Concocted by Jennie Carter Benedict at her Louisville, Kentucky, restaurant Benedict’s, this sandwich filling is easily transformed into a dip using a little sour cream. Our version sticks pretty close to the original but does not contain green food coloring, instead using green jalapeño sauce. It’s the perfect partner to a mint julep for the Kentucky Derby, but bring it out for all your other parties too; it’s a crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients

• 1 large English cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and seeded
• 1/4 medium white onion
• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon Tabasco Green Jalapeño Pepper Sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Procedure

1. Grate cucumber and onion on the large holes of a box grater.
2. Squeeze both with your hands to remove as much moisture as possible.
3. Place in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and press several times with a rubber spatula to drain the last of the water; set aside for 5 minutes.
4. Place cream cheese in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute.
5. Press on cucumber-onion mixture once more to drain out any remaining water, then add to cream cheese.
6. Add remaining ingredients, season with freshly ground black pepper, and stir until well combined.
7. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
8. Serve with pumpernickel toast points or crudités.