Calorie content of lasagna with minced meat and bechamel sauce

Béchamel or white sauce is one of the most famous sauces in French cuisine. Thanks to its incomparable aroma and exquisite taste, it won the hearts of not only the French. It has conquered the whole of Europe: restaurants in leading European countries traditionally use it both as an independent product and as a base for other sauces. Undoubtedly, he is the real pride of the French. Light, delicate, aromatic, combined with almost any dish, it can rightfully be called an aristocratic sauce and be proud of its noble origin. Although Italian gourmets still consider it their brainchild and are ready to challenge France’s right of primacy.

A little history

However, the Italians’ claims are not based on an unfounded assertion. One of the versions of the origin of this exquisite dish indicates that the recipe for the sauce was brought with her to France by the young Catherine de Medici, the future wife of the French king Henry II. At the age of fourteen she left sunny Florence to become a great queen.

The wedding feast, which lasted more than a month, was served by both French and Italian chefs brought with them by the king's young bride. It was there that the Italian sauce was first served, which later in France began to bear the name bechamel. In Italy, long before that, it was called balsamella. And the recipes for these two dishes are surprisingly similar.

The French do not give away the palm, insisting that they have two versions of the origin of this product.

According to one of them, the recipe for the sauce was discovered by Louis de Béchamel, Marquis de Nointel, who at that moment was a manager at the court of the legendary French king Louis XIV. The story goes that the Marquis slightly modified the veloute sauce, which was popular at that time, resulting in a completely different product that was remarkably attractive to fish dishes, for which he intended to season it. The happy marquis named the resulting tasty and aromatic sauce after himself. However, such manipulations with the components of dishes could only be carried out by a person with a keen sense of sensitivity and an exquisite culinary taste. History is silent about the fact that Louis de Bechamel had such abilities. All that remains is the mention of his compatriot Comte D'Escar in which he laments the fact that in his life he was unable to name even the simplest dish after himself, unlike the lucky Bechamel.

Another version says that the secret of preparing this sauce belongs to the famous chef of the Sun King Louis XIV, Francois Pierre de la Varenne. Many historical studies attribute to him the fact that the thickener roux was used in this sauce, made from flour fried in butter until golden brown. Previously, only softened bread crumb was used for this. Well, by naming the dish in honor of his contemporary Louis Bechamel, de la Varenne apparently thanked the Marquis for something, or simply wanted to curry favor with him.

Undoubtedly, the French are proud that such an incomparable sauce was born in their country. Besides those two stories, another famous French name is inextricably linked with him. This is Philippe du Plessis Mornay, governor of Saumur. Some historical facts attribute to him not only the invention of bechamel, but also other equally famous sauces:

• chasseur;
• port;
• mornay;
• Lyonnaise sauce.

The flourishing of culinary art in the 17th and 18th centuries led to the fact that bechamel acquired numerous variations. Each chef wanted to bring something new to the recipe of this dish, so they added more and more different ingredients. This continued until the famous chef Marie-Antoine Carême, who became one of the first residents of haute cuisine, began to manage the culinary delights in the royal kitchen. Under his leadership, all unnecessary ingredients were removed and bechamel received the composition of products by which it is known to this day.

History of the origin of the sauce

The history of origin dates back to antiquity, when French chefs added flour and spices to mixtures to make their consistency thick and the taste to acquire unusual notes.

Today, several versions of the appearance of this unique white sauce are known. The first of them tells the life story of a rich marquis named Bechamel. This man was close to the royal court and was an adviser to the king. He was well versed in mahogany furniture and had an extensive knowledge of art. However, his main passion was cooking and creating unique dishes from the ingredients he could find in the royal kitchen.

Over time, this unusual hobby helped the marquis become a majordomo. Then his main task was to satisfy the king’s insatiable appetite and all his gastronomic needs. The majordomo's desire to please Louis XIV pushed him to invent a unique white sauce, which was named after its creator - “Béchamel”.

King Louis appreciated the efforts of his majordomo, and the sauce gained immense popularity among the French. Soon the recipe for this liquid seasoning became known throughout the world and gained enormous popularity not only among the nobility, but also among the common population.

