Fresh from the garden to the kitchen

A great option for Boxing Day if you have any turkey leftovers (if you can face more turkey)

For the Meat Mixture

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced (optional, for extra veg)
• 2 celery sticks, diced (optional) or dried lovage if you have it (about 1tbs as it has a lot more flavour than celery)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 500g chopped cooked turkey
• 450g haggis, casing removed and crumbled
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 200ml beef or chicken stock
• 100ml red wine (optional)
• 1 tsp dried oregano or mixed Italian herbs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the White Sauce:

• 50g butter
• 50g plain flour
• 650ml semi-skimmed milk
• 1 tsp English mustard (optional)
• 100g soft cheese (e.g., ricotta or cream cheese) or 80g mature cheddar, grated, for the sauce. (I’ve just made some roulade cheese, so I might add that)
• Pinch of nutmeg (optional)

For Assembly:

Around 9-12 dried lasagne sheets (enough for 3 layers in your dish; may need more depending on dish size) We always make our lasagna sheets fresh which saves soaking the dried sheets before adding them to the lasagna

Grated cheese (Cheddar, Parmesan, or Mozzarella) for the topping

Instructions

1. Prepare the meat sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and gently fry until softened (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
2. Brown the turkey and haggis: Add the turkey mince and cook until browned, breaking up any lumps. Stir in the crumbled haggis and mix until well combined and heated through.
3. Simmer the ragù: Stir in the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, stock, red wine (if using), and dried herbs. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and let it simmer for at least 20-30 minutes so the flavours can combine. Season to taste.
4. Make the white sauce: In a separate medium saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute to form a roux. Gradually pour in the milk a splash at a time, whisking continuously to avoid lumps until you have a smooth, thick sauce. Stir in the mustard and soft or grated cheese until melted and smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
5. Assemble the lasagne: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F, Gas Mark 4).
   • Spread a thin layer of the meat mixture in the bottom of a large ovenproof dish.
   • Add a layer of lasagne sheets (you may need to break them to fit).
   • Spread a layer of the white sauce over the pasta.
   • Repeat the layers (meat, pasta, white sauce) until all the ingredients are used, ensuring the top layer is pasta, covered with the remaining white sauce.
6. Bake: Sprinkle a generous amount of grated cheese on top. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and bubbling and the pasta is soft. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Serve with a fresh green salad for a hearty and satisfying meal.