Chicken & Bacon Lasagne

Method

• step 1

  Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.

• step 2

  Season the chicken with salt & pepper and fry with garlic until the chicken is cooked but not browned. Set to one side.

• step 3

  Fry the bacon & onion and once the onion is soft add the mushroom, pepper and cooked chicken. Add enough tomato puree to coat the chicken, then stir in the tomatoes. Add thyme & basil to taste, season and bring the sauce to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer with the lid on for 15-20 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.

• step 4

  Remove the lid and sprinkle in the stock cube. Simmer until the sauce has thickened further.

• step 5

  To make the bechamel sauce:

• step 6

  Put the milk in a saucepan with the bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Strain into a jug and rinse the pan out. Put the pan back on the heat and gently melt the butter, stir in the flour (use a wooden spoon or mini whisk) and cook for 1 minute, don't let the butter or flour brown at all. Take the pan off the heat and add the milk in 3 stages. At each stage beat or whisk the milk into the flour until it is completely smooth.

• step 7

  Once the flour is all in, bring the mixture back up to a simmer, stirring all the time to stop any lumps forming. Once the mixture looks as if it won't thicken any more, simmer it for 5 minutes, stirring/whisking now and then, until it looks really glossy. If you do have a few lumps, just strain the lot through a sieve.

• step 8

  But a layer of the chicken sauce into an overproof dish. Add a layer of lasagne, then 1/2 the bechamel sauce. Repeat this again and top with cheese.

• step 9

  Bake in the oven for 30 mins until the cheese has gone golden. Leave to cool for 5 mins before serving.