Lasagna-Stuffed Potato Skins with Melty Cheese and Meat

Lasagne Potato Skins

This recipe makes 8 potato skins plus a four-person lasagne to save for later.

Prep: 30 mins · Cook: 1 hr 20 mins · Total: 1 hr 50 mins · Serves: 4 (potato skins) and 4 (lasagne)

Ingredients

• 4 large baking potatoes

Meat sauce

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 500 g minced beef (ground mince)
• 1 large onion, peeled and diced
• 2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
• 120 ml red wine
• 2 tbsp tomato puree/paste
• 1–2 tsp light brown sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 3 x 400 g (14 oz) tins chopped tomatoes

White sauce

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 6 tbsp plain/all-purpose flour
• 720 ml milk
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 50 g grated mature cheddar cheese

Also

• 250 g pack fresh lasagne sheets
• 150 g grated mature cheddar
• 100 g grated mozzarella

To serve

• Freshly chopped parsley
• Black pepper
• ½ red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
• Toasted flatbreads, if you want three carbs

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Prick the potatoes with a fork and bake for one hour. Remove and leave to cool briefly.
2. Make the meat sauce: heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown the minced beef, then add the onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until the onion softens.
3. Pour in the red wine and increase the heat to high. Let it bubble and reduce for 5 minutes.
4. Add the tomato puree, 1 tsp of sugar, salt, pepper, oregano and thyme. Stir, then add the tinned tomatoes. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and add the extra teaspoon of sugar if the tomatoes are too acidic. Turn off the heat when done.
5. While the meat sauce simmers, make the white sauce: melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and whisk for one minute to form a paste. Add the milk a splash at a time, whisking after each addition. The sauce will be lumpy at first but will smooth out as you stir. Once smooth, add the remaining milk and cook until the sauce thickens and is nearly boiling. Turn off the heat, season with salt and pepper and stir in the cheddar until melted.
6. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice them in half and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Reserve the scooped potato for another use (such as croquettes).
7. Cut circles from lasagne sheets to match the circumference of the potato skins — you need 16 circles (two per skin).
8. Arrange the potato skins on a baking tray. Add 1 tbsp meat sauce to each, top with a lasagne sheet circle, then spoon on 1 tbsp white sauce. Repeat the layers, then finish each with a quarter of the cheddar and a quarter of the mozzarella. Bake at 200°C / 400°F for 20 minutes until the cheese is golden.
9. While the skins bake, assemble the lasagne with the remaining ingredients: add a layer of meat sauce to a four-person dish, top with lasagne sheets and white sauce, then repeat to make two layers. Scatter over the remaining cheese, cool then cover and refrigerate or freeze for another meal.
10. When the potato skins are ready, remove from the oven and top with parsley, black pepper, red onion and cherry tomatoes. Serve with toasted flatbreads if you like.

Notes

Defrost frozen lasagne thoroughly before reheating. Reheat in a 200°C / 400°F oven for 30–35 minutes until hot throughout and golden on top.