Cabbage is a popular vegetable all over the world, and for good reason. Hearty, healthy, and able to stand up to strong flavors, it adds a little “something” to all kinds of meals.

In The Netherlands, one of the most popular ways of eating red cabbage is to slow braise it with aromatics like bay leaves, cloves, and cinnamon, along with some vinegar and tart apples for brightness. It is generally served with Hachee (stewed beef) and potatoes, but goes great with pork, as well. Really, it goes great with just about any rich main dish!

Not only is this dish delicious, but it’s loaded with health benefits as well! Red cabbage is loaded with antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins. I’ll never forget when my mama-in-law, Maria, found out that I was pregnant with her first grandbaby, she broke with our Sunday tradition of a simple meal with frietjes (fries) and went all out with hachee, mashed potatoes, and this cabbage recipe. When asked why she went to all the trouble, she said that she wanted to make sure I had a healthy meal and knew I didn’t feel up to cooking. So sweet…and my husband and father-in-law didn’t miss their beloved Sunday frietjes because the meal was so good!

Tips for Making Braised Red Cabbage with Apples (Rode Kool met Appeltjes):

-Feel free to use whatever type of apples you have on hand or prefer. I definitely recommend Granny Smiths or another type of sour apple, but I’ve also made it with sweeter types and it turned out just fine!

-Never wash your cabbage. Just take off the outer leaves. Also, make sure you cut out the core; it’s too tough.

-You can use plain white vinegar if you don’t have any apple cider vinegar on hand.

-This recipe uses ground cloves, but you can certainly use whole cloves if you prefer. Just make sure to remove them when you take out the bay leaves.

-You can absolutely make this recipe a day or so ahead…in fact, it tastes better the next day!

How to Make Braised Red Cabbage (Rode Kool met Appeltjes):

Take the outside leaves off of your head of red cabbage. If it is a smaller head, remove the core (cut the cabbage in half, and cut the core out of each half). If it is a large head, cut it in half and reserve one half for later use, making sure to remove the core from the half you’re using. Dice the cabbage and place it in a heavy bottomed pan.

Add enough water to almost cover the cabbage (about 1 1/2 cups in the pan I use), and add all of the spices, then bring to a boil. Stir in the sugar and vinegar. Cover and let simmer until the cabbage is tender, about 30 minutes.

Once the cabbage has cooked, add the peeled, diced apples and continue to cook until these are tender. Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Taste for salt, sugar, and vinegar, adding more if needed. Stir in the butter. Finally, make a slurry with the cornstarch and stir this into the pot. Cook for a minute or two, until the braising liquid is slightly thickened.

Rode Kool met Appeltjes goes great with:

Hachee – Dutch Stewed Beef

Mama Maria’s Dutch Style Green Beans

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Rode Kool met Appeltjes (Dutch Red Cabbage with Apples)

A little savory, a little sweet, a little sour…and SO delicious! Rode Kool met Appeltjes (Red Cabbage with Apples) is a delicious and healthy side that brightens up any meal!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Dutch

Keyword apple cider vinegar, apples, cabbage, red cabbage, traditional recipes

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4 people

Author Meagan – The Crossroads Cook

Ingredients

• 1/2 Head Red Cabbage, or 1 Small Head
• 1/2 Stick Cinnamon or 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cloves or 2 Whole Cloves
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 1/2 Cups Water approx.
• 3 Tbsp Sugar
• 2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 3 Sour Apples, such as Granny Smith, diced
• 2 tsp Butter
• 1 Tbsp Cornstarch + 1 Tbsp Water
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Instructions

• Remove the outer leaves from the head of cabbage, remove the core, and dice the cabbage. Place in a heavy bottomed pot, such as a Dutch oven. Add enough water to nearly cover the cabbage, along with the cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaves, and salt and pepper.
• Bring to a slow boil over medium high heat, then add the sugar and vinegar. Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Allow to simmer to for 30 minutes, until the cabbage is tender.
• Add the apples and continue simmering until they are tender.
• Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Taste for salt, vinegar, and sugar, adding more as needed.
• Stir in the butter.
• Create a slurry by mixing the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Stir the slurry into the cabbage and allow to cook for another 2-3 minutes to thicken.

