Horseradish-Mustard Sauce for Corned Beef

New Year's Eve. 2023. Caleb banged pots (the tradition). Hazel was asleep by 7 (the tradition of babies). Ryan and I toasted with cider (the tradition). The ball dropped. 2023. The year I turn twenty-five. The year the second book will be written. The year Caleb starts kindergarten (maybe — depends on the school calendar at whatever base we're at). The year Hazel turns one. The year that stretches ahead, full of words and meals and the unknown. Resolutions: 1. Write 'For All the Donnas' (manuscript due spring 2024) 2. Interview twenty women for the book 3. Cook 52 new recipes (annual goal, always) 4. Teach Caleb to make scrambled eggs (he's ready; his motor skills are there; Mom did it with me at four) 5. Call Mom every night (non-negotiable, permanent, forever) The blog has been quiet this week — holiday pause. But the RecipeSpinoff posts continue (they always continue; the platform doesn't take holidays; the internet is relentless). This week's post: 'New Year's Eve Appetizers: The Military Wife's Guide to Low-Effort, High-Impact Party Food.' Spinach dip, cocktail meatballs, cheese board, pigs in blanket. Mom's appetizer spread, published for two million readers. Mom's appetizer spread, read by two million people. The woman who invented the spread would be appalled by the attention and secretly thrilled. Ryan has been talking about the future — not the military future (he doesn't control that) but the FAMILY future. 'Where do you see us in ten years?' he asked on the couch, post-ball-drop, pre-sleep. 'A house,' I said. 'A real house. With counter space. And a garden. And a kitchen that's bigger than five square feet.' 'Where?' 'Somewhere warm. Near the ocean. Near a commissary. Near a taco shop.' 'You just described San Diego.' 'San Diego would be fine.' San Diego. The place we've been near but never lived in. The place that feels like it could be home. Eventually. Someday. When the Marines say so. Made Mom's appetizer spread for our two-person New Year's party. The same spread she makes. The same dip, the same meatballs, the same everything. 2023. The year of the second book. The year of new kitchens. The year that begins with appetizers and ends with... whatever the Marines decide. Happy New Year. The pots are banging. The baby is sleeping. The resolutions are made. Let's go.

The centerpiece of Mom’s appetizer spread—the thing that makes the cold cuts worth eating and the cheese board worth raiding—is this horseradish-mustard sauce. It’s sharp and creamy and takes about five minutes, which is exactly the kind of recipe that earns a permanent spot on every holiday table and, apparently, in a RecipeSpinoff post read by two million people on New Year’s Eve. Mom would be appalled by the attention. Mom would secretly be thrilled. Here’s the sauce she’s been making since before I existed, written down the way she’d never bother to write it down herself.

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: None | Total Time: 5 minutes (plus 30 minutes chilling) | Servings: 12 (about 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons prepared horseradish, drained
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions

Combine the base. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream and mayonnaise until smooth and fully blended.
Add the bold stuff. Stir in the drained horseradish, Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix until evenly incorporated.
Season. Add the salt, black pepper, and cayenne (if using). Taste and adjust—more horseradish for heat, more lemon for brightness, more Dijon for sharpness.
Chill. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. The flavors meld and the sauce tightens up as it sits. It will keep, covered, for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Serve. Set out alongside sliced corned beef, deli meats, cocktail meatballs, or any cheese and cracker board. Works as a spread and as a dipping sauce.

Nutrition (per serving)

Horseradish-Mustard Sauce for Corned Beef — Mom’s Spread, Two Million Readers, One Bowl