When you have a lot of cream cheese, you should make ____.
I overbought for a recipe, and now I have lots of cream cheese (2 1/2 bricks). Other than cheesecake and a lot of bagel breakfasts, what can I do with it all? I'm up for anything sweet or savory.
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26 Comments:
This is the easiest appitizer take one block of your cream cheese pour your favorie salsa over the top get some chips and enjoy. Another great topping is Boars head Vadallia onion sause with Triscuits. Also good with fruit. Dixie Chick
Dixie at 1:01PM on 09/23/07
cream cheese, mix in chopped fresh dill, purple onion finely diced, plum tomatoes diced, mix well, try not to crush the tomatoes. Refrigerator over night. Savory and delicious on bagel or good crackers.
elaine at 1:16PM on 09/23/07
to add on to what Dixie said - I often will take a whole brick of cream cheese, spread it on the bottom on of a glass pie pan, pour a jar of salsa over it and then sprinkle a bag of shredded cheddar cheese on top (about 8 oz. or so). Then put it in the microwave until the cheese on top melts. It is the perfect dip for tortilla chips and people love it. It always goes really quick when I put it out.
krispychikin at 2:53PM on 09/23/07
ooeey gooey butter cake by Paula Deen
http://www.kitchenlink.com/ch/2002/november/ladyandsonsdesserts2.html
Steamy Kitchen at 3:15PM on 09/23/07
Please try my absolute favorite variation on cheesecake: Cream Cheese Pie.
1 box of Lorna Doones, crushed
1/2 stick butter, softened
1/2 lb cream cheese, softened
1 egg
4 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 pt sour cream
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Mix cookies and butter, crush around the edges of a pie dish to form crust.
Mix cream cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla. Pour into crust.
Bake at 350 for 15 mins.
Mix sour cream, sugar, and vanilla and pour over the top of the baked pie.
Bake for 10 more mins.
Apicius at 3:58PM on 09/23/07
Make cream cheese frosting. You can put it on carrot cake, or muffins, a spice cake, or make The Barefoot Contessa's coconut cupcakes. Or you can make cheesecake brownies- if you go to allrecipes.com, or your favorite recipe site, I'm sure they have a recipe for this.
Mich23 at 4:58PM on 09/23/07
There are lots of hot dip recipes - lately I have seen a couple using chopped cooked chicken (one adds Frank's red hot & blue cheese, the other chopped green chilies, chili powder and cheddar.)
Like the ideas above with salsa, it is good topped with hot pepper relish and served with Triscuits or water crackers.
SSMom at 5:01PM on 09/23/07
If you go on the Kraft website they have a bunch of recipes featuring cream cheese as part of a pan sauce. Most look pretty yummy!
orangemiles at 6:09PM on 09/23/07
When you have a lot of cream cheese . . . you should make rugelach , repeatedly.
Karen Resta at 6:52PM on 09/23/07
chocolate bailey's cheesecake the recipe calls for milk chocolate but i make it with white and it is deliciously creamy.
IRISH CREAM CHEESECAKE
Yield:10
Crust
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup regular oats (not quick cook)
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Filling
2 cups whipping cream
6 oz white chocolate, chopped
1 lb. cream cheese at room temperature (light works fine, in fact I prefer to use it to counter the fat of the heavy cream)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup Irish Cream liqueur (Baileys or you can substitute framboise or hazelnut liqueur)
2 x large eggs
Directions:
To Assemble
For crust, preheat oven to 350 °F and grease a 9-inch springform pan. Pulse graham crumbs, oats and brown sugar in a food processor until oats have been roughly cut. Add melted butter and vanilla extract and pulse until an even texture. Press into bottom of prepared pan and bake for 7 minutes. Allow to cool while preparing filling.
For filling, reduce oven temperature to 325 °F. Heat cream to just below a simmer. Pour hot cream over chopped chocolate and whisk gently until smooth and set aside. In a bowl using electric beaters or with a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl often. While beating, slowly pour in sugar, again scraping the bowl often. Beat in cornstarch. By this time the filling should be looking a little more fluid. Slowly pour in Irish Cream and beat in eggs, one at a time. Pour chocolate mixture into cheesecake filling and blend well. Scrape filling into pan and bake for 30 minutes. Without opening the oven door, turn off the oven and leave cheesecake in another 30 minutes. Remove, let cool to room temperature, then chill overnight.
lexophile at 7:06PM on 09/23/07
Spinach artichoke dip! A brick of cream cheese (soften it in the microwave), a package of frozen spinach defrosted and drained, and 6-8 artichoke hearts, chopped. Add salt, pepper, parmesan cheese.