The post Rode Kool met Appeltjes – Red Cabbage with Apples appeared first on The Crossroads Cook.

I’m telling you friends, if you want to experience the ultimate in comfort food, ask a Dutch grandma or mom to make you dinner. They definitely know their way around some amazing, stick to your ribs meals that make you feel like you’re being wrapped in a warm hug.

Hachee, or Stewed Beef, is one of those recipes Dutch mamas and grandmas (or omas!) have been perfecting for hundreds of years. Literally. It has its roots in the middle ages as a way to use up leftover cuts of beef, and is traditionally served with Rode Kool Met Appeltjes (red cabbage with apples) and mashed potatoes. It’s also super yummy over French Fries!

This recipe is another one that comes straight from the kitchen of Maria (aka Mama Maria, aka my wonderful Dutch Mother-in-Law). The flavor of this beef is so layered and complex, yet it is totally easy to make. It just takes a little time! Let’s get to it, shall we?

Tips for Making Hachee

-You can really use any cut of beef that stands up to a long cooking time with this recipe. I tend to either use chuck roast or stew meat.

-If you can’t find marjoram, oregano is a fine substitute.

-Though I suggest using apple cider vinegar in this (especially if you are making cabbage to go along with it), you can totally use white vinegar if you want. Or red wine vinegar. Or white wine vinegar. Whatever you have on hand that floats your boat!

-I like sticking the whole cloves in a chunk of onion so that they are easier to find and fish out at the end.

-You can either leave the meat in chunks or give it a good stir to sort of shred it at the end. We prefer more broken apart or shredded, but that’s personal preference.

Looking for More Great Dutch Recipes? Try one of These!

–Rode Kool met Appeltjes (Red Cabbage with Apples)
–Erwtensoep (Snert, or Split Pea Soup)
–Hutspot (Mashed Potatoes with Carrots and Onion)
–Pannenkoeken (Dutch Pancakes)
–Saucijenbroodjes (Dutch “Sausage” Rolls)
–Mama Maria’s Dutch Style Green Beans

How to Make Hachee, or Dutch Stewed Beef

Cut your meat into small chunks, about 1 inch or so. Add the butter and olive oil to a large pan with a heavy bottom, such as a Dutch Oven, and heat over medium-high heat. Brown the meat in the butter/oil mixture, working in batches so the pan stays hot and everything browns evenly. Add the onions and sauté until they are slightly golden brown, then deglaze with the vinegar, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to get all of the brown bits off of the bottom of the pan.

Next, add in the water, bouillon cube, and the spices. Cover and let cook for about two hours, until the meat is tender. Remove the bay leaves and cloves. If you prefer the meat to be left in bigger pieces, remove it to a plate. If you prefer it more shredded, leave it in the pan.

Make a slurry with a little flour and water, and add it to the pan to thicken. Tastes for seasoning (salt, pepper, vinegar). If you removed the beef, add it back in. Serve with Rode Kool and mashed potatoes, or over fries.

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Hachee – Dutch Stewed Beef

A classic Dutch dish that has been around for centuries, Hachee (or stewed beef) is full of mouth watering flavor and soul warming comfort!

Course Main

Cuisine Dutch

Keyword comfort food, Dutch Cuisine, Dutch Food, Slow Cooked Food, Stew Meat, Stewed Beef

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 People

Author Meagan – The Crossroads Cook

Ingredients

• 2 lbs Beef, such as stew meat or chuck roast
• 1/2 Tbsp Butter
• 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Medium Onions, sliced or diced
• 1 Bouillon Cube, Vegetable or Beef
• 3 Bay Leaves
• 3 Whole Cloves
• 2 tsp Dried Marjoram
• 2-3 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
• 4 Cups Water, approximately
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Instructions

