christmas lasagne: with turkey, brussels sprouts, bacon and a cheesy stuffing sauce.

Combine your love of pasta and the decadent ensemble of a Christmas dinner to make this delicious Christmas lasagne. Although it may make Italian cuisine purists wince a little, the mix of turkey mince, nostalgic scent of sage, sautéed Brussels sprouts, smokey bacon lardons and cheesy stuffing topping just works. 

If you aren't a fan of Brussels, you could always switch them out for carrots or extra onions. But, why would you want to? If you're tempted by this festive combination, you might like my other Christmas recipe, including this Pigs in Blankets Macaroni Cheese.

Shopping list.
(Makes 4-6 portions)
♥ Sage and onion stuffing mix
♥ One white onion, chopped
♥ 10-12 Brussels sprouts, peeled and quartered
♥ 100g bacon lardons
♥ 500g turkey mince
♥ 2 tsp dried sage
♥ 1 tbsp tomato puree

♥ 500ml milk 

♥ Two garlic cloves, crushed 

♥ 40g unsalted butter 

♥ 40g plain flour 

♥ 50g grated Coop Mature Cheddar, plus extra for the top 

♥ Lasagne sheets

♥ Salt and pepper to season

♥ Cranberry sauce to accompany

All available at your local Central England Co-op store

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees C.

Step one.  Add boiling water to your stuffing mix and allow to absorb according to the pack instructions. Leave to the side for later.

Step two. Begin to slow cook the onions on a medium-low heat, so they soften but don't burn. 

Step three. After a few minutes, add in the sprouts and lardons and cook together for 5 minutes. Then add the turkey mince, sage and tomato puree and cook until browned. Set aside.

Step four. Begin the cheese sauce by making a roux by melting the butter then slowly adding the flour in a small saucepan. It should form to a paste like consistency. 

Step five. Pour in the milk to the roux slowly, whilst stirring on a heat with a wooden spoon. It should eventually form together to create a creamy sauce. Lastly add in the cheese, crushed garlic and 3/4 of the stuffing mix. Season to taste.

Step six. Now you have the filling and sauce ready, layer up in an oven proof dish, alternating the lasagne sheets, turkey mince mix and sauce. Finish with the sauce and add the remaining stuffing, a sprinkle of cheese and twist of black pepper. Bake for 30 minutes until golden.

Serve up piping hot with a dollop of cranberry sauce! And perhaps a glass of white too. I particularly enjoyed this award winning South African Chenin Blanc from the Co-op Irresistible range.

In collaboration with Central England Co-op