Beyond Bagels: Delicious Ways to Enjoy Cream Cheese
Cream cheese is versatile beyond bagels, ideal for crackers, sandwiches, wraps, dips, sauces, mashed potatoes, stuffed chicken, and even in soups. It shines in desserts like cheesecake, truffles, and frosting, adding creaminess to sweet and savory dishes alike. Experiment with it in various culinary creations for added flavor and texture.
How Can You Use Cream Cheese as a Savory Ingredient?
If you are only using cream cheese as a topping for bagels, you are missing out on a lot of opportunities to create some delicious savory dishes!
Let me tell you about some of my favorite ideas!
Here’s a quick and easy way to make a weeknight dinner that is also good enough for special occasions.
Simply mix fresh spinach and garlic into the cream cheese and use it as a stuffing in skinless, boneless chicken breasts.
Add shredded cheese of your choice to the breadcrumbs to cover the chicken in a crispy coating.
Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown, with a delicious, oozy filling!
How about adding a flavorful twist to your mashed potatoes?
The cheese will blend easily into the potatoes, adding extra creaminess.
Another option for your cream cheese is to make it the base ingredient of a tasty dip.
Try it with bold flavors such as buffalo chicken or artichoke and spinach.
I bet you have never thought of using cream cheese in a soup!
It can jazz up a tin of ready-made tomato soup, giving it that home-cooked flavor.
Simply heat the soup as normal, add as much cream cheese as desired, and blend until smooth.
If you enjoy savory cheese dishes, check out my article on pizza mozzarella.
How to Use Cream Cheese as a Sweet Ingredient?
Perhaps you have never thought of cream cheese being suitable for a dessert!
But I can assure you, it works.
I have had great success making mini cheesecakes with an easy graham cracker crust and a selection of fruit toppings.
It’s a baked recipe and needs to be cooked after mixing cream cheese, eggs, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.
You can use a muffin tin and use crushed crackers as the base.
Try it with blueberries or strawberries.
These go down a storm at parties!
You can also use cream cheese to make the frosting by adding powdered sugar and vanilla flavoring.
Surprisingly, a pinch of salt will enhance the taste.
Simply beat all the ingredients together until smooth, with no lumps.
This frosting is delicious on pumpkin bread, cupcakes, red velvet cake, and carrot cake.
How about mixing cream cheese with chocolate? It’s a match made in heaven!
You can use it to add a satisfying creamy texture to fudge or truffles.
Or incorporate cream cheese in your brownies or chocolate chip cookies for an indulgent treat!
Looking for more vegetarian or vegan options?
Read my article on whether feta cheese is suitable for vegans.
Can You Use Cream Cheese as a Dip or Spread?
Cream cheese is easy to mix and soften, making it the perfect base for a spread or dip.
It works well with bold flavors and adds a creamy, tangy flavor.
An unusual idea is to make a roast red pepper dip.
You can buy jars of roasted peppers, you simply need to cut them into smaller pieces.
Mix well with the cream cheese, and add garlic and salt to your preference.
This is perfect for tortilla chips or crackers, or for something healthier, crunchy fresh vegetables.
Use cream cheese in place of butter for wraps and sandwiches.
Try adding fresh herbs such as chives or dill.
These combinations work well for a turkey wrap with tomato and lettuce.
And going back to our old friend, the bagel, try it with cucumber and smoked salmon!
The Best Everything Bagel With Cream Cheese
Key Takeaways
- Cream cheese can be used in various ways, from sweet dishes to savory treats
- For savory dishes, cream cheese can be added to mashed potatoes for a unique twist
- Cream cheese is a popular ingredient in sweet treats such as frosting and mini cheesecakes
- You can use cream cheese in spreads and dips, such as roasted red pepper or buffalo chicken
- Cream cheese can also be used as a spread for wraps or sandwiches with herbs such as chives or dill for added taste
So, as you can see, cream cheese is a very versatile ingredient, and not just for bagels!
What unconventional ways have you found to enjoy cream cheese beyond the typical bagel spread?