First of all, you should understand what a roux is. A roux is a paste made of a fat and a flour. It’s cooked until the ingredients thicken together and then it’s used as a base for many sauces. It’s what makes sauces thick, like when you’re making mac ‘n cheese.
It’s important to make a roux whenever you’re making a sauce. I always use one when I’m making a cheese sauce, especially. The cheese needs a carrier element if you will. Otherwise, it’s just melted cheese in your pasta or whatever you’re making and not at all…saucy.
Like once, when I was first married, I tried to make my husband macaroni and cheese using just — macaroni and cheese. Then, I baked it because I must have known that you bake it all together. I bet you can guess what I pulled out of the oven: A hardened mess of cheese and dried pasta. Yum! This mistake taught me though to learn the error of my ways and, well, that’s how I learned to love and appreciate the roux!
For this dish, I melted butter down, then stirred in the garlic and flour with the butter (the fat) and added the flour and stirred, stirred, stirred, until the mixture thickened up and my base, or roux, came together. THEN and only then should you add your cheeses and stir some more, till you have your lovely white sauce base.
WHAT CAN I SUBSTITUTE FOR CHICKEN?
Personally, I love lasagne with chicken. But you can also use a thinly sliced, cooked Italian sausage (chicken, beef, pork or a mixture is fine). Or, take that sausage out of the casing and cook it to crumbles instead of slicing it thin (my preferred method).
Ground chicken, turkey, or pork can be substituted in a pinch as well.
One other option is to go vegetarian with this dish — use a combination of the veggies above and none of the meat for an all-vegetable lasagne. It is super tasty and pleases both vegetarians and meat-eaters alike for its delicious sauces and flavors. No one will even miss the meat!
Ingredients
sauce
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