ultimate blue cheese dressing/dip

Does blue cheese dressing merit its own post? Like, without an accompanying salad recipe? I wouldn’t have believed it but I’ve gotta say…yes, yes it does.

I used to turn up my nose at bleu cheese in any form, but I’ve gradually been converted by a dude who can’t get enough of it. And this, my friends, is the best blue cheese dressing either of us has ever tasted. The recipe we adapted came from One Big Table, which ironically got the recipe from the Rogue Creamery, our local purveyor of delicious and award-winning cheeses like Oregonzola, Crater Lake Blue, and Caveman Blue. We happened to use some Crater Lake blue to make the dressing, but you can make it with whatever blue suits your fancy, and the dressing will come out creamy and smooth, with zesty blue cheese flavor, a zing from the dijon and vinegar, and the freshness of parsley and scallions. Pretty much all I want in a blue cheese dressing, and it’s equally at home drizzled on a salad or used as a dip for a plate full of veggies. Just make sure you double the recipe if you plan to feed a big crowd, because this dip goes fast!

Ultimate Blue Cheese Dressing (or Dip)
Adapted from the Rogue Creamery, via One Big Table, by Molly O’Neill
Makes about 1 cup

1/2 cup mayonnaise (we use reduced fat, but use what you like)
1/4 cup sour cream (again, we used partial fat, but whatever will do)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard (I prefer a smooth/grain-less kind, since i want the dressing creamy)
1/4 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese (choose a kind you enjoy)
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 T chopped fresh parsley
1 scallion, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, stir or whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, and worcestershire sauce until smooth. Add the blue cheese, garlic, parsley, and scallions, and stir until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, ideally at least an hour so the flavors can marry. Serve on salad or as a dip for crudités.