This is only “kind of” a Dutch recipe, since it is a great way to use the most famous Dutch cheese–Gouda. And oh my goodness, as if we did not have enough problems, the Washington Post says that we have an enormous cheese glut in the United States. The good news is, the oversupply of cheese, particularly European cheese, is driving the prices down. So EAT MORE CHEESE!
I wonder how my Dutch-American ancestors pronounced the name of this cheese? Gouda, I learned from a site called cheese.com, is not pronounced the way I thought it was. Instead of GOO-da, try “HOW-da.” That’s the Dutch way to say it. Of course no one in the U.S. would understand what you were talking about, so maybe just stick with Gouda.
We nearly always have Dutch Gouda cheese at our house, and so when I saw a recipe for a simple cheese sauce made with Gouda, I had to try it out. (Cheese.com tells me that we’re not the only ones who love the smooth, tasty Gouda. It accounts for half of the cheese consumed in the world.) We like smoked Gouda, which has a brown, edible rind, but any Gouda is good Gouda.
If you want to get into the fine points of selecting a Gouda cheese, check out Cheese,com or search youtube.com for videos on how it is made.
I mentioned this chicken with Gouda sauce in my post last week about Dutch Hutspot,and confessed that I cheated on the authentic Dutch way of serving the smashed potatoes by spooning some Gouda sauce on them. The sauce is super easy because it is not like the usual Behchamel (white sauce) in that there is no flour–so no worrying about lumps.
I adapted the recipe from a couple I saw on websites, and made it for two people. You can easily expand the recipe, and the sauce will be good on a variety of things.
Gouda is a wonderful melting cheese, and is great in mac and cheese, by the way.
Dutch Chicken with Gouda Sauce
Serves | 2 |
Prep time | 10 minutes |
Cook time | 25 minutes |
Total time | 35 minutes |
Allergy | Milk |
Dietary | Gluten Free |
Meal type | Main Dish |
Misc | Child Friendly, Serve Hot |
Ingredients
- 3/4 cups gouda cheese (shredded)
- 3/4 cups evaporated milk (OR use Half and Half)
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley (OR 1/4 Cup fresh parsley)
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1-2 boneless chicken breasts (Depending on size of breasts)
Directions
Marinade | |
1. | Cut chicken breasts into serving size if they are oversized. Mix olive oil, paprika and a dash of pepper and salt. Marinate chicken breasts in this mixture in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Overnight is fine. |
Brown and cook chicken | |
2. | Brown chicken in butter or olive oil in skillet on medium heat, turn heat to low and let cook slowly while making sauce. |
Make Sauce | |
3. | Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in saucepan, stir in cream or evaporated milk over low heat. Slowly stir in the shredded cheese. Continuing stirring until the cheese is all melted and sauce is slightly thickened. Stir in parsley. |
Serve Chicken with Sauce | |
4. | When chicken is cooked through, put on platter or individual plates and spoon sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with more paprika for a small dash of color. |
Note
I used smoked Gouda cheese, which has a richer flavor than plain Gouda but either would work. All you really need is gouda cheese and milk or cream. The parsley and paprika add a bit of zing. I like to use evaporated milk for sauces, because it makes a smooth, easy to mix sauce with no curdling problems. Plus you can get it in low fat if you are counting calories.
This recipe is easily doubled or tripled, but this is my adaptation for two people.
I absolutely hate the overbred chicken breasts that you get in the store these days. If you are stuck with those enormous chicken breasts, you may want to cut them in pieces for serving, as I did. One of those giant breasts made plenty for my husband and me, with seconds and leftovers! This sauce would be just as good on all cuts of chicken, so don't hesitate to use it on dark meat as well.
I served the chicken with hutspot and spooned some of the cheese sauce onto the smashed potato dish for a bonus.
This sounds absolutely delicious but not like anything I’ve ever tried. (Do I dare admit I’ve never had Gouda cheese either?)
It’s never too late! I guess that puts you in an exclusive class since it is supposedly the most popular cheese on earth.