Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Medium mixing bowl
• •Whisk
• •Fork for mashing
• •Rubber spatula
• •Glass jar or airtight container for storage

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the blue cheese

   Divide your crumbled blue cheese into two portions: roughly one-third and two-thirds. The smaller portion gets mashed into the base, creating that creamy backbone. The larger portion stays chunky, folded in at the end so you get honest nuggets of cheese in every bite. This two-stage approach is what separates a proper steakhouse dressing from the thin, uniform versions found in plastic bottles.

2. 2

   Build the creamy base

   In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, buttermilk, lemon juice, and white wine vinegar. Whisk until completely smooth. The mixture should be pourable but not thin, like heavy cream that's been left out for a moment. Add the minced garlic and Worcestershire sauce, whisking again to distribute evenly.

   Shake your buttermilk container vigorously before measuring. The thick cultured solids settle at the bottom and that's where all the flavor lives.
3. 3

   Incorporate the mashed cheese

   Add the smaller portion of blue cheese to the bowl. Using the back of a fork, mash and stir the cheese into the base, pressing against the sides of the bowl. Work it until the cheese breaks down and the dressing turns slightly blue-tinged with visible streaks of cheese throughout. This takes about two minutes of deliberate effort. The dressing should smell assertively funky, almost sharp.

4. 4

   Season and balance

   Add the salt and pepper. Taste now, before adding the remaining cheese. The dressing should be tangy from the buttermilk and lemon, savory from the Worcestershire, with a lingering blue cheese presence. Adjust salt if needed. The cheese you'll add next will bring its own salinity, so err toward less salt at this stage.

   Different blue cheeses have wildly different salt levels. Roquefort runs saltier than domestic varieties. Always taste before committing.
5. 5

   Fold in chunks and chives

   Gently fold in the reserved two-thirds of blue cheese crumbles and the chopped chives using a rubber spatula. Keep the chunks intact. These irregular nuggets are the soul of the dressing, the reason people reach for seconds. The finished dressing should be thick enough to coat a spoon heavily, studded throughout with visible cheese.

6. 6

   Rest before serving

   Transfer to a jar or covered container and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes, preferably two hours. During this rest, the flavors marry and the garlic mellows from sharp to aromatic. The dressing will thicken slightly as it chills. If it becomes too thick after a day or two, thin with a splash of buttermilk and stir well.

Chef Tips

• •The quality of your blue cheese determines everything. Roquefort brings sheepy tang, Gorgonzola offers sweeter, creamier notes, Danish blue delivers sharp punch, and American varieties like Maytag split the difference. Pick based on your audience and your budget.
• •If you find raw garlic too aggressive, steep the minced clove in the lemon juice for fifteen minutes before adding. The acid tames the harshness while keeping the flavor.
• •For buffalo wing service, thin the dressing with an extra two tablespoons of buttermilk. Wings want a dip that coats but doesn't overwhelm.
• •The dressing improves over two to three days as the flavors meld. Make it Friday for Sunday's game day spread.

Advance Preparation

• •Dressing keeps refrigerated for up to one week. The flavors deepen for the first three days, then hold steady.
• •If the dressing thickens too much during storage, stir in buttermilk one tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
• •For entertaining, portion the dressing into small serving jars up to two days ahead. Bring to cool room temperature for fifteen minutes before serving to let the flavors bloom.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 39g)