Cheese-Nut Pâté

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

1. Cream cheese + cottage cheesetop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together77 recipes

   Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

2. Almond + walnuttop 2% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together993 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

3. Pepper + dilltop 4% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together1,630 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

4. Butter + cream cheesetop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together2,747 recipes

   Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).

5. Walnut + dilltop 9% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together61 recipes

   Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Cream cheese

Adds richness and a smooth, creamy body to the pâté.

Cottage cheese

Contributes moisture and a soft, spreadable texture.

Cheddar

Adds savoury flavour and helps the pâté set firm when chilled.

Ground almonds and walnuts

Provides body, a nutty flavour and a slightly firmer texture.

Butter

Adds fat and flavour, and greases the pan to prevent sticking.

The step that matters

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, cream cheese, cottage cheese, almond, walnut, pepper, dill):

1. Spinachfits better
2. Chivefits better
3. Lettucefits better
4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against butter, cream cheese, cottage cheese, almond, walnut, pepper, dill. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.