Now I want some!
charm city cupcake at 10:26PM on 09/23/07
I have had lots of luck using cream cheese to make savory "mousses" for hors d' ourves. Soften it up a bit and put it in the food processor. Then add smoked salmon, carmelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, or fancy stuff like foie gras or truffle oil. Put it in a bag with a fancy star tip and pipe on little toasts or crackers or serve in a nice bowl as a dip.
I learned this trick from a chef friend of mine who worked at one of those 'avent garde' Spanish places. He said 'Philly' was a favorite secret ingredient for making things that needed to be creamy and hold their shape.
coolname at 10:44PM on 09/23/07
Cheese cake...
Or glazing some cupcakes...
Sara - Piperita at 9:46AM on 09/24/07
How about a really decadent clam dip!!!!!
CambridgeFoodie at 11:23AM on 09/24/07
Thanks for these great tips! I can't wait to try these new ideas for appetizers.
btw- Karen Resta- I bought all this cream cheese to make that exact rugelach (which turned out great!)
LiveToEat at 11:30AM on 09/24/07
Toss a brick of cream cheese into some storebought pasta sauce. Doctor the pot with some more herbs and spices, and use on pasta. (or eat directly from the pot with a spoon, like I do.)
lorelei76 at 11:45AM on 09/24/07
btw- Karen Resta- I bought all this cream cheese to make that exact rugelach (which turned out great!)
Ha, ha! ESP at work again, undoubtedly, LiveToEat. :)
Here's a recipe for a simple blend of cream cheese and some other things which is quick, easy, and very nice on crackers or black bread triangles:
8 oz. cream cheese, room temp
1/2 lb. cottage cheese
1/2 C heavy cream
1/2 C minced fresh herbs, your choice (dill, basil, parsley seem easy to find most places)
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh garlic, pushed through garlic press, to taste
The name of it is "Coeur du Jardin" cheese. The recipe probably originally came from an ancient Gourmet magazine.
Karen Resta at 2:02PM on 09/24/07
Noodle kugel! This was the first thing that came to mind (before cheesecake, even!): http://www.recipe4living.com/Recipe/25082-CecesKugel.aspx. Seriously rich but totally worth it and a great way to use up your cream cheese!
recipegrl at 3:12PM on 09/24/07
this recipe for spinach quiche. is super easy and delicious - i've added all sorts of veggies, just whatever is on hand in the veggie keeper. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/2551
ceforrester at 4:07PM on 09/24/07
I made iced oatmeal cookies this weekend with maple cream cheese frosting that my co-workers raved over. I always play frosting by ear, so I think I ended up with a package of cream cheese, a stick of butter, and enough maple syrup and powdered sugar to make it taste right. Perfect on an oatmeal cookies or fall bundt cake.
LizNYC at 1:51PM on 09/25/07
Crab meat! Take your cream cheese, then top it with a layer of crab meat, then cocktail sauce
We have it every year at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is simply delicious.
kcorder3 at 3:59PM on 09/25/07
Mix hot pepper Jelly with some berry preserves(I like mine seedless) pour over top of brick of cream cheese! A great spread with crackers. YUM!
bisbee at 4:23PM on 09/25/07
Artichoke dip! You can add jarred artichokes to cream cheese or a packet of seasoning, etc.
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 6:20PM on 09/25/07
Oreo Truffles. Easy and decadent, and no one will believe you made them, or what they're made from!
Throw a package of Oreos (regular, not double-stuffed) in the food processor, and process into fine crumbs (or mash into fine crumbs with a rolling pin or meat tenderizer).
Mix with 8 oz. softened cream cheese until no white streaks remain; you'll have a uniform, nearly-black "dough."
Roll into 3/4" balls; chill for an hour.
Melt chocolate chips (white, milk, or dark) in a double boiler, or a heat-proof bowl over simmering water; dip balls in chocolate, remove to waxed paper-lined rimmed baking sheet, and chill.
macknitter at 10:43PM on 09/25/07
My mom makes this wicked delicious appetizer called a torta. You raid your local deli section to get some different spreads like olive tapanade or pepper spread or pesto and layer them with cream cheese, and top it with pine nuts. Mom makes hers with pesto and red pepers and she'll mix in feta for good touch and people are always begging her to bring it to parties
missjess at 9:30PM on 09/27/07
Crab rangoon.....put some cream cheese on a wonton sheet, top with some crab meat, pinch together & either bake or fry.....the ultimate appetizer!
mepolo at 9:22AM on 09/28/07