In my previous home cooking post, I received a comment telling me that I could start sharing recipe blogs too, and honestly, that made me smile. It felt motivating… but at the same time, I had to laugh at myself because I’m still super newbie in the kitchen, LOL. I love food, I’ve eaten my way through hawker centres and restaurants for years, but that doesn’t magically turn me into a chef overnight.
Still, I also realized something: you don’t have to be a chef to share what you’re learning. Sometimes it’s more fun when it’s honest, the “I tried, I made a mess, but it worked!” kind of cooking story. And that’s exactly what happened last Sunday when I suddenly had this urge to make a home-baked lasagna… using my humble air fryer.
Yes, lasagna. The dish that looks like it requires patience, skill, and some Italian grandmother blessing you from the side. But the more I thought about it, the more it felt doable, especially with a few shortcuts (aka survival hacks for people like me who are still learning). The air fryer really feels like it was invented for the “I can’t cook but I want to try” club. Pan-frying with oil stresses me out. Stewing feels even scarier because making sauce tastes like chemistry, and my palate is definitely not ready for that level yet, LOL.
So I went for the cheat-code version: oven-ready lasagna sheets (no boiling needed!), pre-made tomato pasta sauce, and shredded mozzarella for that satisfying melty finish. I even had butter on standby, because butter makes everything feel more “chef” even if you don’t know what you’re doing.
The prep was surprisingly straightforward. I cooked the minced meat first, then coated it generously with tomato sauce until it looked rich and saucy. That alone already smelled like something legit happening in my kitchen. After that, it became a layering game: sauce and meat, pasta sheets, a creamy layer (I’m not ready to master béchamel yet, so I used an easy creamy alternative), then repeat. The best part is how forgiving lasagna is, it doesn’t judge your uneven layers. It just wants to become a warm, cheesy block of comfort.
When it was time to bake, I placed the lasagna in a glass bowl and lined the air fryer basket with foil (because I respect my future self who has to clean up later). Then I topped it with a generous blanket of shredded mozzarella. At that moment, it looked so innocent, white cheese, neat layers, everything calm.
Fast forward to after baking: the top turned into this beautiful golden-brown “skin” with darker toasted spots, like a cheesy crust that protects all the saucy goodness underneath. I won’t lie… I was shocked it looked like real lasagna. And when I scooped my first bite, the cheese did the cheese pull thing, stretchy, gooey, dramatic. That was the moment I knew I did something right.
Taste-wise, of course it’s not restaurant-quality. It doesn’t have that slow-cooked depth or fancy seasoning. But you know what? It tasted delicious because I made it. It was warm, hearty, cheesy, and comforting, exactly what I wanted. And I felt proud, because this was done without proper training, without complicated techniques, and without me giving up halfway.
Overall, this air fryer lasagna experiment was a win. It’s simple, beginner-friendly, and honestly very satisfying. I’m planning to make it again next weekend and tweak it little by little. And once I feel like I’ve “perfected” my humble version, I’ll be confident enough to share a proper recipe with the Hive community.
