5 ORGASMIC BLUE CHEESE PAIRINGS TO TRY ASAP

A LITTLE SOMETHING TO COZY UP WITH

Are y’all excited for autumn? I know I’m ready AF for some thick sweaters, extra whiskey, and Halloween. I’m also ready to shift my bedroom eyes from the refreshing cheeses of summer to those with a little more meat on the bones. When the weather cools, I wanna get kinky with some blue-veined beauties. Here are a few of my favorite blue cheese pairings for you to get cozy with this fall. I’ve got a suggestion for every type of blue, but they’re all interchangeable. So go ahead and fool around with them, then let me know which are your favorite combinations.

FOR EARTHY BLUES: DARK CHOCOLATE

Dark chocolate has the right sweet-to-bitter ratio to tease all the best earthy qualities out of a rustic, barnyard-y blue cheese. Mess around with truffles, drinking chocolate, or even melt it down and dip the cheese right in there. My favorite combination is Rogue Creamery’s Smokey Blue, a lightly smoked cheese with notes of bacon and sweet cream, paired with indulgence Chocolatiers porter bar infused with espresso and barley malt.

Try in with Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue, Jasper Hill Farm Bayley Hazen Blue, or Stichelton.

FOR BOLD BLUES: BUTTER

All the extra fat in butter mellows that kinky blue funk and helps the complexity spread across your tongue so you can taste more of it. Use a high-quality, tempered butter and either mash it right into the blue or generously layer it onto a baguette and top with thick slices of cheese.

Try it with Roquefort, Cabrales, or Muffato.

FOR SALTY BLUES: HONEY

This one’s a no-brainer: sweet honey is the perfect counterpart to salty blues. For best results, treat yourself to a really good honey, either a creamed and spreadable version or one that drizzles, and pair with crackers or baguette.

Try it with Gorgonzola Piccante, Stilton, or Valdeón.

FOR CREAMY BLUES: BEEF

Ever had Roquefort sauce on steak frites? If not, then brahhhh—what are you doing? Blue cheese has a natural meatiness that makes sweet love with some actual red meat. Use a creamy blue for easy melting and pop it on a burger or a roast beef sandwich. If you’re feeling extra naughty, finish it off with a little bacon-onion jam.

Try it with Cambozola, Chiriboga, or Cashel Blue.

FOR ANY BLUE: STOUT

From creamy and mild to biscuity and funky, a rich, chocolatey stout will seduce nearly any blue. The combination of deep malty flavors and blue funk is a no-fail match made in heaven that makes for a perfect dessert or even dinner. If you don’t drink, a cup of black coffee is equally delicious.

Try it with Point Reyes Bay Blue, Sequatchie Cove Creamery Bellamy Blue, or Maytag Blue.