I’ve got creative ideas for cooking with blue cheese in autumn:

1.  Meat & Cheese Pie

Meat pies are hearty sustenance perfect for autumn’s colder temperatures. I came across a recipe for Steak and Stilton Pies in an article on rural English cooking called “Butchers’ Banquet” from the October issue of Saveur. Beef stewed in malty stout beer is combined with mushrooms, English Stilton, and peas under a puff pastry crust. Like the taming of the shrew, comforting and full flavored beef stew take the edge off pungent blue cheese but its boldness can still be tasted.

2.  Gratin

The newly released cookbook, Homemade, is a treasure trove of rustic, flavorful recipes with inspiring food styling and illustrations. The recipe for Fried Salsify and Carrot Au Gratin with Gorgonzola is a rich  dish of roasted sweet root vegetables covered in a gooey, pungent blue cheese sauce. It’s best served alongside lamb or beef roast with plenty of bread for sopping up sauce. And you won’t believe the aroma coming from your oven as the cheese melts and browns- it will drive you mad, in a good way.

3.  Crostini

This recipe for blue cheese crostini by Janet Fletcher over at Bon Appétit uses a drizzle of sweet honey to tame the pungency of the cheese. Play with textures by spreading creamy blue cheese over toasted baguette with a bit of honey and some crunchy hazelnuts.

4.  Compound Butter

In Barefoot in Paris, Ina Garten offers compound butter as a way to avoid tricky last-minute sauces while still adding flavor to grilled veal chops. Her compound butter made with Roquefort blue cheese can be made days in advance and even kept in the freezer. Just beat softened butter with the cheese and scallions then roll into a log shape and wrap in parchment paper before storing. Serve grilled veal, beef, or lamb chops with a slice of the flavorful butter and watch is it melts, cloaking the meat with cheesy goodness.

5.  Simple Pasta Sauce

Laura Calder includes a quick and simple recipe for pasta tossed with blue cheese sauce in her book, French Food at Home. She writes, “This is deliciously creamy hot pasta and I love its sharp blue bite.” While fetuccine cooks in a pot of boiling water, blue cheese is melted in a pan and cream is whisked in until a smooth sauce is achieved. You don’t even need a recipe to do this! Laura Calder suggests seasoning the pasta with cracked fresh pepper. I think the blue cheese sauce would be nice over whole wheat pasta with crushed walnuts.

6.  Go Crackers

Nigella Lawson’s Irish Blue Crackers in How to be a Domestic Goddess put cheez-its to shame. If you’ve never made your own crackers before, it’s time to try something new. The process couldn’t be easier and you’ll have crackers rolled out and baked in under an hour. The recipe calls for Cashel Blue cheese from Ireland, but any crumbly blue will do. Blue cornmeal incorporated into the cracker dough adds color and humor. The rest of the ingredients are easily found in any well-stocked pantry: butter, egg, and all-purpose flour. What are you waiting for?

7.  Soufflé

The Blue Cheese Soufflé from Barefoot in Paris is decadent and grand, perfect for entertaining and making a meal feel special. Ina Garten writes that this recipe “really has the WOW factor.” She says it’s “easy” and not to let the idea of a soufflé intimidate you. The puffy cheese dish is flavored with a little nutmeg and cayenne for spice to break up the richness. Why not test your skills as a cook and give a soufflé a try?

8.  Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives

When I worked at the Black Cat restaurant in Boulder, our customers loved the blue cheese stuffed olives in their martinis. These flavor bombs make for a tidy appetizer on their own. Look to the queen of entertaining, Martha Stewart’s instructions.

9.  Focaccia

Blue cheese sprinkled with a judicious hand brings a savory note to focaccia bread baked with thinly sliced pears and caramelized onions. This recipe contributed to Food & Wine Magazine by Jill Giacomini Basch comes together quickly and easily, making a beautiful fall bread. With only 1 hour and 20 minutes rising time you could throw the ingredients together and have the bread baked for supper, no problem. I love the combination of sweet onion, savory cheese, and perfumed pear.

10.  Dressing

Blue cheese makes for a creamy, flavorful salad dressing with a bite. The classic flavors of sweet pear and bitter endive provide a nice contrast to the cheese. Jamie Oliver shares a riff on this salad in his book, Jamie at Home. I love his idea for grilling the fruit to give it a charred and smoky flavor. You can also find a recipe for blue cheese dressing by Martha Stewart here. Serve the dressing in a bowl on a autumn crudités platter with radishes, celery, endive, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots.

 What is your favorite recipe that uses blue cheese? Let me know in the comments section. Click Here.