This recipe for potted cheese is one that is indelibly etched in my childhood memories. My mama would often make it for dinner parties, and I remember my brother and I being allowed to stay up late in our pajamas to help pass the hors d’oeuvres, which included rumaki, pineapple chunks wrapped in bacon, and this potted cheese. It was the height of elegance, and while we had to go to bed before the main course so I don’t have any intel on what that tended to be (maybe my mama will leave a comment and enlighten us) I still remember the deliciousness that was this tangy spreadable cheese in its cute little pot. Let’s go back in time and make it!It had all but disappeared from my thoughts until a couple of weeks ago when my mama made it out of the blue for another festive dinner, and I can’t remember the main course for that one either, because I was obsessed with the potted cheese.
It’s a conglomeration of cheddar cheese, sour cream, butter and a little sherry and mustard, with some capers swirled in for good measure. It’s ADDICTIVE. And when I asked my mama for the recipe and if I could borrow a little pot, she not only gave me the recipe, but she also gave me this adorable little blue and white pot. Which of course she had hanging around, because this is a woman who buys a couple of bunches of flowers at ShopRite every Friday and turns them into this for my house.
I KNOW. I’m a lucky girl. The recipe originated in a now out of print book called ESQUIRE PARTY BOOK which was published by the company I now work for, which back then was called Harper & Row. Bringing my entire life full circle.
She switched up a few things in the recipe, and so I have christened this recipe My Mama’s Potted Cheese, and I beg you to make it as soon as possible.
Cheesy deliciousness.
Print
Potted Cheese
Prep Time: 5 minutes- Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: about 1 1/2 cups 1x
Category: Appetizer
Method: No Cook
Cuisine: English
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons sherry
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon capers, plus extra for garnish
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Pack into a crock or a jar and chill for 24 hours.
- Garnish with a few more capers and serve with crackers or celery.
Hi there! I’m Kate, and I’m a recipe writer, food photographer and devoted bacon lover. I started Framed Cooks in 2009, and my mission is to create and share family-friendly recipes that make cooking both easy and fun…yes, I said FUN! My kitchen is my happy place, and I want yours to be that place too. Let’s cook together!
Boy, does this make memories!
The dinner that followed was sometimes
Beef Wellington or Koulibiac of Salmon.
“Those were the days…”
Ah, you were there!! Great memories.
Ok, I have just found my Friday evening at home “Happy Hour” snack! Have what I need to make it on hand, so bonus points there. Will whip it up tonight so it can chill out and be ready to help me chill out after a long week. Just realized the 3rd book in the Red Queen series came out this week so need to make that happen as well to find out what is going on with Mare and crew. And will have to hide it from the youngest teen daughter so I can read it first. :)
Oh, that book is SO GOOD. That book and this cheese and glass of wine is pretty much perfection!
Dude that cookbook cover is the coolest thing EVER!! If I ever write a cookbook I’m giving my cover designer that for inspiration. :) I love that your mom gave you a little pot to put this in. So cute. Sounds delicious!!
Right?? I love it!!
what can be used in place of the capers?
You actually can leave them out if you want – they are more of a garnish than a core ingredient – but a spoonful of drained dill pickle relish would be a good substitute!
Love you, Kate. Those were the good old days for sure. Making more of them as we go along but nostalgia–key ingredient……
We are!! xoxo
i’ve never heard of this, but it sounds very british. british royalty, actually! very interesting!
Sounds yum. What (non-alcoholic) ingredient can i replace the sherry with
I would sub in a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar…if you try that, let me know how it turns out!
Hi Kate,
Sounds like a lovely and yummy recipe for gatherings . . . will have to try it! :) I found the book (Esquire Party Book: For Entertaining Around the Clock) at Amazon and was wondering if it would be worth buying. Are the other recipes good/interesting? Thank you and have a nice weekend! :)
Hi Susy! I asked my mama about the book and here’s what she said: “I bought the book used with no dust cover, so it does not look like the one on Amazon tho it sounds like the same book. Mine says originally published in 1935, reprinted a number of times up to 1959 in my edition. It is a fun book to read, heavy on drinks recipes some of which are really interesting and inventive. Lots of good recipes and the ones I tried all worked. The book is a time warp! Menus with recipes and advice for entertaining morning, noon, and night There is a section called the works, more than 30 pages of advice on organizing your home and yourself for any kind of party you might consider throwing, right down to the attire that–in the day–was expected! As I say, a fun read. A lot of the recipes are attributed to well known restaurants or people if you are old enough, as I am, to remember them. So, yes, if you enjoy cookbooks and reminiscing, cooking classics and some not so classic, do buy it and enjoy it. When I start getting rid of my hundreds of cookbooks, this is probably one I will keep. Even for the illustrations……”
Hi Kate,
Tell your mama I said thank you! And thank you, too, for the detailed answer! I just went ahead and bought it on Amazon (1st edition, 1965). I found this link on Flickr with photos taken from some of the pages in the book, so that gave me a better idea about it and it really looks like a fun book. Happy Easter! :)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157621962894177/
Hi Kate,
Tell your mama I said “thank you!” And thank you, too, for your fast and detailed answer! I just went ahead and bought the book from Amazon (it said 1st edition, 1965). After I wrote to you I found a link on Flickr showing pages from the book and I thought it was fun (loved the illustrations) and saw some of the recipes, as well. Happy Easter! :)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157621962894177/
Oh yay! It does look like such a fun book – hope you had a wonderful Easter, Susy! :)