The first time I noticed this recipe for Benedictine Spread, I was looking for recipes I could serve at a Kentucky Derby party. I must say that the name of the delicious-looking recipe confused me a little because, as a Catholic, my first thought was, could this yummy spread be named after Saint Benedict? 🤣
Saint Benedict's name is associated with Benedictine College, a Catholic liberal arts college not far from here in Atchison, Kansas. I have a good friend whose children attended Benedictine. Little did I know!
Instead, Jennie Carter Benedict, a well-known caterer and cookbook author from Louisville, Kentucky, concocted the recipe in the early 20th century, in the late 1800s or early 1900s. It's well over one hundred years old! How I love a story about a woman entrepreneur! 💖 You go, Jennie!
Ms Benedict was renowned for her culinary skills and many contributions to Kentucky cuisine. Benedictine spread became one of her signature dishes. The yummy spread is named after her and has become a beloved part of Kentucky's culinary tradition. It would be perfect to serve at a Kentucky Derby party!
This deliciously creamy spread is actually pretty simple. It's made from cucumbers, onion, cream cheese, sour cream, and green taco sauce or green salsa. It's a tasty addition to sandwiches or served as a dip with veggies or crisp crackers.
We love it and plan to make it part of our summer menus rotation, even though you can make it all year round, thanks to our amazing grocery distribution system!
If you're going to make some, NOTE: Set your cream cheese out now to soften it. You're welcome.
Benedictine Spread is cool, creamy, and refreshing! It makes a great sandwich spread and is amazing on a crisp cracker like Wheat Thins.
English cucumbers, the long, skinny kind that comes shrink-wrapped in plastic, are perfect this time of year because they have fewer seeds.
When summer rolls around and fresh garden cucumbers are plentiful, I will use them. You need to peel them (but not quite) and remove the seeds. The only hard or time-consuming part is eliminating as much moisture from the onion and cucumber as possible so it doesn't get all weepy.
There's an easy, slow way or a quicker but messier way. Peel the cucumbers, but don't remove every smidge of the green peel. Part of the charm of this dish is the pretty green tinge. Split the cucumber and use a spoon to scoop out all the seeds.
Grate the cucumber and the onion. I found this to be amazingly fast using my food processor with the grater plate.
Easy way: Sprinkle a little salt, maybe one-half teaspoon, over the cucumber and onion, and put it in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl, and let it sit overnight in the fridge. Discard the liquid and proceed.
The harder, faster way is to put the cucumber and onion in a clean tea towel and wring the heck out of it by hand. Guess what I did? You're right, knock it out and get going!
Beat an eight-ounce block of cream cheese until it is soft and smooth, then stir in the sour cream and La Victoria green taco sauce. I'm smitten! This stuff is incredible for a born-to-be-mild girl like me!
Stir in the sour cream and green taco sauce until well blended, then stir in the cucumber-onion mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste, and chill for at least two hours or overnight to let all the flavors party and get to know each other.
I was so excited about this pretty Benedictine Spread that I took the whole plate out in the yard, found a fairly green spot, and channeled my inner Kentucky!
I was anxious to taste it, so without even giving it the allotted time to chill, I hurried inside, nearly spilling the whole thing. Oh yeah, this is good stuff. It was definitely even better the next day when I shared it with my daughter and her husband. 👍👍.
I think you should have a little Kentucky Derby party, even if it's just for you and your hubby or with the kids. You might enjoy my Fast And Easy Crockpot Meatballs and (adults-only) Cranberry Bourbon Slush recipes! Watch for my recipe for easy Kentucky Hot Brown Sliders!
Here is a Kentucky classic recipe that's over a hundred years old. Cream cheese, cucumber, and onion are the main ingredients! It's perfect as a spread or a dip for your Kentucky Derby party!
I always recommend full fat cream cheese and sour cream for the best falvor.
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