The second version says that the Frenchman Bechamel is not the inventor of this sauce. The gourmet only improved the recipe, which was invented by the chef Pierre de La Varenne, who served the Marquis of Yuksel.

According to another version, the French have nothing to do with the invention of the bechamel recipe. It tells that this white sauce was brought to France by Catherine Midici. The Spaniards still believe that bechamel is a Spanish culinary masterpiece and was invented on their territory. However, at that time such recipes were recorded extremely rarely, so it is difficult to prove this.

One way or another, bechamel spread throughout the world and became known as a French white sauce, suitable for many dishes and having unique taste characteristics.

Composition and types of sauce

Classic béchamel is made with roux and cream. The roux thickener consists of flour fried in butter until golden brown. Nowadays, different types of milk can be used instead of cream. Flour and butter are mixed in equal parts and cream is gradually added. They should be used based on the thickness of the sauce you want to achieve. Bechamel can be medium thick, liquid, or a thick viscous mass.

Béchamel is one of five classic French sauces, on the basis of which various variations are prepared or completely new liquid seasonings are obtained. Various spices, broths, herbs and spices are often added here. Here are several types of sauces made with bechamel:

• mornay - prepared with the addition of grated Parmesan, Gruyère and fish broth, served with seafood and vegetables;
• nantua - prepared with the addition of crab meat, served with seafood dishes;
• soubise - prepared with the addition of chopped onions, goes well with fish dishes and poultry.

How many calories are in lasagna?

Here's how much:

The calorie content of lasagna with minced meat and bechamel sauce, per 100 grams, is:

Proteins, fats and carbohydrates (BJU) of lasagna in gr. per 100 grams:

Proteins - 8.3

Fats – 10.6

Carbohydrates –13.7

If you prepare it according to this recipe:

Products for 6 servings:

• Lasagne sheets - 250 g - (875 kcal)
• Minced beef - 450 g - (1143 kcal)
• Onion - 1 pc. — (41 kcal) 100
• Carrots - 1 pc. — (32 kcal) 100
• Tomato sauce – 60 g. – (48 kcal)
• Tomato paste – 60 g. – (55 kcal)
• Butter – 60 + 30 g. – (673 kcal)
• Flour – 60 g. – (205 kcal)
• Milk 2.5% - 800 ml. — (416 kcal)
• Parmesan cheese – 120 g. – (470 kcal)
• Nutmeg - 1 tsp.
• Salt - 2 tsp.
• Ground pepper - 1 tsp.

How to cook:

Prepare bechamel sauce.

• Melt butter (60 g) in a deep frying pan, add flour and, stirring vigorously, pour in hot milk little by little. Season with salt and nutmeg, bring to a boil, stirring constantly, remove from heat.

Prepare bolognese sauce.

• Finely chop the onion and grate the carrots.
• In a deep frying pan, fry the onion in butter until half cooked. Add carrots to it, fry for about 5 minutes, add minced meat, sprinkle with salt and pepper, mix well, fry over low heat for about 10 more minutes.
• Next, add tomato sauce and tomato paste. stir and cook for another 10 minutes.

Place some of the bechamel sauce on the bottom of the pan, place a sheet of lasagne on it, lay out some of the Bolognese sauce, pour some of the bechamel sauce on top and sprinkle with grated Parmesan.

Repeat layers of lasagna until all ingredients are used.

Pour bechamel sauce over the top layer of lasagna sheet and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake lasagna in the oven for about 40 minutes at 180-190 degrees until golden brown.

Great video with a great recipe. Worth a look!

And further:

Today, the range of ingredients for lasagna is quite extensive. It is prepared with meat, vegetables, vegetarian versions are made with spinach, etc. The classic combination of sauces in any lasagna is bechamel and tomato sauce.

Chemical composition and nutritional value

The energy value of white sauce is 59.8 kcal. Protein contains about 1 gram, fat - 4.4 grams, and carbohydrates - 3.58 grams. The composition of bechamel contains saturated fatty acids, dietary fiber, water, ash, as well as vitamins and minerals. The vitamin composition is revealed by vitamin E (about 1.2 mg), thiamine (about 0.01 mg), riboflavin (0.02 mg) and vitamin PP (about 0.2 mg).

