Hallo allemaal! Welcome to the My Dutch Journal blog, where we believe the best way to learn a language is by having fun. And what's more fun than making a delicious meal?

Today, we are thrilled to launch a brand new cooking series on our blog! For this culinary journey, our new character, Chef Smakelijk, will be your guide. He is here to walk you through his favorite recipes, teaching you essential Dutch vocabulary and grammar along the way. You saw the quick version on our Instagram, and now, as promised, here are all the delicious details!

Our first recipe is a modern classic: the Smash Burger. Forget thick, dense patties; the smash burger is all about a crispy, caramelized crust and a juicy center. It’s fast, incredibly tasty, and a perfect recipe for practicing your Dutch kitchen vocabulary!

Ready to cook and learn? Laten we beginnen!

Woordenlijst (Vocabulary List)

Before we start, let's learn the key words from this recipe. These are the vocabularies you need for the recipe

 and that you can use in your own kitchen.

Dutch Word	English Translation
De ingrediënten	The ingredients
Het rundergehakt	The ground beef / mince
De hamburgerbroodjes	The hamburger buns
De plakjes	The slices
De eetlepel	The tablespoon
De theelepel	The teaspoon
De bereiding	The preparation
Maken / Maak	To make / Make
Mengen / Meng	To mix / Mix
Vormen / Vorm	To form/shape / Form
Verwarmen / Verhit	To heat / Heat
Zetten / Zet	To put / Put
Drukken / Druk	To press / Press
Bakken / Bak	To cook / fry / Cook
Omdraaien / Draai om	To turn over / Flip
Toevoegen / Voeg toe	To add / Add
Besmeren / Besmeer	To spread / Spread
Opbouwen / Bouw op	To build up / Build

Ingrediënten (Ingredients)

To create your delicious Smash Burger, you will need the following ingredients. We've written the Dutch names next to the English ones to help you on your learning journey.

Voor de burgers (For the burgers):

• 150g rundergehakt (150g ground beef)
• 2 hamburgerbroodjes (2 hamburger buns)
• 2 plakjes cheddar (2 slices of cheddar)
• enkele blaadjes sla (a few leaves of lettuce)
• 1 tomaat, in plakjes (1 tomato, sliced)
• zout en peper (salt and pepper)

Voor de saus (For the sauce):

• 2 eetlepels mayonaise (2 tablespoons mayonnaise)
• 1 eetlepel ketchup (1 tablespoon ketchup)
• 1 theelepel mosterd (1 teaspoon mustard)

De Bereiding (Step-by-Step Instructions)

Let's break down the recipe, with a little language lesson included in each step!



Stap 1: Maak de saus (Make the Sauce)

Dutch: Meng de mayonaise, ketchup en mosterd in een kom.

English: Mix the mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard in a bowl.

Language Tip: Meng is the imperative (command) form of the verb mengen (to mix). In Dutch, you often create the imperative form for regular verbs by simply using the verb stem!

Stap 2: Vorm het vlees (Form the Meat)

Dutch: Maak 2 kleine, ronde balletjes van het gehakt.

English: Make 2 small, round balls from the ground beef.

Language Tip: Notice the adjectives kleine (small) and ronde (round) come before the noun balletjes (balls), just like in English.

Stap 3: Verhit de pan (Heat the Pan)

Dutch: Zet een pan op hoog vuur. De pan moet heel heet zijn.

English: Put a pan on high heat. The pan must be very hot.

Language Tip: A great example of two simple, clear sentences. Zet is the imperative form of zetten (to put/set).

Stap 4: Smash de burger (Smash the Burger)

Dutch: Leg een balletje in de pan en druk het direct plat met een spatel. Bak 1-2 minuten.

English: Place a ball in the pan and press it flat immediately with a spatula. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

Language Tip: Leg... en druk... (Place... and press...) is a compound command, telling you to do two things in sequence. Very efficient!

Stap 5: Draai om & voeg kaas toe (Flip and Add Cheese)

Dutch: Draai de burger om en leg de cheddar erop. Bak nog 1 minuut.

English: Flip the burger over and place the cheddar on it. Cook for another minute.

Language Tip: Erop is a useful separable prefix that means "on it" or "on top." Nog here means "another" or "for an additional" minute.

Stap 6: Bouw je burger (Build Your Burger)

Dutch: Toast de broodjes kort. Besmeer het broodje met de saus en bouw je burger op met het vlees, sla en tomaat.

English: Briefly toast the buns. Spread the sauce on the bun and build your burger up with the meat, lettuce, and tomato.

Language Tip: The verb toast comes from English, but is commonly used in Dutch. Besmeer means to spread something onto a surface, in this case, the sauce onto the bun (het broodje).

Chef Smakelijk's Secret Tips!

As promised, here are some extra tips from the chef to make your smash burger truly perfect!

• The Right Meat is Key: For the best crust and flavor, use ground beef with a higher fat content (around 20%). Don't press the meat too tightly when forming the balls; keep them loose.
• A Screaming Hot Pan: The secret to the perfect "smash" is a very, very hot pan (cast iron is perfect). You want to hear a loud sizzle the moment the meat hits the pan.
• The Smash Technique: Press down firmly on the meatball with a sturdy spatula for about 10 seconds to create a wide, thin patty. After that, don't press it again! This keeps the juices inside.
• Toast Those Buns: After the patties are cooked, briefly toast the inside of your buns in the same pan. They will soak up some of the delicious beef flavor.

What's Your Verdict?

Now you have the recipe, the vocabulary, and the grammar tips to make your very own Smash Burger while practicing Dutch!

So, are you Team 'Already Made It' 👨🍳 or Team 'Can't Wait to Try!'? Let us know in the instagram comments! If you're on Team 'Already Made It', don't forget to share your smash burger photo in an Instagram story and tag @mydutchjournal.

And if you're ready to take your Dutch to the next level, check out our mini-lessons or enroll directly in one of our courses on the website!

Eet smakelijk en veel leerplezier! (Enjoy your meal and have fun learning!)