Hans and Jolanda Weber © Courtesy of Stonetown Cheese
Hans and Jolanda Weber, founders and owners of Stonetown Artisan Cheese, always dreamt of producing delicious, high-quality cheese reminiscent of the renowned Swiss Mountains. In 1996, the Webers immigrated to Canada, with their three children in tow, to start a dairy farm in St. Marys, Ontario. Their dream became a reality here: Stonetown Cheese is handcrafted alpine-style cheese made with fresh whole cow’s milk, unpasteurized and additive-free, from their family farm.
Even though Hans is the owner of Stonetown Artisan Cheese, he is still a dairy farmer at heart. He begins every morning by milking the cows. Stonetown’s commitment to producing high-quality cheese is best reflected in the care they give to their Holstein cows, who live in a clean and comfortable free-stall barn, sleep year-round on beach sand, and enjoy feed of the best quality. Once the cows are fed, the day can begin!
Jolanda grew up on a dairy farm and lived her whole life farming until she and Hans started Stonetown Artisan Cheese. Most days, Jolanda can be found in her office, handling the business side of Stonetown Cheese. A lover of cheese and a natural in the kitchen, Jolanda also creates incredible recipes using Stonetown’s selection of cheeses, including this mouth-watering lasagna using rich and creamy Farmstead Fontina.
Farmstead Fontina tastes great in sandwiches or on a cheese platter with fruits and nuts. This cheese melts wonderfully and is perfect for raclette, grilled cheese sandwiches, pizza toppings, and of course, lasagna. Pair this Farmstead Fontina Lasagna with light-bodied white or red wine for a dinner that excites your palate.
Farmstead Fontina Lasagna
Recipe created by Jolanda Weber
Prep: 50 minutes | Cook: 60 minutes | Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
Lasagna Sauce
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 500 g ground beef
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp. salt
- 3 tbsp. Italiano herbs
Béchamel Sauce
- 3 tbsp. butter
- 2 tbsp. flour
- 2 cups milk
- 300 g Farmstead Fontina, grated
- Salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste
- 375 g oven-ready lasagna noodles
- 200 g Bocconcini, sliced
Directions
- Heat up oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add ground beef and fry until brown. Add onion and garlic and cook for 5 min.
- Add maple syrup, diced and crushed tomatoes, salt and Italiano herbs. Simmer for 40 min.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium,
stir in flour, then add the milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. - Add Farmstead Fontina,
and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. - Simmer until the cheese is melted. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 190°C / 375°F.
- Spread some lasagna sauce on the bottom of a 13×9 inch dish.
- Layer noodles, lasagna sauce, bocconcini slices and béchamel sauce; repeat until casserole is filled.
- Top with béchamel sauce and sprinkle the Farmstead Fontina over the béchamel sauce.
- Cover with foil; bake at 190°C/375°F for 45 minutes.
- Uncover; bake for 15 minutes.
Find more great cheeses and recipes at stonetowncheese.com
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About Stonetown Cheese
Stonetown Artisan Cheese is an on-farm cheese plant located in St. Marys, Ontario. Our award winning hand crafted alpine style cheese is made with fresh whole cow’s milk from our family farm. In order to obtain a great taste, the milk is unpasteurized and has no additives. This ensures that the cheese is pure and natural. The cheese making process is very similar to how cheese has been made for centuries in the mountain dairies in the Swiss Alps.
