When I was at uni, I was far from home and mum’s substantial cooking but that didn’t mean I ate any worse at all. I got used to living on a budget and became very constructive with ingredients and very careful with how and where I shopped. The things I learnt then will stay with me forever, those life skills which even today make me choose to buy a whole chicken and divide it myself, rather than buy chicken pieces.

This recipe is based on one from the People’s Cook Book website and it’s perfect for student cooking. The dish is based on storecupboard items and is easily adaptable to all tastes, you can use bacon or more vegetables instead of chicken, add fresh chilies for a kick or exchange the white sauce for more grated cheese.

Chicken lasagne/pasta bake

Serves 4

Ingredients

3tbsp olive / vegetable oil
1 large onion. chopped finely
1 clove of garlic, crushed
25g plain flour
275ml chicken stock
1 can tomatoes
225g boneless chicken, diced to bite size
1tbsp tomato puree or substitute with tomato ketchup
1 tbsp dried basil / herbs
6 lasagne sheets or substitute whatever pasta shapes you have.

For white sauce

25g marg or butter
25g plain flour
pinch nutmeg
275ml milk
grated cheese

Note: You could use jars of tomato and white cooking sauces to speed things up.

Method

Heat the oven to 180°C and grease a shallow oven proof dish.

To make the chicken sauce: Heat the oil in a pan and brown the pieces of chicken, add the chopped onion and garlic, fry until softened.

Sprinkle in the flour and cook for a minute or so until straw coloured.

Stir in the stock, tomatoes, tomato puree and basil. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10-15 mins until the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.

To make the white sauce: Melt the butter in a pan, sprinkle in the flour and nutmeg stir over low heat until the mixture has turned light golden. Gradually add the milk, keep stirring, simmer until thickened and smooth. Set aside.

For the lasagne version: Spread half of the chicken mixture in the greased dish, add salt and pepper, and lay over 3 of the lasagne sheets. Add the rest of the chicken mixture, more salt and pepper, a second layer of lasagne sheets and pour the white sauce over. Grate cheese on top and bake in oven for 45 min or until the top is golden brown.

For the bake version: Cook your pasta shapes until almost ready - still quite aldente and stir into the chicken mixture. Pour all of the mixture into the oven proof dish and pour the white sauce over the top. Finally, sprinkle on the grated cheese and bake in the oven for 45 min or until the top is golden brown.

A nice satisfying, pocket-friendly dinner.

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