• Cut beef in to 1 inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper.
• In a deep, heavy bottomed pan (such as a Dutch Oven), heat the butter and oil, and brown the meat on all sides. Work in batches if necessary.
• Once all of the meat is browned, return it all to the pan and add in the onion and sauté until the onion is golden brown.
• Add the vinegar, scraping the bottom of the pan to pick up any brown bits. Add enough water to cover the meat. Add in the bouillon cube and the rest of the herbs and spices.
• Cover and simmer on low/medium for around to hours, until the meat is very tender.
• Once the meat is cooked, stir in the flour and cook a little longer (15 minutes or so) to thicken. Check for seasoning. Add more salt, pepper, or vinegar as needed. Remove the cloves and bay leaves.
• Serve with Rode Kool (braised red cabbage with apples) and mashed potatoes, or over rice or french fries.

The post Hachee – Dutch Stewed Beef appeared first on The Crossroads Cook.

If you ever visit The Netherlands, I highly recommend checking out one of their snack bars. Snack bars are kind of like the Dutch version of a classic American drive-through restaurants, except without the waitresses on roller skates. And you don’t drive through; most all snack bars are eat-in. Instead of chili dogs and root beer floats, you’ll find frikandel special, bitterballen, bami ballen, kroketten, and so much more.

Basically you walk up to the counter, look into the freezer case (similar to an ice cream display case, but with savory treats instead of sweet!), pick what you want, and the helpful person behind the counter will put it in the fryer for you while you go have a seat. No, folks, snack bars are not about health food. Make sure you get an order of frietjes (fries) with mayonnaise and curry ketchup to go with your other goodies!

One of the other great Dutch snack food items are saucijzenbroodjes, or sausage rolls. These are seasoned meat (usually ground beef, despite the name sausage…) wrapped in flaky puff pastry and baked to delicious, golden perfection. They make a perfect after school snack or lunch on the go! The great thing about these sausage rolls is that they are SO easy to make at home and put in the freezer…even the kids can get involved!! Have them help mix up the meat mixture, roll it into fat logs, and put it on the pastry. Then, have them help put the egg wash on.

Tips for Making Saucijzenbroodjes:

-Feel free to make the puff pastry from scratch if you want. Or, take the easy way out, and buy the packaged stuff at the store. It’s just as good, I promise!

-A leaner ground beef is going to be less greasy and there will be less of a risk of your pastry getting a little soggy.

-Saucijzenbroodjes are traditionally larger than mine are. If you would like a bigger one, just make two less cuts in the pastry to make longer rolls.

-To freeze: bake as directed, let cool, then flash freeze and put into baggies. When you want one, just take it out and stick it in the oven for about 20 minutes until heated through.

-Serve these bad boys with your favorite mustard. I recommend a good German style.

How to Make Saucijzenbroodjes:

Take your packaged puff pastry out of the freezer and lay it on the counter to defrost slightly. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, spices and seasonings, egg, and breadcrumbs. Mix thoroughly (hands are the best tools here). Set aside.

Lay the the puff pastry out flat in “landscape orientation”. In other words, so the rectangles long sides are on the top and bottom. Make a cut horizontally down the middle. Make another cut down the center vertically, then cut those two vertical sections in half again, so there is a total of 8 pieces of puff pastry.

At this point, I like to go ahead and lay the pieces of puff pastry on the baking sheet spaced evenly apart. Take the meat mixture and roll into 8 evenly sized log shapes, laying each towards the top of each piece of pastry but giving yourself at least an inch of room at the top. The ends of the log should very slightly be over the edge of the puff pastry as they will shrink slightly with baking.

Beat an egg in a bowl, and with a pastry brush or your finger, put some egg wash on the top space left on the puff pastry. Then fold the rest of the pastry over the meat, matching the edges as well as you can and sealing tightly with a fork. It’s fine if they aren’t perfect! Paint each roll with egg wash, then bake for about 20 minutes, or until they are a deep golden brown. Let cool slightly and serve with mustard for dipping!

This post was sponsored by The Glass Barn, Indiana’s Corn and Soybean Growers, but all thoughts and opinions are my own…ya dig?

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Saucijzenbroodjes - Dutch Sausage Rolls

Dutch Sausage Rolls, or Saucijzenbroodjes, are a classic Dutch snack food that is easy to make at home with some store-bought puff pastry!

