Benedictine

By Regina Schrambling

Updated April 10, 2025

Benedictine
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
Total Time
15 minutes, plus 30 minutes’ chilling
Rating
4(209)
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.

Featured in: Bluegrass Flavor

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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.

Ratings

4 out of 5
209 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.

Moses

For the sake of authenticity please note that the original recipe, as reported by the Louisville Courier-Journal and NPR, included a few drops of green colouring. Since this dish has celebrated its quasquicentennial, it has gone through some changes. Ironically the original called for cucumber juice which is what is discarded in the modern version when the grated cucumbers are drained.

CalGal

Would go well on a lavosh roll with veggies

Lucy

This is crazy good- on bread, tortilla chips, crackers, or just licked off my finger.

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