It was Friday afternoon and I had no idea what was going to be for tea! Sound familiar?
Normally I am fairly organised and try to meal plan for the week before doing my online shop. Some weeks I fail. There you have it, nobody can be perfect all of the time!
Last week was partly planned and mainly winged. This week looks like it is shaping up to be winged since I am off out tonight when I should be planning food to buy tomorrow! Hey ho, I have a better offer from my lovely craft friends and I figure needle felting and a chat would be a lot more fun than menu planning!
So, this is a meal that can be ‘thrown’ together if you are having a week of no planning!
The vegetables I used were those that were in the fridge looking sad and in need of using.
Use what you have! And if you don’t have chorizo or want to make this vegetarian then use some butter beans instead. They make a lovely creamy sauce with added protein…all important in this house when Roo won’t eat cheese or anything resembling a cheese sauce even if it is dairy-free!
So, hopefully you will see, this little number is pretty adaptable! I make if for Roo without the white sauce (her preference) or cheese on top. Make it to suit your family! And hey, why not go crazy and make it with ‘normal’ pasta if you can eat it!!!
This was declared the ‘best lasagna you have ever made’. So, if you make it, let me know what you think!
Butternut Squash & Chorizo Lasagna
Ingredients
- For the 'red' sauce:
- 1 small onion roughly chopped
- Handful of mushrooms roughly chopped
- 1 pepper roughly chopped
- 1/2 butternut squash roughly chopped
- 8 slices ready-sliced chorizo roughly chopped (or 1 tin of butterbeans)
- 1 tin chopped or whole tomatoes
- 4 sundried tomatoes optional although make a nice rich sauce
- Approx. 5 gluten-free lasagna sheets
- For the 'white' sauce:
- 75 g butter or margarine
- 75 g plain gluten-free flour
- 700 ml milk dairy or dairy-free such as almond milk
- 1 - 2 tsp wholegrain mustard check it is gluten-free
- For the top:
- 100 g mature cheddar cheese grated (optional, or could use dairy-free)
Method
- Place the onion, mushrooms, pepper, squash and chorizo into a roasting tin and roast at 180 degrees (160 degree fan oven) for approx. 25 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. If you are not using the chorizo drizzle with some oil.
- Once cooked, put the vegetable mixture into a food processor along with the tin of tomatoes and sundried tomatoes and whizz together until you have a smooth sauce (I do this to prevent the kids 'finding' vegetables that they don't like!). Season to taste. If you do not want to use chorizo add your drained butter beans to the sauce at this stage.
- Once the vegetables are cooked turn the oven up to 200 degrees or 180 degree for a fan oven.
- Whilst the vegetables are cooking make the white sauce:
- Melt the butter or margarine in a medium sized pan over a medium heat.
- Add the flour and stir for approx. 1 minute.
- Slowly add the milk, using a whisk to stop any lumps from forming. Take it off the heat if you need to in order to beat out any pesky lumps!
- Once all the milk is added, allow it to come to the boil then remove from the heat and add the mustard and seasoning.
- Finally take your baking dish. This will need to be approx. 30cm by 20cm and have shallow sides.
- Place half the tomato mixture in the bottom of your dish and spread evenly.
- Place your lasagna sheets on top without them overlapping (you will probably need to break some to do this!).
- Top with half the white sauce then repeat the process finishing with the white sauce.
- If you are not dairy free then sprinkle with the cheese (or use dairy-free cheese) and bake in your pre-heated oven for 30-40 minutes until the pasta is cooked and the top is golden.
- If you are not adding the cheese then make sure you cover the dish with foil for the whole cooking time or the lasagna will dry out.
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Mel says
Oh Vicki, that sounds delicious! As soon as I saw the email, I clicked to check the list of ingredients. I can making without cheese so all of us can enjoy it, Jumpy included! I will be making it soon. Pinning now to my ‘free from’ board. x
The Free From Fairy says
Hi Mel, let me know how you get on! I make one little one for Roo and a big one with cheese on top and white sauce for the rest of us!
Sophie at Franglaise Cooking says
I love traditional lasagne, but I also love mixing it up and trying out varieties, we’re not a free from family so I’d use normal lasagne and flour but I love the different version here.
#Recipeoftheweek
The Free From Fairy says
Hi Sophie…this would work just as well with ‘normal’ ingredients. Let me know if you make it…I am sure everyone would love it!
My Family Ties says
That does sound delicious a perfect family meal, and so good to have a ‘free from’ in your recipe collection 🙂 #TastyTuesdays
The Free From Fairy says
It is very tasty! It would work perfectly well with ‘normal’ milk and ‘normal’ lasagna too!
Honest mum says
Looks delicious and perfect Autumnal food! Thanks for linking up to #tastytuesdays x
The Free From Fairy says
Thanks for your comment Vicki…it certainly is good for chilly evenings…helps warm the kitchen up having the oven on!!
Julie says
Yum! You can’t go wrong with chorizo and I’m a fan of butternut squash too, so this sounds really good.
The Free From Fairy says
Mmm…it is certainly autumn food at its best!
Mrs B says
Yum, yum! We’ve just polished of this delish recipe with spinach and green olives. My 9 yo has just polished of seconds! I’m thinking of adding red pepper and cashews next time, with crunchy coleslaw -but this is definitely not to say it needs improving. This is lush!! Thank you for this – I’m thrilled to have found your well researched blog/work. I’m buying a folder tomorrow to start collating a family faves heirloom!
Thank you!
Mrs. B and family xx
Vicki Montague says
Hi Mrs B…you caught me online and I am so pleased to hear that you loved the recipe. I haven’t made it for a while and you’ve reminded me that I must! I am always so busy developing new recipes that once one is perfected I rarely do it again…which is a real shame. Thanks for your lovely comment. Red pepper and cashews sounds awesome!!