Best Blue Cheese Dressing + Heirloom Tomatoes

I used to work at a restaurant in college that was kind of known for it’s salad dressing. Weird but so totally true.

Store bought Italian Dressing and French Dressing (standard restaurant fare), homemade Ranch Dressing and finally, the piste de resistance if you will, what was known in our parts as The Best Blue Cheese Dressing Ever. Seriously. I think people came to the restaurant just for the salad dressing. In part because it really was delicious but also because of the way we served it.

The dressing was served in these stainless steel caddies that we’d put in the middle of each table after people ordered. Each caddy held four bowls- one for each dressing. You could spin it around taking what dressing you wanted for your salad. Or for smothering your bread. Or for double dipping your chips. Or for pouring into the not so stealthly tupperware you think you’ve hidden in your purse. No lie. Some people have no limits. But the real problem was that we only had 4 caddies. During the summer when we were at our busiest, we could have up to 25 tables. (You do the math.) People got down right territorial over the dressing and didn’t want to share. It was a waitressing nightmare. And to this day I still think of the double dippers and I can honestly tell you that I never once ate out of those caddies. Ever. I did however eat the dip in my own personal bowl in the back. I don’t even like blue cheese but somehow a salty Ruffles brand potato chip dipped into the blue cheese dressing was the perfect bite. And, yes, it has to be Ruffles. A sturdy chip to hold up to the almost dip like dressing is the way to go. I’ve done my research, folks.

The dressing is mostly sour cream based with mayonnaise, a little lemon juice and red wine vinegar, fresh chopped garlic, lots of black pepper and, of course, crumbled blue cheese. (If you want to make it a little lighter, feel free to swap either part of or all of the sour cream with plain greek yogurt.) It’s the kind of dressing that I never make the same twice. Or rather I never follow a particular recipe but I taste along the way until I get it right. It’s open to interpretation so adjust the ingredients as you see fit. Just don’t skimp on the black pepper, it really makes the dip.

It’s simple, savory, just a little stinky and seriously, The Best Blue Cheese Dressing Ever.