Best Benedictine Spread

This Louisville staple is an easy and refreshing cucumber spread or dip and can be served with almost anything you could imagine. Dipping club crackers or pita and French bread toast points are favorites, but carrot sticks and pretzels are great too. We use it for cucumber sandwiches, spread it onto our BLTs, and use it as a sauce on poached salmon. You can serve it immediately or refrigerate it to firm up and let the flavors meld.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 10 mins
• Calories: 84 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• ½ teaspoon dried dill
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco®), or to taste
• cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons minced white onion
• 2 English cucumbers - peeled, seeded, and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 drop green food coloring, or as needed (Optional)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Process cucumber chunks in a food processor until finely chopped. Put chopped cucumber and white onion in a piece of cheesecloth and twist to squeeze into a bowl as much liquid as possible from the vegetables, reserving the liquid.

Step 2

Assure the food processor bowl is dry before returning cucumber and onion mixture to the food processor. Add cream cheese, dill, hot pepper sauce, green food coloring, and cayenne pepper. Process the mixture until smooth, scraping down the sides of the food processor bowl a few times to make sure everything is integrated. If too thick, add reserved liquid a teaspoon at a time.