Recipe binder: tomato free lasagne

Lasagne without tomatoes?! Say it isn't so! Bubbah can't tolerate tomatoes and I get irritated by them now if there's too much in a meal after abstaining from them for so long, so I made up a tomato free lasagne for us to enjoy. This works out quite well in our house as hubby prefers his lasagne to be meat free with lots of tomato so I just make up two and we eat what we want.

What you need

• Mince (approx 500-750g)
• Meat gravy (I use reduced salt and sugar from Sainsburys but I'd guess most places sell something like this)
• Veg (I use carrots, peas, sweetcorn, small amount of onion [again, too much irritates Bubbah and myself] and LOTS of mushrooms)
• Tiny amount of garlic (probably about 1/4 of a clove but I use the squeezy tube stuff)
• Herbs - e.g. sage, basil, oregano
• Pepper if you want it
• Lasagne sheets
• White or cheese sauce (melt butter, add flour and mix, add milk, alternate milk and flour to required thickness. Add cheese for cheese sauce)
• Grated cheese

What you do

• Put all the mince, veg and garlic/pepper in a giant pan (I use something that is part pan/part wok
• As the mince is nearly completely browned, add the meat gravy and herbs, mix altogether
• After about 20-30 mins remove from hob and place to the side

• Make up your white/cheese sauce
• In a deep dish layer as follows:
• Meat mix
• White/cheese sauce
• Lasagne sheets (if you pour boiling water over these while in a wide dish or something similar it helps soften them and makes it easier to mould to corners)
• White sauce
• On the last layer of white sauce, add the grated cheese

• Cook for 30 mins on gas mark 4

Enjoy with garlic bread or salad, or by itself!

This can be frozen and takes approx 5 minutes to defrost in the microwave - just make sure it's heated through the middle as well as this is the bit that takes the longest!