Course Appetizer, lunch, Snack

Cuisine Dutch

Keyword Pigs in Blanket, Puff Pastry, Sausage Rolls

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Meagan - The Crossroads Cook

Ingredients

• 1 Sheet Puff Pastry
• 1 lb Ground Beef Or 50/50 beef/pork blend
• 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2 tsp Gehakt Seasoning Optional
• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg 1/2 tsp if not using gehakt seasoning
• 1 tsp Parsley Dried or Fresh
• 2 Eggs, divided
• 2 Tbsp Bread Crumbs

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Set out puff pastry to thaw/warm slightly.
• In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, 1 egg, bread crumbs, and spices. Using either your hands or a spoon, mix until everything is combined. Set aside.
• Lay puff pastry sheet out flat. Using a knife, cut pastry sheet horizontally across the middle, then make three evenly spaced vertical cuts, so that the pastry is divided into 8 evenly sized rectangles.
• Divide the meat mixture evenly between the 8 puff pastry rectangles. Roll meat portions into log shapes that are the same length as the puff pastry portion. Place the meat about 1/2 inch from the top of each puff pastry rectangle.
• Beat 1 egg in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush or your finger, paint the puff pastry above the meat with the egg wash to act as a glue. Then, take the bottom of each puff pastry rectangle and fold it tightly over the meat. Seal the edge by pressing with a fork.
• Paint each sausage roll with the egg wash.
• Bake sausage rolls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet for 20 minutes, or until deep golden brown.
• These can be eaten right way, or can be allowed to cool. They also freeze well! Serve with mustard of your choice.

The post Saucijzenbroodjes – Dutch Sausage Rolls appeared first on The Crossroads Cook.

To say that I’m not a huge fan of winter is a big time understatement. We all know what hangry is, but is there a word to describe a similar anger caused by being cold? Because that word would perfectly describe how I get. I really, really despise being cold.

I once read somewhere that if you really love winter, chances are you didn’t grow up with livestock. There’s just something about having to break the ice on waterers, carrying water because water lines are frozen, going out and feeding/milking/delivering babies when the temperatures dip that just takes the fun out the cold. Blech.

Ok, sure, snow is pretty and I love watching my littles enjoy playing in it. And there’s nothing quite like a white Christmas with a fire going in the fire place. But that’s it. Once Christmas is over and the decorations come down, the weather could warm back up to the mid 70s and I would be just fine thank you very much!

There is one good thing about cold weather, though…it’s the perfect time to make a nice, hearty bowl of soup to warm yourself from the inside out. Dutch Split Pea Soup, or Erwtensoep (or Snert), is 100% the perfect stick to your ribs type of food to keep you going when those winter winds start to blow!

The Dutch are known for their hearty fare, and this soup is the king of all of it. It’s said that if your snert is as thick as it is supposed to be, you can stand a wooden spoon up in the middle of the pot. I kid you not. Plus, it’s loaded with veggies and super healthy. Win win!

My recipe comes straight from my mother-in-law, Maria…also known as the quintessential Dutch home cook. Oh, and something important to note: this soup is definitely better if you eat it the next day. Yes, you can eat it the same day, but I totally recommend planning ahead a little and waiting until the next day to eat it. It also freezes really well!

How to make Dutch Split Pea Soup:

Take about half a pound (200 grams) of split green peas and rinse them very, very well until the water runs clear (Maria says she rinses them 5 times). Put those in a heavy bottomed pot such as a Dutch oven, and pour in 1 Liter (4 1/2 cups) of water. Bring to a boil, cover, turn down the heat to medium low, and cook for an hour. You’ll want to keep an eye on them because these bad boys like to boil over.

Once an hour has passed, add peeled and chopped carrots and celery, a diced onion, leeks, a couple of diced potatoes, 2 vegetable bullion cubes (you can use chicken bullion if you can’t find the vegetable as it can be pretty hard to find), some parsley, and some pepper. Cook all of this for about 20 minutes or so, or until all of the veggies are tender. After the veggies have cooked, stir in some chopped smoked or kielbasa sausage.

