5 Delicious Gjetost Recipes | Norwegian Cheese Inspiration

Have you tried Gjetost? It’s a traditional Norwegian brown goat cheese with a sweet caramel-like flavor. Also called brunost, the soft Gjetost pairs beautifully with fish and fruit alike and can be used in many recipes as well as eaten alone. Norsland Lefse carries a delicious brand called Ski Queen gjetost - both in a classic and Ekte goat cheese variety.

In this week’s blog, you can find a yummy and filling breakfast wrap that includes scrambled eggs, bacon, Gjetost and lefse. The bacon adds a salty, smoky contrast that balances the sweetness of the Gjetost.

You’ll also find a tasty main entreé that serves up salmon with a Gjetost sauce wrapped in Norsland Lefse and accompanied by a side dish of root vegetables that can easily be made in an air fryer.

Baked apples stuffed with Gjetost mixed with spices, brown sugar and walnuts make a simple, yet delicious dessert. The apples end up with the nutty, caramel sauce as the Gjetost filling bakes. Topped with whipped cream or ice cream, the baked apples become decadent end of the meal treats.

Gjetost makes a great coffee accompaniment as well for your coffee time. The Gjetost Quick Bread is a sweet, moist bread that toasts well. It can be served with butter, jam, or honey. I added walnuts and dried cranberries to my version, but you can omit those and add raisins or more spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg.

Below you will find complete recipes for all these foods as well as photos.

Bacon and Gjetost Breakfast Wrap

• 2 rounds of Norsland Lefse
• 6 strips of bacon
• 4 ounces of Gjetost, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons softened butter
• 6 eggs (to scramble)

1. Cook bacon. You can fry the bacon, but I prefer to make bacon in the oven. I spread the strips on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and cook for around 18 minutes, checking beginning at 15 minutes for doneness.
2. Slice Gjetost while the bacon is cooking and return to refrigerator to stay from until needed.
3. Scramble six eggs to use in the wrap.
4. Warm lefse in the microwave for a very short time to make it easy to roll.
5. Spread butter on lefse, place eggs, three strips of bacon and Gjetost in the lefse and fold into a wrap.
6. Grill in a buttered skillet briefly to help the wrap stay closed and warm the filling.

Lefse Wrapped Baked Salmon with Gjetost Cream Sauce

• Salmon fillets (around one pound)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
• 2 large Norsland Lefse rounds
• 2 tablespoons butter (melted for brushing on the lefse)
• 2 tablespoons butter (for sauce)
• 1 tablespoon flour
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup half-and-half
• ⅓ cup finely grated Gjetost
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• White pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place salmon on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
3. Brush with oil and season with salt, pepper and dill. Bake uncovered for 10-12 minutes, just until barely cooked through.
4. Remove and let cool slightly; this helps with wrapping in lefse.
5. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
6. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute; gradually whisk in milk and half-and-half; simmer until thickened.
7. Add grated Gjetost gradually, whisking until smooth.
8. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and pepper. (Sauce should be lightly sweet, savory and pourable.)
9. Warm lefse slightly in a microwave (this makes it more pliable) and cut in half; brush with melted butter.
10. Place salmon in the middle of each half piece of lefse: spoon 2 tablespoons of Gjetost sauce over the salmon.
11. Roll gently like a wrap; serve seam-side down and drizzle with additional sauce.

Air Fryer Root Vegetables

• 2 carrots
• 2 parsnips
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill

1. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
2. Peel and cut carrots and parsnips into strips like French fries.
3. Toss carrots and parsnips with olive oil, salt, pepper and chopped dill.
4. Set the air fryer for 12 minutes; spread vegetables in a layer in the air fryer and fry; shake after 6 minutes.
5. Check at 12 minutes; add time if needed. The size of vegetable sticks varies the cook time.

Baked Apples with Gjetost

• 2–4 large baking apples (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith work well)
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 4 ounces of Gjetost cheese, finely shredded
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
• ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
• Whipped cream or ice cream for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Wash and core each apple, leaving the bottom intact. Leave the peels on to hold the shape of the apple.
3. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, shredded Gjetost, cinnamon, nutmeg, and chopped walnuts.
4. Place apples in a baking dish and spoon Gjetost mixture into the centers, mounding the mixture on the top.
5. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the apples are tender but still hold their shape. Time will vary based on the size of the apples.
6. Serve warm right from the oven with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.

Gjetost Quick Bread

• 1¾ cups flour
• 1½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cardamom
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup butter (melted and cooled)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup finely grated Gjetost (about 4 ounces)
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoon coarse sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees; butter and flour a 9x5” loaf pan.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom in a medium sized bowl.
3. In a large bowl (I used my Kitchenaid mixer) whisk together brown sugar, granulated sugar and melted butter until smooth.
4. Whisk in eggs, milk and vanilla extract.
5. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until combined.
6. Fold in grated Gjetost gently; batter will be thick.
7. Fold in walnuts and dried cranberries.
8. Spread batter in the prepared pan; sprinkle with coarse sugar.
9. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. (Cover with a tent of foil if the bread is browning too quickly.)
10. Cool in pan for 15 minutes; then remove and cool completely before slicing.
11. Serve toasted with butter, jam or honey or sliced thin for breakfast boards.

If you haven't tried Gjetost yet, don’t waste any time! It’s fabulous, simply sliced thinly and served with sliced apples and crackers, but it's equally tasty as an ingredient in various Norwegian influenced meals!