This Vintage Southern Appetizer That's Easy To Make Is Bursting With Creamy Flavor

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The charm of vintage recipes is undeniable, hearkening back to simpler times and less complicated approaches to food. But they can also require things like gelatin molds, elaborate garnishes, or ingredients that disappeared from grocery shelves decades ago. Fortunately, one favorite Southern appetizer from yesteryear is a breeze to resurrect: the still-popular Blue Moon Inn cheese spread.

The creamy spread, associated with a once-famous restaurant in Montgomery, Alabama, basically comes to life with only sharp cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, Spanish pimento-stuffed olives, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and pecans. The preparation isn't much more complicated than the ingredient list, starting with the pecans. They get lightly toasted in an oven until fragrant, then set aside. The other ingredients easily come together, joined at the end by the toasted pecans and cheese. 

There you have it: Blue Moon Inn cheese spread. It works equally well as a dip, served with crackers and raw vegetables. The consistency is similar to classic pimento cheese, so you can easily slide this Blue Moon Inn rendition into a cold sandwich or hot grilled cheese. But unlike standard pimento cheese, the stuffed olives bring briny, salty notes; the bottled chili sauce adds tang and a touch of sweetness; Worcestershire sauce adds deep savory notes; and toasted pecans pierce the creaminess with a nutty crunch. Feel free to experiment with your own little twists, such as using any of the options on our ranked list of six Aldi olives.

It can be tricky following a vintage recipe on its path to retro fame. Some just fade away, while others quietly remain in everyday kitchens until a flurry of nostalgia-laden attention thrusts them into the limelight. The Blue Moon Inn cheese has certainly earned its spot in culinary lore, still appearing at modern supper tables, picnics, church socials, and happy-hour plates.

The restaurant behind this simple-yet-sassy Southern appetizer drags some serious history into the equation. According to the Alabama Department of Archives & History, the Blue Moon Inn stood at 1816 Goode Street in Montgomery, Alabama, first opening its doors during America's Great Depression. Franklin D. Roosevelt even ate there during a January 1933 visit to the city, shortly before taking office as President of the United States. 

The cheese spread became one of the restaurant's beloved specialties, with the original recipe most often credited to Cecil McMillan, owner of the inn and author of the "Once in a Blue Moon" cookbook featuring 30 of the restaurant's most popular dishes. A printing dated 1979, signed by McMillan, is selling on Etsy at the time of writing, and various versions crop up from time to time, including a used copy currently available on Amazon. There's no definitive info on whether the Blue Moon Inn cheese spread appears in that cookbook, but the connection between McMillan, the recipe, and the cookbook seems clear. 

Follow a modern-day recreation of the original Blue Moon Inn cheese spread on TikTok.