Made with a cream cheese, butter, garlic, and a collection of dried herbs, the spread (call it a dip if you want, we won’t mind) takes just a few minutes in the food processor to come together, and then chills in the fridge until it’s time to serve.
Herbed Cheese Spread Photo Credit : Aimee Seavey
Dried herbs are great, but they start lose their flavor after a year or so. I write the month and year on the bottom of my dried herb jars so I’ll know exactly when it’s time to replace them.
If you like, you can also use fresh herbs in place of the dried called for in the recipe. Just remember, when using fresh herbs you’ll want to triple the amount to get the same amount of flavor. Snipped fresh herbs also make a nice garnish once the spread is ready to serve.
Cream cheese, butter, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper. Photo Credit : Aimee Seavey
We used a food processor to combine all of the ingredients because it takes just a few seconds to get a smooth and uniform spread, but you can certainly use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula (plus a little elbow grease) and get the same results.
If making by hand, definitely let the cream cheese and butter come to room temperature before mixing. Cutting them up into pieces will also help speed along the warming (and mixing) process.
Herbed Cheese Spread Photo Credit : Aimee Seavey
This recipe makes a lot — about 3 cups. I had enough to fill several of these little glass bowls, which were handy to keep in the fridge and open up whenever the time came. Parties, Patriots games, movie nights… this stuff is a real crowd pleaser. I suspect it would also make a great sandwich spread or could even be mixed into a batch of mashed potatoes or most anything else that could benefit from a little extra flavor and creaminess.
Herbed Cheese Spread Photo Credit : Aimee Seavey
For parties, serve with sturdy crackers or veggies for a flavorful, spreadable appetizer. This spread is especially nice during the holiday season, when guests drop by unexpectedly or you have a lot of parties to go to. You could even purchase a bunch of small mason jars and fill them with herbed cheese for a quick and easy gift. Just add a box of fancy crackers and call it a day!
Herbed Cheese Spread Photo Credit : Aimee SeaveyThis post was first published in 2015 and has been updated.
Aimee Tucker is Yankee Magazine’s Home Editor and the Senior Digital Editor of NewEngland.com. A lifelong New Englander and Yankee contributor since 2010, Aimee has written columns devoted to history, foliage, retro food, and architecture, and regularly shares her experiences in New England travel, home, and gardening. Her most memorable Yankee experiences to date include meeting Stephen King, singing along to a James Taylor Fourth of July concert at Tanglewood, and taking to the skies in the Hood blimp for an open-air tour of the Massachusetts coastline.
