Why You Should Add Horseradish to Your Blue Cheese Dressing

I am enthusiastic about blue cheese dressing. Whether on wings, a wedge, or a slice of pizza, the pourable cheese brings a delightfully salty funk to meat, veg, and carb alike. I usually keep my blue cheese very simple, but a recent trip to Clyde’s Prime Rib has inspired me to mix it up a bit.

If you have not been to Clyde’s in Portland, Oregon, know that it is a delight. It’s got semi-circle booths, a suit of armor in the lobby, and prime rib—you know, the essentials. I dined there just last weekend to celebrate turning 36, and it was pretty incredible, as was my order (wedge salad, prawn cocktail, prime rib with loaded baked potato, and crème brûlée).

While perusing the salad dressings, I saw that their house salad came with “horseradish blue cheese,” and I gasped. What an inspired combination. Sinus-clearing, palate-resetting horseradish is the perfect foil for all the salt, fat, and funk that comes along with blue cheese dressing. It’s a 10/10 addition, and I have no notes.

Even better, it’s something you can do very easily at home. Much like the addition of vanilla extract to salad dressings (a hack I stole from Bern’s Steakhouse in Tampa, Fla.), all you have to do is add the thing to the dressing. Done.

The amount of horseradish you should add depends on the amount of horseradish you can handle, so stir in little spoonfuls at a time to taste. Grab a jar of the prepared stuff and get to scooping, stirring in between each addition until it’s fully incorporated. Dip, drizzle, and drench as usual—though take care with wings. Blue cheese dressing is there to provide a cooling sensation when paired with wings, and this version will not do that.