Smoked Gouda and Goat Pimento Cheese Spread

A southern classic with a tangy twist, this smoked gouda and goat pimento cheese spread is the perfect snack. Full of healthy fats and packed with nutrition.

Here is a real confession: I hated pimento cheese up until I was 24 years old. It was like eating mushy cheese, basically. That probably discriminates me from being a genuine southerner, I’m well aware. That was until I tried homemade pimento cheese. And I’m telling you, GAME CHANGER. It’s nothing like that bland stuff you buy in the deli section of grocery stores. Especially if you use good cheeses and quality ingredients.

This smoked gouda and goat pimento cheese was inspired by a nice spring morning at the farmers market. A local pimento cheese company was handing out samples and offered a goat cheese based pimento cheese. I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. So, naturally I had to make a recipe that tasted just as good.

Benefits of Goat Cheese

Before diving into this simple, yet deserving recipe, I want to brief over the benefits of goat cheese.

My family mainly consists of people who do not favor the taste of goat cheese (rightfully so). convincing them to start eating it was a little harder than just saying “Try this! It’s so good”. I needed some nutritional benefits to back why it’s a good idea to try this pungent, tangy cheese in dishes.

• High Mineral Composition: Goat cheese is an excellent source for minerals. Something we lack so much in our standard American diets. Not only are the minerals present in the cheese, but they are more easily absorbed by the body than a supplement you would buy from the store. Specifically copper and magnesium. Two minerals that are excellent for good health.

• Easier to Digest: Goat cheese is easier on the digestive system due to higher amounts of medium chain fatty acids.

• Healthy Fats: Healthy fats are your friend. Not only do they offer plenty of health benefits, but they also help to keep you full longer. One of the many reasons smoked gouda and goat pimento cheese spread makes the best snack.

How to Make Smoked Gouda and Goat Pimento Cheese

This spread is made the same exact way as how you would make regular pimento cheese. And the best part, even if you don’t want to use smoked gouda or cheddar, you could pick out other types of cheeses to cater to your taste.

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup of Pimentos
• 1/2 Cup of Crumbled Goat Cheese (Chèvre specifically)
• 1/2 Cup of Smoked Gouda Cheese
• 1/3 Cup of White Cheddar Cheese
• 1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/4 Tsp Onion Powder
• 1/3 Cup of Mayo
• 1/2 Tsp Salt

To make the pimento cheese, all you do is grate the smoked gouda and white cheddar into a bowl, crumbled the goat cheese into that same bowl with the other two cheeses. Then in a separate bowl, mix together your mayo, salt, garlic and onion powder and pimentos until fully combined. Add that wet mixture into your cheeses and stir to combine. That’s it!

You can store this spread in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container.

What to Eat Smoked Gouda and Goat Pimento Cheese Spread with

My absolute favorite way to eat this spread is with pita crackers. But it is also wonderful on a BLT made with sourdough sandwich bread, or spread on sourdough dinner rolls. You can get creative and use it on pretty much anything you would use regular cheese on. Or some things you would spread cream cheese on. If you’re curious on how to make your own chèvre cheese for this spread, check out my post on homemade chèvre cheese here.