Blue Cheese dressing is probably one of the most iconic salad dressings compared to Italian or Ranch. You’d be hard pressed to find a restaurant that didn’t have it as an option.
While bottled is perfectly fine, making it homemade it also delicious and tastes so much better! And it is easy, less than 5 minutes, I promise.
What is Blue Cheese?
Blue cheese is considered to be a “stinky cheese” and is made from cultures of the mold Penicillium, giving it blue spots or sometimes veins.
There are several types of blue cheese and depending on how long the cheese rests and the ingredients it is made with, it can vary greatly in smell, taste and also price. There are about 50 varities.
- Maytag Blue
- Danish Blue
- Gorgonzola (yep, a blue cheese!)
- Stilton (similar to Stichelton)
- Roquefort
The type of you get at the store that is fairly generic and totally acceptable for salad dressing is usually Danish blue, the most mild of the blues.
How to Make Blue Cheese Dressing
It is really quite easy. First, gather your ingredients. Worcestershire sauce is really what separates the mundane blue cheese dressings from the best.
- mayonnaise
- blue cheese
- half and half or milk
- sour cream
- lemon juice
- Worcestershire sauce
- kosher salt
Next, combine everything but kosher salt and 1/2 the blue cheese in a bowl and whisk. If you want super smooth dressing, use a mini food processor and give it a whirl.
Half and half is the ingredient most people tend to want to sub out here, but do not substitute whole cream! You’ll end up with a dressing that is way too thick.
You can use milk, whole is best. If you are using skim, you might need to reduce the total amount since it is so much thinner. Add half and then a little more as needed until it gets to the desired consistency.
If you are using a half milk and half cream mix, here are the ratios:
- Mix 1/4 cup whole milk + 1/4 cup light cream
- Mix 1/4 cup whole milk + 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- Mix 1/4 cup skim milk + 1/4 cup heavy cream
Light Blue Cheese Dressing
Making this a light dressing is easy enough. Swap out both the mayo and sour cream for plain Greek yogurt. Or use some combination of the three.
History of Blue Cheese
First known as Roquefort dressing, it dates back to 1928 or other variations even earlier. It is sometimes known as Stilton dressing or Bleu Cheese, if you want to be fancy.
Make Ahead, Storage and Freezing
Blue cheese dressing can most certainly be made ahead of time and is food in the fridge up for up to 5 days. Remember, since yours is from scratch, it doesn’t have preservatives in it that make it last for months.
Due to the ingredients, I do not recommend freezing blue cheese.
What You’ll Need
Mini Food Processor– I use this thing daily! It is by far my most used kitchen appliance, it is small and I throw all the parts into the dishwasher, well except the base and cord, of course! It is perfect for salad dressings if you want them smooth.
Mixing Bowls– Use a mixing bowl a little larger than you think you’ll need. There is less pressure to keep it in the bowl. You can always transfer it to a smaller serving bowl later. I personally look for ones with lids so I can cut down on plastic wrap and aluminum foil waste.
Whisks– If you are doing this by hand, a whisk is the only tool that will incorporate enough air into the mix to get it to the right, thick consistency.
More Homemade Salad Dressings:
Cilantro Lime Dressing Recipe
Poppy Seed Dressing
Chipotle Ranch Dressing
Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles , divided
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice , freshly squeezed
- 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- kosher salt , to taste
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together mayo, 1/4 blue cheese crumbles, half and half, sour cream, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce until smooth.
- Fold in remain blue cheese crumbles and taste test.
- Add kosher salt slowly, if needed.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was!
I love the recipe! I started eating Roquefort in the seventies. I hate the salad bowl you used. It reminds me of the old yukky hand washing bowl that sat on the side table by the buckets of drinking water. ick. LOL
Hi Karen, I’m so glad you love the recipe and sorry you don’t care for my salad bowl. Here I thought it had farmhouse charm. 🙂
I literally never thought of making homemade blue cheese- and I love this because I can control the amount of “stinky cheese” and make it just how I like. Great recipe- thank you!
Homemade blue cheese is the best! This recipe is delicious. We will definitely make it again.