The mineral composition is represented by sodium (411 mg), potassium (25 mg), phosphorus (83 mg), magnesium (6 mg), calcium (14 mg) and iron (0.2 mg). Dietary fiber is about 0.4 grams, water is 89.1 grams and ash is 1.6 grams. Saturated fatty acids account for about 0.9 grams.

Useful properties of bechamel

The components that make up the classic sauce have valuable and beneficial properties for the human body. They contain a wonderful vitamin complex and mineral composition necessary for health.

Since bechamel is essentially a mixture of butter, wheat flour and dairy products, its use:

• improves vision;
• regulates hormonal levels;
• helps improve the condition of skin and hair;
• charges the body with energy and vigor;
• increases efficiency and craving for creativity;
• has an antifungal effect;
• improves the body's protective properties;
• increases immunity;
• normalizes and improves brain function;
• saturates the body with calcium and protein;
• has antiviral properties;
• improves the functioning of the nervous system;
• serves as a prevention of depression and nervous disorders.

All this happens with the help of beneficial substances included in its ingredients. Wheat flour, for example, is a rich source of fiber and carbohydrates. Thanks to it, the sauce becomes very nutritious and satisfying.

To prepare bechamel, you can also use rye, buckwheat, and oatmeal. But preference is given to the second-grade wheat product, since it is more valuable and healthy.

Butter contains such a valuable component as lauric acid, with the help of which the body is able to fight various fungal diseases. Well, milk, of course, is simply a storehouse of calcium and protein, so necessary for the normal functioning of the body.

But here it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that when its components are heat treated, their valuable and medicinal properties are slightly reduced. But the taste of the dish certainly improves.

Harmful and dangerous properties

The harmful properties of this sauce, as well as the beneficial ones, directly depend on the products included in its composition. If you use premium wheat flour for preparation, the bechamel will contain synthetic preservatives, and the caloric content of the final product will also increase, which will undoubtedly lead to uncontrolled weight gain.

Also, frequent consumption of butter can lead to unpleasant consequences in the form of extra pounds. It also contains harmful cholesterol, which accumulates in large quantities in the human body, which leads to the development of diseases such as atherosclerosis.

Some people have a congenital allergy to milk and dairy products, or lactose intolerance. For them, béchamel sauce is strictly contraindicated. It is also dangerous for representatives of the older generation, since milk contains bad cholesterol, the consumption of which leads to atherosclerotic conditions.

Classic sauce recipe

To prepare bechamel you will need:

• butter - 50 grams;
• wheat flour - 50 grams;
• salt - 1 pinch;
• milk or 10% cream - 800 ml;
• nutmeg - 1 teaspoon.

Best materials of the month

• Why you can't go on a diet on your own
• 21 tips on how to avoid buying stale food
• How to keep vegetables and fruits fresh: simple tricks
• How to curb your sweet cravings: 7 unexpected products
• Scientists say youth can be extended

Melt butter in a gravy boat. Gradually add flour there. Stir over low heat until smooth and until the flour turns golden brown. Then pour hot, but not boiled, milk into the resulting mass in a thin stream. This must be done by stirring constantly so that lumps do not form in the process. At the very end of cooking, add a spoonful of nutmeg and a little salt to the sauce. Mix everything thoroughly and remove the sauce boat from the heat.

Bechamel sauce with olive oil

Everyone is so accustomed to the fact that the only obligatory attribute of an oily base must be butter. But no. Let's try to prepare the sauce in the Spanish style, because as you know, in Spain everything, even desserts, is prepared exclusively with olive oil. And there are simply people who don’t quite like the taste of butter.

Perhaps they will like this option for preparing the sauce. By the way, fried onion gives the sauce a very unusual and new flavor. And those who are confused by onion pieces in the sauce can use a blender. A few seconds - and the mass is homogeneous. Used for baking vegetables and meat dishes. The sauce is of medium thickness; if you need a thicker consistency, add 1 tablespoon more flour.

Ingredients :

• Olive oil - 100 ml;
• Onion - 1 pc.;
• Flour - 2 - 3 tbsp. l.;
• Milk – 500 ml;
• Salt and spices (allspice, black pepper, nutmeg, bay leaf) to taste.