If you are eating it right away, serve it up with some nice warm bread smothered in butter. If you are eating it the next day or freezing it, let it cool before putting it away.

Eet smakelijk!

Looking for other delicious Dutch foods? Give one of these a try!:

Pannekoeken – Dutch Pancakes
Hutspot – Dutch Mashed Potatoes with Carrots
Mama Maria’s Dutch Style Green Beans

This post is sponsored by The Glass Barn, Indiana Corn and Soybean Growers, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Erwtensoep - Dutch Split Pea Soup

Dutch Split Pea Soup, called either Erwtensoep or Snert, is the perfect hearty and healthy meal to warm you up this winter!

Course lunch, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Dutch

Keyword Carrots, erwtensoep, leeks, smoked sausage, snert, split peast

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Author Meagan - The Crossroads Cook

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb Split Greet Peas 200 grams
• 4 1/2 c Water 1 Liter
• 4 Carrots, Peeled and Chopped
• 4 Celery Stalks, Peeled and Chopped
• 1 Onion, Diced
• 2 Leeks, Diced
• 2 Potatoes, Peeled and Diced
• 2 Vegetable Bullion Cubes or Chicken
• 1 Package Smoked or Kielbasa Sausage
• 2 Tbsp Parsley, Diced
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Instructions

• In a strainer, rinse the split peas very well, until the water runs clear.
• Add the split peas to a large, heavy bottomed pot. Stir in the water. Bring to a boil, cover, turn down the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1 hour.
• Uncover and stir in the carrots, celery, onion, leeks, potatoes, parsley, and vegetable bullion cubes. Cook for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
• Stir in the sausage.
• Cook and refrigerate over night. Reheat and check for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Serve with warm buttered bread.

Notes

This soup also freezes extremely well! Simply defrost and heat through when you are ready to eat it!

The post Erwtensoep – Dutch Split Pea Soup appeared first on The Crossroads Cook.

Have you ever noticed that there are some forms of food that are universal? Take dumplings for instance. If you look at most cultures around the globe, they all have some sort of dumpling as part of their cuisine. Many also have some sort of slow roasted meat cooked with fire, what we would call barbecue. It also seems like a lot of cultures have some form of pancake.

Now of course the American pancakes we all know and love are light, fluffy pillows of blueberry or chocolate chip filled heaven that are typically drenched in butter and dripping with maple syrup. Then there are Chinese scallion pancakes, savory and delicious. North Africa has Beghrir, a pancake made with semolina flour. In Europe, or at least in France, Belgium, and The Netherlands, pancakes are thin and often served in a variety of ways that include both savory and sweet options.

Dutch pancakes, or pannenkoeken (not to be confused with Dutch Baby Pancakes, which are actually German), are a lot like the crepes you see in France and Belgium. While the batter is slightly different and crepes are typically folded over to resemble a triangle to be served, pannenkoeken are often rolled around whatever filling your little heart desires. Fillings can be savory or sweet–in fact, we always eat pannenkoenen for dinner and for dessert on the nights I make them! In The Netherlands, they often either top their pancakes with a squeeze of lemon juice and some powdered sugar, or a thick apple syrup called Appelstroop. If you want to try it, you can find it here.

I always seem to do a buffet of toppings, and you can do the same! I usually set out ham, cheese (go Dutch with some delicious Gouda! I also love to use Muenster), sauteed mushrooms and onions, cinnamon apples, Nutella, peanut butter, jam, powdered sugar, and, of course, appelstroop. Get creative! The pannenkoeken themselves don’t have a lot a flavor, so they’re pretty much a blank canvas. I might try doing a lox style one next time, with smoked salmon, cream cheese, onion, and capers. Who knows. We’ll see where my mood takes me.

