Give French Dressing An Extra Punch Of Flavor With Blue Cheese

In today's dressing hack, funky blue cheese dressing meets sweet-tangy French dressing (not to be confused with Catalina dressing) for a when-worlds-collide fusion that'll change the condiments aisle forever. To take your dressing game to the next level, add blue cheese crumbles to bottled French dressing for an easy upgrade of punchy flavor. French dressing is already ultra-dimensional, combining sweet ketchup with smoky paprika, acidic vinegar, and savory Worcestershire. All that's missing is a funky umami note, which is where blue cheese comes in, adding tangy flavor and luscious texture. 

To do it, simply pour your entire bottle of store-bought French dressing into a resealable plastic container or glass jar, fold in a handful of blue cheese crumbles, then spoon this luscious dressing over your salads or other recipes as a flavorful finishing touch. Then, put the lid on and store your infused dressing in the fridge to keep on hand for future dishes. That dressing will be even more flavorful after sitting for a few hours or overnight. 

How much blue cheese you choose to crumble and stir into the mix is up to your personal taste preference. But, ¼ cup of blue cheese crumbles per batch is a solid jumping-off point, adjusting to taste if desired. For easy dispensing, you could even grab a funnel and a rubber spatula and transfer your blue cheese French dressing back into the plastic squeeze bottle.

This tip can also work with homemade French dressing. Simply combine your regular ingredients as normal, then stir in the blue cheese crumbles. If you typically assemble your French dressing in a blender or food processor, feel free to add your blue cheese crumbles during this step. Just keep in mind that this incorporation will yield a thinner mouthfeel compared to stirring in the crumbles by hand for interspersed pearls of funky flavor.

You can customize the flavor here by using milder cow's milk Stilton blue cheese or funkier sheep's milk Roquefort. You can also customize the overall texture by opting for thinner, vinaigrette-style French dressing or its thicker, richer counterpart. Creamy and thin varieties are available in most grocery store condiment aisles, and at a Walmart in New York, 15-ounce bottles of both versions by the Wish-Bone brand cost the same price ($2.67).

Now for the fun part: Serving. Use this flavorful dressing to finish your favorite savory salads, like this grilled summer shrimp salad with crisp iceberg lettuce. But, blue cheese French dressing isn't just for salads. It can be a bold dipping sauce for chicken nuggets or raw vegetable trays. Use a drizzle of it to finish a bowl of warm, gooey mac and cheese. It can be a glaze for baked fish or cocktail meatballs, or you could use it to dress leftover steak tacos since steak and blue cheese already make a natural flavor pairing.