Preparation:

1. Peel the onion, chop finely and fry in olive oil.
2. Add flour and cook until flour turns golden.
3. After adding milk, stir without stopping and cook for about 9 minutes, adding salt and the necessary spices at the same time.

Bechamel and mayonnaise

Oddly enough, in Russia bechamel and mayonnaise are often confused with each other. Although these two sauces are similar to each other only in their antiquity of origin and milky color. They are completely different from each other, neither in composition nor in scope.

European countries, and especially Italy and France, will never allow themselves to do this. It is impossible to find a single French or Italian who would consider these two sauces interchangeable. Everyone knows perfectly well that mayonnaise is used to season cold dishes, and bechamel is used with hot dishes. In France, it is unacceptable to bake or stew food with mayonnaise; only white sauce is used for this.

If you try to use a rather interesting bechamel instead of the usual mayonnaise, you will immediately notice how the taste of the dishes will change for the better. After all, white sauce, unlike its simpler counterpart, can be easily supplemented with various components in the form of spices and herbs, changing its taste.

Composition of bechamel sauce

Since the times of the ancient Hellenic civilizations, not a single sauce recipe has been preserved, which European chefs took as a basis. Of course, over the course of ten centuries, the recipe for flour white sauce has undergone a number of changes. However, even in our time, antique white sauce can be found in recipes not only for French, but also Italian, as well as Greek cuisine. It is surprising that the classic composition of bechamel sauce has survived unchanged to this day. Based on the basic recipe, culinary masters create their own and individual white sauces.

The main composition of bechamel sauce includes ingredients such as butter, milk and wheat flour. Agree, nothing complicated or exotic. In addition to the main ingredients, various seasonings and spices, as well as mushrooms, herbs or nuts, can be added to bechamel sauce. It all depends on the taste preferences and skill of the cook. To prepare white bechamel sauce, you need to fry the flour in butter and then carefully pour the milk into the resulting mass, stirring constantly.

Béchamel sauce goes well with dishes made from lamb, veal, beef, as well as chicken and game. Italians serve bechamel sauce with lasagne or pasta. In France, béchamel sauce is considered national pride, so the product is combined with various dishes and is even used as a soufflé ingredient. To this day, controversy surrounding the authorship of the original French recipe for white béchamel sauce continues.

Most researchers agree with the official version that bechamel sauce was invented by the Marquis Louis de Bechamel, who was a financier and managed the kitchen of King Louis XIV of France. According to legend, the Marquis changed the recipe of another famous French sauce, veloute, and created a new white bechamel sauce. However, some argue that béchamel sauce was created by a court chef, and the name of the product was given in honor of the Marquis.

Another version speaks of the participation of the famous Queen Catherine de Medici, who moved to France and brought Italian traditions to the culture, life and cuisine of her new homeland. Italians claim that béchamel sauce was invented based on Italian sauces. Be that as it may, bechamel sauce has remained a favorite for many centuries. Others are also made from the basic white bechamel sauce. For example, mornay sauce or bechamel with cheese and fish broth. Nantua sauce is made with cream and crab butter, while soubise sauce is a béchamel made from onion puree.

conclusions

Bechamel is an exquisite French sauce that came to us from the distant 18th century, but has not yet lost its popularity. In Italian and French cuisine, it deservedly occupies one of the leading places, thanks to its taste and healthy qualities. This sauce goes very well with meat, fish, and vegetable dishes. Goes great with pasta and eggs. This is a universal seasoning; it is served both hot and cold, but preference is still given to the heated product. Thanks to the ingredients included in its composition, bechamel has properties beneficial to the body, but this also determines its contraindications. Eating this white sauce helps increase immunity, improves vision, charges the body with energy and vigor, improves sleep and fights depression. Bechamel also has antiviral properties and has an antifungal effect. It is not recommended to use this sauce for elderly people, as there may be a risk of atherosclerotic conditions. It is also contraindicated for people with lactose intolerance or allergies to milk and dairy products. In general, the main task of any sauce is to improve the taste of various dishes, mask their shortcomings and enhance their advantages. Bechamel copes with all these tasks perfectly.

More fresh and relevant information about health on our Telegram channel. Subscribe: https://t.me/foodandhealthru

We will be grateful if you use the buttons: