For 5 years my husband was variously vice president, president and ceo of Maytag Blue Cheese company...
I make a blue cheese pecan spread....like so.
8 oz cream cheese
2 T cream or milk
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsps. worchestershire
Beat ( I use a hand mixer) until smooth.
Add
1/4 cup grated good quality cheddar ( I recommend Maytag White Cheddar)
2 to 3 oz crumbled Maytag Blue cheese.
1 oz ( 2 tablespoons) dry sherry wine.
1/2 cup chopped pecans

beat and add milk or cream to thin to spreading consistency or chill as is and roll in more pecans to form a cheese ball.

ooooh, thanks, LIndaC. I love Maytag Blue Cheese. I'll pick up the ingredients today at the grocery, all but the Maytag White Cheddar. Although I can get Maytag Blue Cheese, I've never seen Maytag White Cheddar in either of our groceries (we are so far out in the sticks we only have Walmart and one other grocery store). I'll just substitute another quality white cheddar.

Good idea, laceyvail! A light toasting of the pecans can only enhance their flavor!

Nevertheless, I wonder how to make the TJ spread. It doesn't have cheddar or garlic or Worchestershire sauce.

I meant 35 years....typo much!
never tasted the TJ's spread. But I'll bet you could make a good replica by mixing 4 oz cream cheese with 4 oz sour cream and 2 oz blue cheese crumbled and 1/2 cup toasted pecans....and a couple of tablespoons of mayo. I am guessing that the oils, lemon and water were intended to do what mayo would do but without the storage problems that the eggs in mayo might give.

Whew! Glad to see that 35 instead of 5. I thought he must have been some sort of wunderkind who blasted through all of those jobs quickly. Left me a little concerned. Thanks for your thoughts on how to replicate the TJ spread. I've got dinner guests tomorrow night and weekend houseguests starting on Friday. It will give me an opportunity to try both styles of spread!

I make a spread like this with blue cheese, (gorgonzola) cream cheese and toasted walnuts. The original recipe called for marscapone cheese but I actually use neufchatel to shave a few calories. I wing it. I wouldn't worry too much about the oils and lemon juice, even salt. Just add to taste if you find it needs something. I love it just plain.

Lpink, what are your proportions?

I'm not lpink but I sure have made many blue cheese spreads and dips. The proportions would depend oh now "blue-cheesy" you like your spreads. I have made them with more than half blue cheese and some with just a tablespoon in a 3 oz package of cream cheese.
A current trend seems to be to serve something sweet with blue cheese. Honey, maple syrup and Maytag is selling a sweet pecan pie filling or ice cream topping stuff. I often serve it with jalapeno jelly or a spicy raspberry jam.

What Linda said. I tend to make mine light on the gorgonzola because it is high fat, high calorie, pricey and I worry about such things. I'm thinking I go about 2/3 neufchatel and 1/3 gorgonzola. But I think it will also depend on how tangy your blue cheese is. Gorgonzola is not extremely tangy, it is very rich. You can always add more . . .

bbstx, I wouldn't get too wrapped up in trying to use the oils/water/lemon juice to replicate the TJ dip. I think that recipes must be altered in odd ways to achieve the correct texture/taste/shelf-life when being made in large production batches... and the manufacturer is always trying to find ways to cut costs and increase profit!

Yeah, a plop of mayo never hurt anything and might give you the results you're looking for. I sometimes add it to my home made hummus if it seems a little dry and off tasting.

Party, I agree that it's near impossible to replicate store brand products. Bbstx, your friend is very kind to bring you nonperishables. Is it possible to provide dry ice in a container for the dip's trip home? Just an occasional treat, of course…...

Thanks all. Things got hectic and didn't work out as planned and I didn't make any of the recipes for the blue cheese spread, although I have the ingredients. I'll give this another go when I have houseguests again in about 3 weeks. Stay tuned.....

This is what I've put together

4 oz blue cheese

2 oz cream cheese

1 oz toasted pecans

1/2 Tablespoon mayo (appx)

2 Tablespoons Greek yogurt (appx)

Let cheeses come to room temperature. Finely chop toasted pecans in mini-food processor. Add other ingredients to FP. Whirl until combined.

I haven't tried it on crackers yet. But the bit I tasted off of a spoon was pretty good! It is in the fridge "mellowing." Will serve tomorrow withTJ's Raisin Rosemary Crisps. They give the sweet note that Lindac referenced.

I'm pretty sure the cheese won't be spreadable unless I let it come to room temp. It was pretty stiff but I didn't want to add more mayo or yogurt for fear of greatly changing the taste.

A teaspoon or so of a sherry wine will soften it a bit and add a nice flavor....and I would like another strong note...I use a bit of garlic powder ( for your quantity, only add 1/8 teaspoon) of a dash of worchestershire.
But whatever it will be lovely on those rosemary/cranberry crackers!

Thanks! Can you let us know how it fared the day after? I got some and it was spoiled upon opening. So a homemade version would be welcomed.

Thanks, Linda. I love the flavor of sherry in almost anything. I'll add that then see if I need any other flavor.

Nanny, that is so disappointing. :-( But it is also a reason that I don't ask my friend to bring me the Blue Cheese Pecan spread from TJ's when he brings me non-perishables. He's a nice guy but a bit casual about refrigeration.

In the rush of things, I forgot to add the sherry. I don't think it mattered. When everyone left for dinner, it looked like the bowl had been licked clean! Next time, I hope I remember to add the sherry.

Thanks bbstx, the TJ one is totally ruined for me (ugh, that was so noxious) so your recipe is most welcome!

Blue cheese, cream cheese and toasted pecans....what's not to like!

It makes me think of Christmas flavours - in England, we traditionally eat Stilton cheese with a glass of port so I think I'll keep these recipes for a xmas dip.

I don't know about the taste of Maytag, but there are many blue cheeses with various levels of sharpness. That's why I use gorgonzola in mine, I think it has a sweeter milder flavor. I'll have to try it with sherry next time, I inherited a bottle from my parents house. It was sitting there for maybe years, and I've been using it in various recipes lately. It's off-topic, but I'm going to add that the sherry was AWESOME in strawberry preserves!

Upon reflection, I will take your suggestion pinkmountain. I need to mellow that TJ memory.

The means of making Gorgonzola are in most cases very similar to making Maytag blue cheese, full fat milk, set with a bacteria, drained salted and inoculated with penicillum roqueforti. Some gorgonzola is inoculated with a different mold. The difference comes in the aging....and know that as all blue cheeses are not the same, certainly neither are all gorgonzolas. I have been to a taste testing of gorgonzola's a mile long...huge differences in sharpness, texture, color and sweetness. If you found one you like, good. But don't eliminate blue cheeses just because you found one too sharp or soapy or bland or crumbly.

Thanks for clarifying, lindac. I've never had a blue cheese I didn't love till that rancid TJ carton. I'll go to WF and taste test the gorgonzolas, aiming for one that fits pink mountain's description.

Nannygoats, taste test the Maytag Blue while you are tasting.

Oh yes, I was amazed by the difference in blue cheeses when I lived near a good cheese monger (well actually it was the cheese section at Wegman's and the local "farm market" but I like saying "cheese monger.") I used to think I didn't like blue cheese because all I had ever had was Roquefort.

I went to the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills--it's a cheese cave with a seriously STRONG smell of cheese with an extensive selection and generous samples. The monger ( owner?) was stunned when I told him what I wanted to do with the Maytag--such a waste of a great table cheese. Before I knew it, I left with more cheese and less money than I had intended. Thanks for the suggestion, Lindac!

LOL!! Glad you like my favorite blue!