where she can.

Lara Carlucci Editorial Assistant

Lara is an Editorial Assistant to Managing Food Editor Karen Buckley for New Idea, New Idea Food, Woman’s Day, Take 5, and That’s Life, and an Assistant and Writer for Diabetic Living. With a Bachelor of Media (Communications & Journalism), a Bachelor of Arts, and a Bachelor of Arts and Social Sciences (Honours), she’s always nurtured a passion and love for writing in whatever form it takes, wanting to share stories that matter. Food is her second love: shaped by her Italian heritage, and the countless large family gatherings that are always comprised of wholesome, generous meals prepared by loved ones. If not around the banquet table, she’ll take every opportunity to sample Sydney’s endless supply of cuisines – having visited over 70 food joints in the last year alone!