Benedictine

By Regina Schrambling

Updated April 9, 2025

Benedictine
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
Total Time
15 minutes, plus 30 minutes’ chilling
Rating
4(297)
Comments
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Benedictine, a quintessential Louisville, Ky., dish, is a cream-cheese-and-cucumber spread named for Jennie Benedict, the turn-of-the-20th century caterer who created it. Use it as a sandwich spread or dip but also as a filling for cocktail puffs or endive spears.

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Ingredients

Yield:About 2 cups
  • 1medium cucumber
  • 18-ounce package, plus 1 3-ounce package, cream cheese, softened
  • 2 to 3scallions, finely minced
  • 2 to 3dashes Tabasco sauce
  • ½teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • ¼teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
  • 2tablespoons mayonnaise
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

174 calories; 17 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 206 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Peel the cucumber, slice it in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Using the coarse side of a hand grater, shred the flesh. Place in a kitchen towel and squeeze out excess moisture.

  2. Step 2

    Place the grated cucumber and the cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in two scallions, then season with Tabasco, salt and pepper. Taste and add more scallion if you like. Beat in the mayonnaise.

  3. Step 3

    Transfer to a covered bowl and chill for a half-hour to allow the flavors to blend. Serve with crudités, chips or crackers, or pipe into endive leaves or cocktail cream puffs, or use as a sandwich spread.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
297 user ratings
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Comments

Sweet Swede

@LS Gourmet. I use my ricer to squeeze out the moisture of many vegetables. It works really well and I don’t have to wash a towel!

Echo35

What, no drop of green food coloring? Green Benedictine and golden pimento cheese tea sandwiches with rosy ham biscuits are the colors of the Derby! It’s a colorful celebration, as the hats can attest, so go for that all important drop of green.

Teddi

It's terrific on a good onion bagel.

Georgiann Peterson

I made this recipe last weekend. It is moist, flavorful, my entire family loved it. I used a bone in, 4.77 pound butt pork roast, all that was available. I took the suggestion for spraying the pot with Pam, adding a sliced large onion, a few sliced scallions to the bottle of the pot. Also I added about a 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar to the onions. Prepared the roast as suggested, roasted at 300 degrees for 5.5 hours without a lid. It turned out perfect with some crunchy exterior but not too much. We all loved the barbecue sauce, did not find it too sweet. Will continue to use this recipe. Served with pickled red onions and coleslaw.

Walt

WOW was that good.

Renee

Definitely make a day ahead!!! I went extra scallion, only 8 oz of cream cheese and added grated radish. Not sure why anyone would add green food coloring because the cucumber and scallion color it just fine. Delicious on bagel chips!

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