Big Welsh Veggie Lasagne

If  like me, you have a family of meat eating carnivores, you expect groans if vegetables are mentioned. However my husband and 4 sons cannot get enough of this very nutritious filling Welsh Veggie Lasagne that  satisfies the largest meat eaters appetite as it is crammed full of filling ingredients!

Ingredients for Family of 6 (adjust your portions to suit your family size)

6 Everyday Value Leeks at Tesco (usually get 3/4 in a pack so buy 2 packs) @ £1.92 each or buy 6 loose leeks @ 62p each. (If you are lucky enough to have a market nearby then shop there!)
350gr pack of Tesco Everyday Value Mushrooms @ 79p a pack
250gr pack Tesco Everyday Value Lasagne Sheets @ 32p a pack
2 Tubs of Tesco Everyday Value Cottage Cheese @ 64p a tub
1 slab (250gr) of either white Caerphilly Cheese (if you live in Wales) or Cheshire Cheese @ £2.00. (Please no substitutes as it has to be a crumbly white cheese)
2 onions @ 25p each at Tesco or trio for £1.00
1 bag of Medium Grated Cheese (always an offer to buy 2 for £3 at Tesco) Or you can buy a slab if you prefer.
2 tablespoons oil or margarine/butter if not available.

Optional

A few slugs of Worcester sauce
1 tablespoon black pepper
6 Potatoes (suitable for jackets - either fresh or you can buy Frozen in packs of 4 which are more expensive) Or chips if you prefer.
Sprig of fresh parsley or dried.

Method

Get a saucepan and fill it with cold water and put onto the stove/hob to boil. Rinse the leeks (unless they are pre-washed) under a cold tap. Cut the top and bottom of the leeks with a sharp knife. Then cut each leek into small pieces (like little cylindrical circles). When the water in the pan has boiled, turn the heat down to medium and add the leeks. let them cook for about 10 minutes.

While the leeks are cooking, get a frying pan and add the 2 tablespoons of oil or knob of marg/butter.Get the mushrooms and rinse them under cold water in a colander. If  you haven't got one no worries just take a few at a time and wash them under a cold tap. Then carefully peel the skin off each mushroom until they are bald! Cut them sideways on into small pieces. Then peel the onions and cut them into small dices. Put the heat on a medium setting for your pan. Throw the mushrooms and onions into the pan, constantly turning them over. If you have the Worcester Sauce, now is the time to add a couple of slugs and the tablespoon of black pepper. Remove the leeks from the stove/hob and drain the water off either in a colander or take the saucepan lid and hold it over the top, draining the water bit by bit. Add the cooked leeks to the mushrooms and onion mixture in the frying pan and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Turn on the oven to pre-heat to 190C OR Gas Mark 5. Take a casserole dish. There are vast quantities of second hand casserole dishes, remnants of over zealous wedding presents from the 1970s/80s in charity shops I find at 50p-£1 each. Take the leek/onions/mushroom mixture and put just enough to cover the bottom of the casserole dish sparingly. then open your lasagne sheets. Break pieces down into three separate pieces and cover the first layer of the vegetables in the casserole dish. It may take a few sheets. Then put another vegetable layer on top of the broken lasagne sheets - again just enough to cover the sheets. Then layer some more lasagne sheets over the top as before.

Get a bowl. Throw both tubs of cottage cheese in. Take the slab of the white Caerphilly or Cheshire cheese and gently crumble it into the bowl. Then stir the mixture together for 2 mins so both cheeses are combined. When it is thoroughly mixed, turn out the bowl into the casserole dish and spread the entire cheese mixture on top of the lasagne sheets. Then put another layer of lasagne sheets on top, and the remaining vegetable layer on top of this. Finally get the bag of grated medium of cheese and spread this on the top.

Put the lid on the casserole dish and put it in the oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes remove the lid and then cook in the oven for a further 10 minutes.

Then remove and you can decorate with some optional parsley on the top or not!

Tip: I always serve my Welsh veggie lasagne up with some Jacket Spuds to make a truly filling meal for my hungry teenagers. Some may prefer a portion of chips. Or even on its own as it is filling enough. Do whats right for your family appetities!