Whipped Blue Cheese Is The Funky Topping To Try On Your Baked Potato

Baked potatoes are delectable and comforting, easily serving as a side dish or a main course. Standard toppings like butter, sour cream, green onions, and bacon bits perfectly enhance their starchy goodness. But the popularity of potato bars shows just how many tasty additions can transform these otherwise bland vegetables. Your pick of toppings turns them into filling flavor bombs that are pretty much unbeatable. So why not get creative and try something new to accompany the classic starch? Whipped blue cheese is the funky topping your baked potato has been waiting for.

Like whipped feta, whipped blue cheese easily comes together by adding equal parts blue cheese and cream cheese to a food processor and pulsing until you reach your desired texture; add a little bit of milk if you'd like to loosen it a bit. It's flavorful enough on its own, but you can also add a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, a bit of garlic, or even a sprinkle of fresh herbs. The pungent blue cheese adds an unexpected twist, while the cream cheese mellows its intensity, creating a balanced, creamy spread that pairs perfectly with the mild, fluffy potato. Additionally, the tangy boost complements a variety of other toppings, from typical toppings like green onions and bacon to fancier additions like roasted garlic or caramelized onions.

Whipped blue cheese is tasty on more than just baked potatoes, so if you have extra (accidentally or on purpose), there are plenty of ways you can enjoy it. While it's perfect on baked potatoes, adding whipped blue cheese to mashed potatoes also creates a heavenly concoction. Instead of mashing blue cheese into the potatoes, you can mix the whip into already-mashed spuds and create an extra-creamy, extra-flavorful side that pairs well with any number of main dishes. Similarly, adding blue cheese to potato salad brings a welcome boldness to the summer standby, but incorporating the whipped cheese brings additional creaminess along with the punch of flavor. You could even use it as a topping for sweet potatoes.

Aside from potatoes, this spread can be used anywhere you would ordinarily turn to blue cheese. Take a cue from Martha Stewart and add it to toast, or create a delicious crostini and top the spread with pears and honey or a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Or use the whipped blue cheese as a topping for steak — a classic flavor combo that will be even more delicious thanks to the creaminess of the cheese. It's also fantastic as a dip for fresh vegetables or as a spread for sandwiches and wraps, adding a rich and tangy dimension to your meals, appetizers, or snacks.