I was looking for something different to make for an appetizer and this dip turned out to be perfect. It is just right for cooler fall days and nights.
The base of the dip is sweet potatoes. I love the earthy orange color so make sure that your sweet potatoes are orange on the inside. Did you know that the inside flesh of sweet potato can also be white or purple? You can bake the sweet potatoes a few days in advance and store them covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the dip.
I was wandering around the cheese section at my local Wegmans perusing the blue cheese options when Pat the Cheesemonger asked what I was looking for. I shared that I was making a sweet potato-blue cheese dip and we began discussing what might work best. He recommended a milky mild blue cheese so that it didn’t overpower the sweet potatoes. He was right as it paired perfectly. If you know your crowd loves a strong blue, then I’d experiment with a more intense one like a gorgonzola.
Years ago Pat was on a tour that I gave at the Wharton Esherick Museum where I volunteer. A few days later I ran into him in the cheese area in Wegmans. It’s always good to have a connection with someone who knows their cheese, plus it’s fun to chat about the Wharton Esherick Museum when I see him. I promised Pat that I’d report back once I’d made the dip and I’m happy that I can give him a good report.
Once the sweet potatoes are baked and cooled, simply add all of the ingredients to a food processor or blender. Once smooth, transfer it to a bowl and top it with freshly cut chives, a few blue cheese crumbles or toasted nuts such as walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts. The sweet potatoes make for a very smooth and creamy dip base. I served it with potato chips (thick enough for dipping) and pieces of celery (carrots would work well too). It has a nice sweet (from the sweet potatoes) and tangy (from the blue cheese) flavor.
Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free Note: Good news for those on a gluten-free diet as blue cheese has been found to have no traces of detectable gluten. Check out The Spruce’s article Blue Cheese Is Gluten-Free: A Research Update.
Looking for another fall-inspired dip? Try Riegl Palate’s Butternut Squash-Sage-Goat Cheese Spread.
| Sweet Potato-Blue Cheese Dip | Print |
- 3 to 4 medium sweet potatoes (~ 2-1/2 pounds)
- 5 ounces mild blue cheese, crumbled (see Notes)
- 3 ounces cream cheese
- ⅓ cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- Garnish with freshly chopped chives, a few blue cheese crumbles and/or toasted walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts
- Serve with potato chips (thick enough for dipping) and/or celery and carrots
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Clean sweet potatoes and place on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Do not poke sweet potatoes with a fork. Bake until tender, about an hour. Remove from the oven and let cool. (You can prepare the sweet potatoes up to 2 days in advance – once cooled, place in a sealed container or bag in the refrigerator.)
- Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop the flesh out of the skins and place in a food processor or blender. Discard the skins.
- Add almost all of the blue cheese (save a few crumbles for garnish), cream cheese, half and half, and Kosher salt. Process or blend until very smooth. Add additional half and half (to make it more smooth) and/or Kosher salt (to taste) if needed.
- Transfer dip to a small bowl and garnish with freshly chopped chives, a few blue cheese crumbles and/or toasted walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts. Serve with potato chips (thick enough for dipping) and/or celery and carrots.
- Dip can be made one day in advance and refrigerated. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.
Source: Variation on recipe from Bon Appétit, October, 2022
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