Use name plates to demarcate the names of the cheeses you are serving.
Named after a small town in the Netherlands, Gouda cheese is made of cow's milk. As Gouda cheese ages, it turns from mild and light to a more complex, astringent, cheddar like flavor. Smoked Gouda is a form of the cheese that is smoked over hickory chips in a brick oven. As the smoke infuses the cheese, the edible rind changes from a yellowish color to brown.
Appetizer Crostini
One way to use smoked Gouda is on an appetizer crostini. Purchase French baguette, an 8 oz. piece of smoked Gouda, small bottle of honey, small bottle of olive oil and one Granny Smith apple. Once ready to make the appetizer, place your oven on "Broil." Slice the baguette on an angle making pieces about 1/2 inch thick. Place the bread pieces on a baking sheet. Drizzle the with olive oil. Place the bread pieces into the oven for three to three and a half minutes until they are golden brown. Watch them closely as they can burn fairly quickly. Remove the pieces and allow them to cool. In the interim, slice small pieces of smoked Gouda and apple about 1/4 inch thick. The piece should be able to fit on your crostini pieces now cooling. Place a piece of apple, followed by a piece of Gouda on each crostini. Drizzle with honey across each piece. Place the crostini back into the oven for 30 seconds to one minute, just long enough for the smoked Gouda to start to melt. Remove from the oven and serve to guests.
Smoked Gouda Cheeseburgers
Rather than just placing smoked Gouda on top of your cheeseburger, you can actually infuse the burger with smoked Gouda inside. Keep the ratio of 1 lb. of beef to 1/3 lb. of smoked Gouda cheese. Starting with your hamburger meat in a bowl, grate your Gouda over the hamburger meat. Mix the hamburger meat with your hands until the Gouda is integrated nicely. Then form equal patties with your hand. Some people like to add an egg to help serve as a binder. You can also add salt and pepper to taste into the mixture. Grill the burger over medium heat. For rare, cook for three minutes on each side; for medium, four minutes on each side; for well done, five minutes on each side. While cooking the burger, you can also top it with another slice of Gouda. And of course what would a smoky piece of Gouda be without a complementary piece of bacon.
Smoked Gouda Quesadilla
If you want to put a Mexican twist on smoked Gouda, then you can prepare a quesadilla. Purchase tortilla, a medium-sized white onion and 8 oz. of smoked Gouda. Caramelize your onion by removing the skin and thinly slicing it into pieces. Place the onion in a greased pan over medium heat. Some people using non-stick cooking spray while others use a couple of slabs of butter to help caramelize the onion. You can also add a 1/4 tbsp. of brown sugar and 1 tsp. of vinegar. This will cook for about 25 minutes. Stir the onions every couple of minutes. In the interim, grate your smoked Gouda onto one tortilla. Other ingredients you might want to add include pieces of prosciutto, bacon (already cooked), or thinly sliced pieces of apple or pear. Once the onions are done, spoon them onto the tortilla. Top with a second tortilla and place in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for about five minutes or until the top tortilla is golden brown.
Smoked Gouda Panini's
Panini presses allow the imagination to run wild with possible combinations. While you can make any type of smoked Gouda panini you like, try some popular flavor combinations. One type mixes a few slices of prosciutto, smoked Gouda, sliced red onion and tomato. Other ideas include sliced red pear, Smoked Gouda and a drizzle of maple syrup. Another idea is roast beef, smoked Gouda, sliced tomato and fresh horseradish. Think about the flavor profiles you enjoy and place those flavors into a panini sandwich.
Tags: smoked Gouda, bread pieces, each side, Gouda cheese, hamburger meat, minutes each