The pancakes themselves are very easy to make, if a little time consuming thanks to only being able to cook one or two at a time. You’ll need a large non-stick pan for this; I use two 10-inchers. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and my personal American touch, sugar. If you look, you won’t find a traditional Dutch recipe that adds sugar, but I feel like it adds a touch of flavor. If you want to leave it out, feel free. In a large measuring cup, measure 2 cups of milk and whisk in two large eggs. Now, combine the wet and dry ingredients, adding the wet in batches. Whisk well, making sure there are no lumps. If you want to use the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or a hand mixer, feel free, but this is one recipe that I usually just mix myself. The batter will be runny…don’t panic! That’s how it’s supposed to be!

Heat a little oil in your skillets (on my stove I go for just a tick over medium heat. Just enough to make the pan hot, but not screaming, smoking hot). I usually just use a spray of Pam, but use vegetable or canola oil if you’d prefer. As soon as your pan is hot, add about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of batter to the pan (I just use a ladle) and swirl the batter so it ends up covering the entire surface of the pan. Nice and thin.

The pancake is ready to flip when you see the edges start to pull away from the pan, and if you shake the pan the pancake has released from the bottom. If you’re fancy and talented, just pick the pan up and flip the pancake. If you’re super duper clumsy like me, a spatula/turner works jjjuuussstt fine. The pancake will need less than a minute on the opposite side.

To keep the finished pancakes warm as you prepare the rest, either stick them on a plate in a warm oven (my lowest setting is 170 degrees), or keep a pan with some water simmering on the stove, put a plate over the water (but not touching the water), and as you stack your pancakes on there, cover them. When they’re all done, take the stack to the table and dig in!

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Pannenkoeken - Dutch Pancakes

Dutch Pancakes, not to be confused with Dutch Baby Pancakes, are similar to crepes and can be filled with both sweet and savory fillings. Go international for dinner tonight and try some Pannenkoeken!

Course Brunch, Dessert, Main

Cuisine Dutch

Keyword Dutch Pancakes, Pancakes, Pannenkoeken

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 10 Pancakes

Author Meagan - The Crossroads Cook

Ingredients

• 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 2 cups Milk
• 1 tsp Sugar
• A Pinch of Salt
• 2 Eggs

Instructions

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.
• In a large mixing cup, measure two cups of milk and whisk in two large eggs.
• Combine the wet and dry ingredients, whisking until completely smooth.
• Heat a 10-inch non-stick skillet to medium-high heat. Add a bit of the oil of your choice. Once the oil is hot, use a ladle to add about 1/2 cup of the batter to the pan, swirling the pan as you add it so that the batter spreads to the edges.
• Cook the pancake until the edges start to pull away and the bottom releases from the pan. Just shake the pan and if it moves, it's ready. Flip the pancake and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute.
• To keep the finished pancakes warm while you cook the rest, either stack on a plate in a warm oven, or place on a double boiler set-up and cover.

Notes

To serve, fill the pancakes with your choice of toppings. Ham, cheese, sauteed onions, mushrooms, jam, peanut butter, Nutella, and lemon juice and powdered sugar are all good options!

The post Pannenkoeken – Dutch Pancakes appeared first on The Crossroads Cook.

There are plenty of challenges that come with being married to someone that originally hails from a different country. The crazy thing is that it’s often the little things that you don’t even think about day-to-day that can trip you up. And that’s not even considering the language barrier that can sometimes occur, even with someone that is completely fluent. Oy vey.

One thing that isn’t challenging about loving someone from The Netherlands, though, is loving Dutch food. It’s not a cuisine that you hear talked about unless you know someone who is Dutch. Sometimes it even gets mixed up with German fare (such as in the case of Pennsylvania Dutch, which is actually German). But my goodness do the Dutch know how to eat! A lot of Dutch food falls into the comfort food, or meat and potatoes, category. Hutspot definitely fits that bill…it’s one of those deliciously filling meals that is best enjoyed on a cold winter’s day. But who am I kidding? I could eat the stuff all year long!

