Creamy dressings don’t get much better than this homemade Blue Cheese Dressing! With real chunks of blue cheese and a tang that can’t be matched, you’ll want to put it on everything.
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.
Ingredients
All of these easy blue cheese dressing ingredients can easily be found at your local grocery store.
- Mayonnaise – You can use your favorite store bought mayo, or try making your own homemade mayo. It might be easier than you think!
- Blue cheese – Use your favorite wedge of blue cheese. Check the section above for suggestions. I like to use a higher quality cheese
- Half and half or milk – I prefer whole milk, but you can use a lower fat version. Just keep in mind the consistency might be a little thinner.
- Sour cream – This adds both tang and creaminess to our easy homemade dressing.
- Lemon juice – Fresh lemon juice adds a tangy flavor to this delicious blue cheese dressing. I prefer fresh juice over the bottled stuff.
- Worcestershire sauce – Worcestershire sauce is really what separates the mundane blue cheese dressings from the best.
- Kosher salt – Keep in mind that different salts measure differently. You can add this to taste.
Variations
There are plenty of ways to make this chunky blue cheese dressing your own. Here are a few suggestions.
- Light 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.
- Garlic – Adding fresh garlic to this creamy homemade blue cheese dressing gives it a great taste. You could also use garlic powder.
- Smooth dressing – If you’d like your dressing to be less chunky, you can use an immersion hand blender or food processor to make it smooth.
- Seasonings – If you want the best flavor or a different flavor profile, you can mix in any number of seasonings such as black pepper, onion powder, mustard seed or even fresh chives.
How to Make the Best Blue Cheese Dressing
Making your own blue cheese dressing is not only delicious, but super easy too!
- Combine ingredients. 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 blue cheese. Fold in remain blue cheese crumbles and taste test.
- Add salt to taste. Add kosher salt slowly, if needed.
Ways to Use
You can use this blue cheese dressing recipe for just about anything you can think of. The most obvious way is to use as a salad dressing. I especially like using it over iceberg lettuce on a wedge salad.
Probably the second most popular use is to use as a dip for chicken wings. Hot wings and blue cheese dip are a match made in heaven. You can also use it as a dipping sauce for veggies.
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.
Storage and Freezing
How to Store Blue Cheese Dressing
Blue cheese dressing can most certainly be made ahead of time and is food in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Remember, since yours is from scratch, it doesn’t have preservatives in it that make it last for months.
Can I Freeze This Dressing?
Due to the ingredients, I do not recommend freezing blue cheese.
More Homemade Dressing Recipes
If you know me, you know how much I love homemade sauces- and that includes dressings! Here are a few of our favorites.
Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing
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!
Notes
For a totally smooth blue cheese dressing, place all ingredients into a food processor and blend well.
Ground black or white pepper is optional.
Nutrition
