What Can I Do With Blue Cheese?

Want to try a gourmet twist on a classic dessert? Bleu cheese is actually wonderful in cheesecake! You may have seen this on the menu at your favorite restaurant. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
2 (8 ounce) pkgs cream cheese
2 c Castello Soft Blue Cheese
1 c sour cream
1/3 tsp ground white pepper
3 eggs
1-1/4 c sour cream

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Beat together cheeses in a large bowl unil fluffy. Mix in 1 cup of sour cream and the white pepper. Add eggs slowly, mixing after each egg addition.
3. Pour into a buttered springform pan and bake for around 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
4. Remove from the oven and let the cheesecake stand for 5 minutes. Spread 1-1/4 cup sour cream on the top and bake an additional 5 minutes. Cool completely and then refrigerate overnight.

Compound or flavored butters are really easy to make. Try combining 6 ounces of bleu cheese with 4 sticks of softened, unsalted butter.

Quickly transform an All-American Classic! These stuffed burgers are always a hit during the summer. Serve them with French fries or a fresh salad. You can also check out this page for more recipes for blue cheese burgers.

Ingredients
1-1/2 lb ground lean beef
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 ounces crumbled creamy bleu cheese

Directions
1. Break up the ground beef in a large mixing bowl and add Worcestershire, salt and pepper.
2. Shape into 8 small patties and make an indention in half. Divide the cheese into 4 portions, shaping into flat discs and setting one in each indention. Top with remaining beef patties and seal edges. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
3. Preheat grill and grill burgers until desired level of doneness. Avoid pressing the burgers or the cheese will escape!

This recipe has a long list of ingredients but it's worth it! It's also really good for you.

Image credit: Stu_Spivak at Flickr

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
1/4 c crumbled blue cheese
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 c heavy cream
1/4 c milk
1 can diced tomatoes
1-1/2 c tomato juice
2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Splenda

Directions
1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan and stir in garlic, bell pepper and onion. Cook until onion softens, around 5 minutes. Stir in cheeses, cream and milk and heat until the sauce is simmering.
2. Stir in the remaining ingrediens until soup is hot, around 20 minutes.

This simple dip is not lacking in flavor! Remember, it gets better the longer the ingredients are allowed to mingle so let it chill for a few hours before serving.

Ingredients
1 c mayonnaise
1 c sour cream
4 green onions, diced
2 tbsp dried parsley
4 ounces bleu cheese, crumbled
Garlic salt

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, cover and chill until ready to serve.

Why not use the cheese in a delicious platter served with wine? This is a great way to relax with friends. Be sure to label all of the cheeses so everyone knows what they're trying! Go for a diverse selection of cheeses with blue, hard and soft cheeses. Here are some ideas:

Hard cheese: try something salty like Parmigiano Reggiano.
Semi-hard cheese: Gouda.
Semi-soft cheese: Fresh mozzarella.
Soft cheese: Brie or Torta Del Caser.
Blue cheese: Castello Noble Blue

Here's a wonderful side dish you can serve during the holidays! This recipe was made by Paula Deen and it's simply decadent.

Ingredients
2-1/2 lbs blue potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2 c heavy cream
1 c shredded Gruyere
1/2 c crumbled blue cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a baking or casserole dish.
2. Arrange potatoes in dish. In a saucepan, saute garlic in the butter until soft. Stir in flour and cook an additional 3 minutes. Whisk in the cream until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in both cheeses, seasoning with salt and pepper.
3. Pour sauce over potatoes, cover with foil and bake for around 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes.

This simple spread has only 4 ingredients but it lasts a long time! It goes wonderfully on crackers for the holidays.

Ingredients
1 lb bleu cheese
1/2 c butter, softened
1/3 c tawny port
1-1/2 c chopped walnuts

Directions
1. Blend first three ingredients together in a food processor until smooth. Adjust the amount of port, if necessary.
2. Stir in walnuts and transfer to individual serving dishes. Cover and keep chilled for up to three weeks.