There’s an entire class of dishes in Dutch cuisine known as stamppot (literally translated to “mash pot”). Stamppot is essentially mashed potatoes combined with a little onion and some sort of pureed vegetable or the other. There’s boerenkool stamppot, which is made with kale, zuurkool stamppot, made with sauerkraut, one made with a bitter lettuce such as endive or romaine, and even a very regional version called “blote billetjes in het grass” (bare buttocks in the grass!) which is made with a variety of beans. Really you can take just about any leafy green or root vegetable and make a stamppot out of it. Then there’s my personal favorite, Hutspot, which is carrots and potatoes. YUM.

Stamppot is generally served with either sausages (the type depends on the type of stamppot), Dutch meatballs, or hachee (a slow cooked kind of roast beef stew..kind of), along with the juice/braising liquid from that meat. Some folks serve them with bacon (in our house, boerenkool is always served with bacon and mayonnaise), gherkins, and/or pickled pearl onions. We always do hutspot with brats (specifically beer brats) and some sort of green vegetable (try these Dutch Style Green Beans!).

Hutspot is really very easy to make once you get the hang of it. I use this method to figure amounts: I do one potato per person I’m serving, plus one. So if I’m cooking for 4 people, I use 5 good sized potatoes, and one carrot per potato. Start by cooking some chopped carrots and a little onion in some chicken broth. You want the the carrots chopped small enough that they’ll puree or mash easily.

While that’s going, start your mashed potatoes using whatever method you prefer to make them by. I start my cubed potatoes in cold water with some salt, pepper, and butter. Pro-tip: once you have the potatoes covered with the water, rim the pan with butter just above the water line. It’ll keep your pot from boiling over. Trust me..it works like a charm! I bring them to a boil and let them cook until they are completely tender when poked with a knife. Then I drain them, reserving some of the cooking liquid. I add just a bit of the cooking liquid back into the pot (not much…a few tablespoons?) and give them a smoosh with my electric mixer turned off. Then I turn it on and add a little warmed milk/half and half mixture at a time until I have a smooth, creamy consistency. Then I add about a tablespoon of butter and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Once your carrots are tender, drain them and give them a smoosh (the technical term, of course) until mashed to your desired consistency. I like a few small chunks. You could even do this in the food processor if you want them completely smooth, but let’s face it I’m WAY to lazy to do that many dishes. I just use my handy dandy old fashioned hand masher.

Dump the carrot puree in with the mashed potatoes and give them a enough of a mix to make sure everything is combined. Check for seasoning.

To serve: put a nice pile of hutspot on your plate, then with the spoon create a little well in the middle of the pile. Take some of the cooking liquid from the sausages and put it in that well, then serve with a side of sausages and whatever else you want on the plate. Oh, and if you want to go really Dutch, you should probably have some applesauce on the table, too. Enjoy!

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Hutspot - Dutch Mashed Potatoes with Carrots

Creamy mashed potatoes combine with naturally sweet carrot puree in this classic Dutch dish!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Dutch

Keyword Carrots, Hutspot, Mashed Potatoes

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Meagan - The Crossroads Cook

Ingredients

• 5 finely chopped carrots
• 5 medium potatoes
• 3 tbsp diced onions
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp butter divided
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a small sauce pan, combine the carrots, onion, and enough chicken broth to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until very tender. Drain.
• Prepare the mashed potatoes. Place chopped, peeled potatoes and cover with cold water. Add salt, pepper, and about a tablespoon of butter. Bring to a boil and cook until very tender but not falling apart, about 20 minutes.
• Combine the milk and half-and-half in a coffee mug and heat in the microwave for about 1 minute, until just warmed through.
• When the potatoes are tender, drain but reserve a little of the cooking liquid. Add about 3 tablespoons of the cooking liquid back into the potatoes, and mash by hand at first. Once the biggest chunks are broken down, turn on the the electric mixer and add the milk/half-and-half mixture until the desired consistency is reached. Note: you will not use all of the milk mixture.
• Add a tablespoon of butter and salt and pepper to taste to the potatoes. Mix well.
• Mash the cooked carrots by hand until mostly smooth. Add the carrots into the potatoes and mix well, adding more of the milk liquid if needed. Taste to check for seasoning.

The post Hutspot – Dutch Mashed Potatoes with Carrots appeared first on The Crossroads Cook.

