What Is Stilton cheese and How Can I Use It?
Stilton cheese rewards a little know-how: how to choose it, cook it, store it, and substitute in a pinch. Browse 10 recipes to cook with it.
Key Points
- England's famous cow's-milk blue, protected to three counties; rich, crumbly, and mellow.
- Gentler and less salty than Roquefort, with a slow, nutty warmth.
- Classic after-dinner cheese with port and walnuts; also a great steak and leek-soup melter.
- Add it near the end of cooking; a hard boil turns blue cheese bitter and grainy.
- Roquefort or Gorgonzola swap in, both sharper, so use a little less.
What is stilton cheese?
Stilton is England's most famous blue cheese, a cow's-milk cheese made in only three English counties (Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire) and protected by name. Blue Stilton is rich and creamy with deep blue-green veins, a crumbly yet buttery paste, and a mellow, savory tang.
Compared with a French blue like Roquefort, Stilton is gentler and less salty, with more of a slow-building, nutty warmth than a sharp bite.
There is also a White Stilton, made without the blue mold: crumbly and mild, often studded with cranberries or apricot. When a recipe just says Stilton, it means the blue.
How to use it
Stilton is a classic table cheese, traditionally served after dinner with port and walnuts. Bring it to room temperature first so the paste softens and the flavor opens up.
It melts into some of the best blue-cheese cooking there is. Stirred into cream it makes the famous sauce for a Rib Eye Steak with Stilton Sauce, and it has a long partnership with leeks in soup, as in Leek & Stilton Cheese Soup.
Crumble it cold, melt it warm. Cold, it scatters over salads and into tarts or quiche; gently warmed, it loosens into sauces and dips. Add it near the end of cooking so it melts without boiling, which would turn it bitter and grainy.
Pairing and mistakes
Stilton wants sweetness and crunch beside it: port, of course, plus pear, fig, dates, honey, and toasted walnuts. It also loves a savory partner in leeks and a good beef steak.
The common mistake is overheating it in a sauce. Like all blues, Stilton breaks and turns grainy at a hard boil, so melt it gently off the heat.
The other is over-salting around it. Stilton is milder than Roquefort but still salty, so taste a dish before reaching for the salt.
Substitutes
Roquefort or Gorgonzola piccante step in for boards and sauces, both sharper, so use a little less and watch the salt. Danish blue is a cheaper everyday swap with a similar crumble and a stronger bite.
For Stilton's gentler, creamier side in a sauce, Gorgonzola dolce melts especially smooth. None will be exactly Stilton's nutty mellowness, but each fills the blue-cheese role.
Buying and storing
Look for a moist, pale-gold paste shot through with even blue veining and no dry, cracked edges. A piece cut fresh from a wheel beats a long-sealed wedge, which can go pasty and over-sharp.
Wrap it in cheese paper or foil rather than tight plastic, and keep it in the warmest part of the fridge so it can breathe. Stilton keeps two to three weeks; if a little extra surface mold appears, scrape it off.
It freezes for cooking, turning more crumbly after thawing, so freeze only what you plan to melt and keep the rest for the cheeseboard.
Quick facts
Where to find stilton cheese: Stilton cheese is usually found in the cheeses section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
- In Chinese
- 斯蒂尔顿奶酪
- British (UK) term
- Stilton cheese
- en français
- fromage stilton
- en español
- queso stilton
Recipes using stilton cheese
There are 10 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Stilton Cheese Soup
Classic English Stilton cheese soup: onion, butter, milk, and a generous handful of grated Stilton in a simple flour-thickened broth. A bold British soup ready in under 40 minutes.
Cheese Soup(Lanarkshire)
Lanarkshire cheese soup: a traditional Scottish milk-based soup thickened with flour and finished with Stilton. A humble, comforting recipe with roots in the Scottish Lowlands.
Sausage & Stilton Quiche
Sausage and Stilton quiche in a homemade butter pastry with crumbled sausage, Swiss cheese, and blue cheese in a cream-egg custard. A rich, British-style savory tart from scratch.
Stilton Mill-Feuille with Golden Raisins & Warm Walnuts
Stilton mille-feuille layers crisp puff pastry rounds with whipped blue cheese mousse, port-soaked golden raisins, and warm walnuts. An elegant dinner-party first course or cheese-course dessert.
Cranapple Stilton Bites
Cranberry-apple Stilton bites on Melba toast with port-braised fruit, creamy blue cheese, and chopped walnuts. A make-ahead holiday appetizer that balances sweet, salty, and funky in one bite.
Rich Leek & Potato Soup
Flavors of Stilton cheese, garlic and sage flavor this unique version of a classic rich creamy soup.
Stilton & Leek Soup with Port
Velvety leek and potato soup with crumbled Stilton cheese melted in and a splash of tawny port for warmth. A rich, quintessentially English starter ready in 45 minutes.
Leek & Stilton Cheese Soup
Leek and Stilton cheese soup made with a buttery roux base, slow-cooked leeks and onion, then blended smooth. A rich, creamy British classic with bold blue cheese flavor.
Rib Eye Steak with Stilton Sauce
Rib eye steak with Stilton sauce: grilled ribeyes sliced thin and served under a silky blue cheese cream sauce with green peppercorns. A steakhouse-level dinner built for a date night.
