Veggie ‘Lasagna’ Bake

For the cheese sauce:

• 375ml (1 ½ cup) milk
• 375ml (1 ½ cup) vegetable stock
• 60ml (1/4 cup) butter
• 80ml (1/3 cup) flour
• 15ml (1 Tbsp) Dijon mustard
• 2 cups strong cheddar cheese, grated
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the veggie lasagna:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, grated
• Rosemary, picked and chopped
• 100g baby spinach
• 3 discs of your favourite feta
• 1 butternut, peeled and cut into thin slices
• 4 potatoes, peeled and cut into thin slices
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Extra cheddar cheese for topping

For the Cheese Sauce:

• Combine the milk and stock and heat the mixture – not to boiling point.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan and allow to brown slightly – this adds a great nutty flavour to your sauce.
• Once the butter is a blonde colour, add all the flour and whisk until combined and your mixture has a pasty consistency.
• Add the heated milk mixture and whisk until well combined and smooth.
• Cook on a medium heat until bubbles are forming to ensure the flour is cooked.
• Remove from the heat and add the cheese.
• Stir to melt all the cheesy goodness and season to taste.
• Cover the sauce with cling film directly on the surface of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming.
• **TIP – Never allow the sauce to boil again once you’ve added the cheese, because this will cause it to taste grainy and floury.
• When heating a cheese sauce, allow to heat slowly and evenly while stirring.

For the Veggie Lasagna:

• Heat a pan with a dash of olive oil over a medium heat.
• Sauté the onions for about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for another minute or two while stirring.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the rosemary, baby spinach and crumble the feta into this mixture.
• Set aside until needed.

To assemble the Lasagna:

• Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
• Rub an oven-proof dish with some butter or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
• Layer all your veggie components, alternating with the butternut slices, spinach and feta mixture, potato slices and cheese sauce in between the layers.
• Bake for about 45 minutes
• Top with extra cheddar cheese and bake for another 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is golden brown.