Fuzz is on a plane back from Ireland. She’s become quite the traveler, but I get a little nervous when my daughter’s 900 miles over the ocean, so to relax I made something Irish inspired — Blue Cheese Pecans.
So how are they Irish inspired? Well, Ireland happens to produce some of the best blue cheese in the world. Cashel Blue, in particular, is a rich and creamy standout that melts beautifully. But you don’t need fancy blue cheese for Blue Cheese Pecans. Any blue cheese will give the pecans a rich, salty, bold flavor. These nuts feel special, but take almost no effort to make. That, plus you only need 3 ingredients. I sometimes add a dash of Texas Pete’s (which is made in North Carolina), but that’s optional.
You can have these on the table, preferably the coffee table next to a glass of Zinfandel, in 30 minutes. The butter and blue cheese melt together to coat the pecans, and the quick bake helps everything crisp up and deepen in flavor. The result is a savory, slightly tangy, snack that’s perfect for parties, salads, or just eating with wine and wishing you could go to Ireland.
Recipe
Blue Cheese Pecans
You can use any type of crumbled blue cheese. If you only have a small amount of blue cheese, just scale the recipe down to match however many pecans you have. I’ve made as little as a half cup!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- ½ cup blue cheese — crumbled
- 3 cups pecan halves
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Have ready two parchment lined baking sheets (or one if you have a big one).
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In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and the bleu cheese together. Stir in pecans, and cook until they are coated.
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Spread out on one or two parchment lined baking sheets and bake in the oven at 350º for approximately 10 minutes.
