Gouda Shrimp & Crab Cheesecake

Hey Mom what is for dinner?

Once you get your head around the fact that CHEESECAKE can be made with ANY type of cheese and cheese combinations, now I am going to show you it can also be a SAVORY dinner treat! You can have cheesecake as appetizers, for dinner or even breakfast. One slice of this tasty treat is only 283 calories (calculated without crackers): 24gfat (11g saturated fat), 137mg cholesterol, 411mg sodium, 5g carbohydrate (1gsugars, 0 fiber), 12g protein. Made with two of my favorite cheeses, Parmesan Cheese and Gouda with Creole spices it is supper good. Gouda Cheese is a mild, yellow cheese made from cow’s milk. It is one of the most popular cheeses world wide. The name is used today as a general term for numerous similar cheeses produced in the traditional Dutch manner.  Today“Gouda” is not a PDO – DOP (protected designation of origin with a specific area of production). The Gouda cheese name refers more to the style of cheese making than the actual cheese, as Gouda cheeses can vary widely depending on age and where it is made. For this reason, the name “Gouda” isn’t protected or meant to define only the cheese coming from Gouda. If you want the real deal, look for “Noord-HollandseGouda”, as this title is protected and can only represent true Dutch Gouda made with Dutch Holstein cows milk.

So Gouda type cheeses are made all over the world. How is Gouda made? When cultured milk curdles, some of the liquid whey is removed and replaced with warm water, which is then drained. This is known as “washing the curds”, and it helps to remove extra lactose, therefore preventing some of the lactic acid formation. The curds are then pressed into round molds and are plopped into a brine (salt water) bath. The cheese is then set out to dry, coated in wax and aged for anywhere from one month to over six years. And if you’re trying to be a real cheese connoisseur, you’re going to have to pronounce it right. While in America we pronounce it “g-OOO-dah”, it’s actually pronounced “(g)h-OW-da”. I’ve noticed that the common classification of cheese in the grocery is either “jong” (young) or “oud” (old). Digging a bit deeper, the Dutch actually classify their cheeses into six categories based on age:

• Young or New: aged 4 weeks
• Young Matured: 8 to 10 weeks
• Matured: 16 to 18 weeks
• Extra Matured: 7 to 8 months
• Old or Fully Matured: 10 to 12 months
• Very Old or Very Aged: over 12 months

The younger Gouda cheeses will have a more mild, soft, and almost sweet taste and texture.They’re best on sandwiches or crackers. The older Gouda cheeses acquire more complex notes and layers of flavors, ranging from caramel to pineapple. They also become harder, stronger, and darker. The deep flavor of the older Gouda makes it great for cooking. I have paired an American Gouda with an American parmesan, shrimp and crab meat for this interesting cheesecake.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped chives
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

CHEESECAKE:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped chives
• 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 pound peeled and deveined cooked shrimp, chopped
• 2 cans (6 ounces each) lump crabmeat, drained
• 1 cup shredded Gouda cheese

SAUCE:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning
• Assorted crackers

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, mix bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and chives; stir in butter. Press onto bottom of a greased 9-in. spring form pan. Place pan on a baking sheet.
• For cheesecake, in a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add red pepper, onion and carrot; cook and stir until tender. Stir in seasonings. Cool slightly.
• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, cream until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low just until combined. Fold in vegetable mixture, shrimp, crab and Gouda cheese. Pour over crust.
• Bake 60-65 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with a knife. Cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight, covering when completely cooled.
• In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, mustard and Creole seasoning. Remove rim from spring form pan. Serve cheesecake with sauce and crackers.
• Cover top of cheesecake with grated parmesan, chopped chives and drizzle with sauce.

Note

The following spices may be substituted for 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning: 1/4 teaspoon each salt, garlic powder and paprika; and a pinch each of dried thyme, ground cumin and cayenne pepper.