"Light" Blue Cheese Sauce

I'm a big cheese person overall, although in 2010 I definitely discovered certain cheeses I do not care for, which surprised me. Cheeses like Manchego and Edam topped the charts, and I still find it so odd that Buppy and the kids both loved them. Ah, to each their own. One cheese I love atop a nice crunchy salad is blue. I'm not usually picky about what kind, although some are undoubtedly better than others. Recently, there was some on sale at a local grocery store (I love their discounted cheeses and meats), so I picked some up. While I really enjoyed it, we weren't eating a lot of salad before Christmas and I had no green olives to stuff.

Blue cheese, blue cheese, what to do with you? Lucky me, I received my newest Taste of Home magazine right when we got back from our Christmas vacation to Wisco, and there, in the "light" section, was a recipe for pork chops with blue cheese sauce. I figured it was meant to be. And what more perfect day to find it and try it out than for our New Year's Eve meal. "Light" blue cheese sauce on a nice, hearty steak? Yes please!

"Light" Blue Cheese Sauce
Slightly adapted from Taste of Home, December and January 2011, p.69
Original submission from Kathy Specht of Clinton, MT

1 green onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. jarred minced garlic (equivalent to 1 garlic clove)
1 tsp. butter
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
2/3 c. skim milk
3+/- Tbsp. crumbled blue cheese
1 Tbsp. chicken broth

Mix cold milk and cornstarch in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake well to combine. Add chicken stock and refrigerate the jar. In a small saucepan, saute green onion and garlic in butter until tender. Slowly add the milk/broth/cornstarch mixture and stir. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2+/- minutes or until thickened. Add cheese and stir until completely melted. Serve over beef or pork steaks.

The verdict? Very flavorful without being overpowering, which surprised me. I think I'm a bigger lover of blue cheese than Buppy, so I was worried it would be too strong for his tastes. It complemented the steaks quite nicely and had a smooth, velvet-y consistency. Overall, I'll keep this and make it again next time I need a quick, easy and delicious sauce. Enjoy!