Chances are that if you grew up in the Midwest like me, you grew up eating green beans a certain way. In Indiana anyway, they’re usually cooked until very tender (aka soft) with either bacon or ham and onion. My mom always added a dollop of bacon grease and a pinch of sugar, too. Or, we’d have them in what’s called Hoosier Stew (essentially just smoked sausage, potatoes, and green beans all cooked in a pot together. YUM. Check out my friend The Farmwife Cook’s version here!). Both options are absolutely delicious and universally liked…in other words even picky kids will eat them up.

Not long after my Dutch husband and I started dating, he took me to his parents’ house for dinner. When asked what kind of veggies I preferred, I told them that green beans are one of my favorites. I figured that was a safe answer…I mean, it’s pretty hard to mess up green beans, right? I didn’t know yet that his mom, Maria, is an amazing cook. Anyway, I’ll never forget that as she was finishing throwing everything together, I watched in horror as she opened her spice cabinet, grabbed the nutmeg, and put a healthy portion into the green beans. …Nutmeg. In the green beans. What?!? Well, needless to say, it only took me one bight to realize that there was magic there. The beans were SO GOOD.

Of course I ended up asking her how she made them, and now I often make them the same way. I don’t want to say that green beans are cooked this way by everyone who is from The Netherlands; even in my trips there I haven’t had green beans, and haven’t had any other Dutchies prepare them for me, so I honestly can’t say if it is or not. But this is how Mama Maria makes them, and Maria is a master at her native Dutch dishes, so we’re going to go with it.

When you make green beans this way, you’ll want to use raw green beans instead of canned or frozen. I’ve tried them all ways, but the canned and frozen beans just don’t taste as good when prepared this way, nor do they have the right texture. If all I have are canned green beans, then I just make them the way I grew up eating them (no hardship there!). Other than that little tidbit, these green beans are so simple and tasty that you might just become a little bit of a convert, too!

Ingredients:

• Fresh Green Beans. Avoid the canned or frozen ones for this recipe. They don’t work well for this method.
• Water
• Salt
• Butter
• Nutmeg
• Gehakt Seasoning (optional)

How to Make Mama Maria’s Dutch Style Green Beans

Start by blanching your trimmed green beans in salted, boiling water. Cook them until they are tender but still have some firmness to them, usually in the neighborhood of 15 minutes or so. Drain and place the green beans in a bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking. This will help them retain some texture, and also help them stay vibrant green. A few minutes before serving them, drain the ice water, and put them back in the pan you blanched them in to heat them back through. Add about 1/2 a tablespoon of butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Instead of the salt, I usually add some Verstegen brand Gehakt seasoning, which you can find here.

My husband finds this objectionable because it is technically a seasoning used for Dutch style meatballs, but I love the depth of flavor it gives the beans, and he only has an issue when he sees me do it. If he hasn’t been in the kitchen when I’m cooking, he says my green beans taste just like his mom’s. So there.

Anyway, that’s it! Super easy! I hope you enjoy Mama Maria’s Dutch Style Green Beans as much as we do!

Print

Mama Maria's Dutch Style Green Beans

Looking for little bit of a change in your green beans routine? Mama Maria's Dutch Style Green Beans are a deliciously easy way to eat your veggies!

Course Side

Cuisine Dutch

Keyword butter, green beans, nutmeg

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Meagan - The Crossroads Cook

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh green beans
• 4 cups water
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp Verstegen brand Gehakt Seasoning optional (see note)

Instructions

• Blanch green beans in salted, boiling water until tender but still slightly firm, about 15 minutes.
• Drain and add green beans to an ice bath.
• When ready to serve, drain ice bath off of green beans, and add them back to a pan to heat them through on medium-low to medium heat. Add butter, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste OR Verstegen brand Gehakt seasoning.
• Heat through, check for seasoning, and serve.

Notes

Note: If you use the Verstegen brand Gehakt seasoning, you do not need to add the salt called for in the third step. You can find the Gehakt seasoning here.

The post Mama Maria’s Dutch Style Green Beans appeared first on The Crossroads Cook.