For 4 - 6 servings:
Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 x 400g can whole or diced tomatoes in juice
1 x 30g pkt tomato soup, or tomato and onion soup mix
500g minced beef
¼ cup tomato paste
1 tsp each dried basil and oreganum
2 tsp instant beef stock
1 cup hot water
250g (about 3-4 cups) small lasagne shapes or long lasagne strips
Topping:
2 tsp cornflour
1 large egg
3/4 cup milk, sour cream, or a mixture
1 cup grated tasty cheese
paprika, optional
Method:
Turn the slow cooker on to HIGH to preheat and coat the bowl with non-stick spray.
Put the garlic and tomatoes (with any juice) into a food processor or large bowl and process or mash with a fork to break up the tomatoes. Add the soup mix, minced beef, tomato paste, herbs, stock and water, then process or mix until well combined.
Spread one third of the meat mixture evenly over the bottom of the slow cooker bowl. Place half the lasagne noodles over the meat. Repeat the layering with another 1/3 of the meat mixture, the remaining pasta then cover with the remaining meat mixture. (You may like to keep a bit more than a third of the meat mixture for the top layer.)
To make the topping, mix together the cornflour, egg, milk (and/or sour cream) and cheese. Pour this over everything in the slow cooker and sprinkle with paprika (if using).
Turn the slow cooker to LOW and cook for 8-9 hours. Serve with a green salad or cooked vegetables and garlic bread.
NOTE: 1 x this recipe, cooked in a 4.5 litre oval slow cooker, is 4-5cm deep.
To cook conventionally: Assemble the 'filling' in the same way, layering the mixture into a non-stick sprayed 25x30cm lasagne dish. Cover with foil and place in a oven preheated to 180 degrees Celcius and bake for 50 minutes. Remove the foil and pour on the topping mixture, then bake uncovered for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes:
I cooked this recipe in the oven but plan to try the slow cook version too. I browned the mince first. Also added half a diced onion which I sauteed with garlic before combining with the meat mixture. Didn't have any soup mix or dried basil so just left those ingredients out. Added 1/2 cup of sliced mushrooms. I wasn't sure about using dried lasagna shapes that weren't pre-cooked but followed the recipe and turned out fine.
