Blue cheese is one of those ingredients that divides opinion. While some people love it, there are other people who hate it. I am certainly in the category of people who love this type of cheese. While it is often eaten alone, I think this is an extremely versatile ingredient that you can use in many different ways to use blue cheese in your cooking.
There are many different types of this cheese available, and each has its own texture and flavour. Depending on the variety you choose, you can add a tangy or creamy twist to a dish. It can also change the consistency of your dish. Here are 12 of my favourite ways to use blue cheese in easy recipes.
Blue Cheese Stuffed Chicken
Similar to a chicken Kyiv, stuffing a chicken breast with blue cheese before baking it in the oven means you add a delicious and creamy flavour to what is sometimes rather bland meat. When you cut into the breast, the melted cheese oozes out onto the plate.
Pork Loin Stuffed with Cheese and Herbs
Pork is another meat that works well with blue cheese. Flatten your pork loin, crumble some cheese down the centre, sprinkle with herbs, and then roll before pan-frying or roasting in the oven. Cut into thick slices to serve with the potatoes and vegetables of your choice.
Poached Pears with Blue Cheese and Walnuts
This may seem an unusual combination but it absolutely delicious. Poach halved and cored pears in a poaching liquor of your choice and then place on a baking tray. Add chopped walnuts and crumbled blue cheese to the top before baking in the oven.
Blue Cheese Dip
A perfect addition to a simple lunch and great to use on a buffet. Blending some of this cheese into mayonnaise with a little black pepper is delicious. Serve your blue cheese dip with breadsticks, crudités or any other dipping foods. This is also good for serving with a salad.
Steak with Blue Cheese Sauce
A combination of two of my favorite things, steak with blue cheese sauce is a classic. I make the sauce in the pan I have cooked the steak in while the meat is resting. Use the steak juices, double cream, crumbled cheese, and ground black pepper. When the sauce is bubbling, pour it over your steak.
Blue Cheese Soufflé
If you are a fan of soufflés, then you probably love a blue cheese soufflé. It has a deeper flavor and you simply switch the regular cheese you use for some stilton, gorgonzola, or another variety of veined cheese.
A Cheese Board with Crackers
Cheese with crackers is the perfect snacks when you are in the house alone and haven’t got the time to make a large meal. It is also a great way of using up your cheese if you have several varieties in your refrigerator. This is delicious with a glass of red wine in the evenings.
Blue Cheese and Walnut Salad
Crumbling cheese and walnuts over a basic salad make an otherwise boring dish more interesting. The cheese adds a creamy texture and flavor to complement the crisp textures and flavors of the salad ingredients. The walnuts add crunch and a flavor that works well with the cheese. You can use any salad ingredients you like. I usually use salad leaves, chopped cucumber, sliced red onion, and cherry tomatoes.
Potato, Leek, and Blue Cheese Soup
Soup is a warming dish that is perfect for the colder months. Potato and leek soup is one of the simplest soups to make and adding your favourite variety of blue cheese gives it a twist and an extra depth of flavour. Add either croutons, cream or crispy bacon to the top.
Broccoli and Stilton Soup
Another soup that you might like to try is broccoli and stilton soup. Boil the broccoli until it is tender, blitz the broccoli and cooking juices with a stick blender, and season the mixture with salt and pepper. Next, add in some crumbled stilton, add a little heavy cream, and stir until the cheese is melted into the soup. It is not ready to serve.
You can find more delicious soup ideas from our sister site Super Souper Ed.
Cheesy Baked Figs
Varieties such as stilton and gorgonzola have salty, tangy, and creamy flavors that complement the sweetness of figs perfectly. Cut a deep ‘X’ into the top of the figs and stuff a piece of cheese into the middle. Bake in the oven until the cheese is bubbling. Serve with a salad as a starter or as an accompaniment to the main meal.
Cheesy Mushroom Pot
Slice up some mushrooms and cook them on the hob in a little butter or oil. Crumble over the cheese, add a little cream, and season with black pepper. Cook over low heat until the cheese is thoroughly melted into the cream and the mixture is bubbling a little. Spoon the mixture from the pan into a small bowl or pot, and serve with some crusty bread.
The Final Verdict
Blue cheese is an extremely versatile ingredient that you can use in many ways. You can use it to stuff meat, accompany fruit, as an ingredient in soup, and to make a sauce. These are just some of my favorite ways of using this ingredient, but you can experiment yourself to find flavors and textures that work well together.
Do you have any favorite dishes that use blue cheese? Please feel free to leave your ideas and suggestions in the comment box below, as we would love to hear from you.
Article updated on 21st April 2020
I wouldn’t have thought of adding it to leek and potato soup, but it makes sense. It’s great in brocolli soup, so why not?
Oh, I love broccoli and stilton soup, too. I will probably add a recipe for that at some point.