Make your own FLAVORED CREAM CHEESE?

[Emme]

I want to do a brunch over the holidays for some family members and want to include bagels and spreads. Those fancy bagel spreads are big bucks at the deli . I have about 9 packages of cream cheese I bought on sale for .77 a pkg and want to make my own flavors...

Can anyone PLEASE tell me they have done this before and give me some recipes~ I know if anyone knows it's my DIS friends...THANKS

 

[Jsme]

Here is a website with lots of ideas

http://7thspace.com/tasty_recipes/115661/flavored_cream_cheese.html

 

[Crystal0608]

I looooove cream cheese (my favorite food group), so this is a topic I might can help with!

I think they are easier to mix at room temperature. I prefer sweet ones. You could use the leftover sweet flavored ones to make stuffed french toast. I would prepare the night before to let the flavors combine. Try to add as little liquid as possible or the cream cheese gets too runny. If you have a kitchenaid mixer, these are so easy to make.

1. Sugah Sugah- 2 tbsp brown sugar (to taste). Brown sugar also thins it out when it dissolves, so I wouldn't add too much

2. Walnut Honey- 1/4 cup finely chopped up walnuts, 2 tbsp honey

3. Orange Pecan- 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans, 2-3 tbsp orange juice, orange zest (optional)

4. Strawberry- 1/4 cup fresh pureed strawberries (try to drain juice), 1 tbsp powdered sugar

5. Chive & Onion- 1 tbsp dried onion & 1 tbsp chopped chives

6. Pumpkin- from pinchmysalt.com - 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tbsp pure maple syrup, 1/4 cup canned pumpkin, 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

7. Sundried Tomato- 1 pc finely diced drained sundried tomato, 1/4 tsp basil, 1/4 tsp oregano

8. Veggie- 1/2 pack dry Knorrs veggie soup mix to taste or

Ina Gardens Veggie- 2 tbsp minced scallions, 2 tbsp finely chopped carrot,
2 tsp finely chopped celery, 2 tbsp finely chopped radish, 2-3 pinches kosher salt, 1 pinch finely ground black pepper

9. Plain- have little cups out of different jams/jelly & peanut butter in your fridge. My kids like to mix plain, jelly, and/or pb on their bagels. Good for a pickier eater.

A few other variations would be cinnamon raisin (with or without nuts), apple cinnamon, and raspberry swirl. Hope this helps!

 

[Emme]

I looooove cream cheese (my favorite food group), so this is a topic I might can help with!

Thank you so much~~~ They all sound divine!

 

[CTdiznymom]

I love the spread for our local Bagel place. It's cream cheese with chopped green olives. Yummy on a Rye or Pumpernickle Bagel.

 

[richs52]

I love the spread for our local Bagel place. It's cream cheese with chopped green olives. Yummy on a Rye or Pumpernickle Bagel.

I agree, it's very yummy and EASY to make. Just mix the cream cheese with a jar of chopped green olives and you are done!

 

[tripplanner]

My mom always made pineapple cream cheese when I was a child. Just use one small can of crushed pineapple drained and mix into the cream cheese. It is great!

 

[robb01]

Def. going to try that above recipe, yum

 

[iggbees]

i've made a key lime cream cheese ball before. it's more for spreading on crackers, since you put sugar in it and roll it in crushed graham crackers as well, but it was delicious. i just squeezed key limes until I had about 2-3 tbsp of juice and i added that right to the cream cheese. gives it a nice flavor if you like key lime pies.

 

[aanderson5]

I like mixing cream cheese with salsa, great as a dip or as a spread. I also add cream cheese to dishes like mashed potatoes and pastas, makes them that much yummier.

 

[Imzadi]

Wow, all these suggestions are great. I need to add more calcium to my diet & I would look at the cream cheese spreads at my local deli & as the OP said, they are just too expensive. Plus, you don't really know if they are any good until you've bought one and then tried it. I like the idea of being able to mix & control my own ingredients.

 

[prncess674]

Sounds like you have blocks of cream cheese, mix the ingredients in your mixer with the whisk attachment to make the cream cheese light, fluffy and spreadable!

 

[Emme]

Thank you all~ We will be in cream cheese heaven for the brunch

 

[jmpellet]

My favorite appetizer of ALL time is cream cheese with chopped green olives stuffed in celery. Add a little olive juice to the mix!

 

[prncess674]

My favorite appetizer of ALL time is cream cheese with chopped green olives stuffed in celery. Add a little olive juice to the mix!

The original poster was asking about bagel cream cheese spreads. What in the H-E-double hockey sticks does this have to do with bagels and cream cheese spreads for a brunch? Who is going to eat that appetizer for brunch?

 

[Imzadi]

The original poster was asking about bagel cream cheese spreads. What in the H-E-double hockey sticks does this have to do with bagels and cream cheese spreads for a brunch? Who is going to eat that appetizer for brunch?

It's for the low carbers who don't eat bagels but will snarf down the cream cheese & celery.

 

[Emme]

LOL~ I like the celery and cream cheese idea, sounds yummy. No one is on a diet, heaven forbid a diet through the holidays...lol BUT, it still sounds good. Thanks for sharing!

 

[jmpellet]

Geez, it was just a suggestion -- AND it would probably go great on bagels also. Works well with crackers, pita chips, etc.

 

[tinytink]

The original poster was asking about bagel cream cheese spreads. What in the H-E-double hockey sticks does this have to do with bagels and cream cheese spreads for a brunch? Who is going to eat that appetizer for brunch?

Really, please re read the original post, she is asking about bagels and SPREADS which jmpellet's recipe of chopped green olives and a little bit of olive juice can be used on bagels if that is the taste suites you.

Have a Merry Christmas and SPREAD some holiday cheer.

OP have a great brunch, I hope everyone enjoys your homemade spreads.

 

[Imzadi]

Really, please re read the original post, she is asking about bagels and SPREADS which jmpellet's recipe of chopped green olives and a little bit of olive juice can be used on bagels if that is the taste suites you.

Yes, many people put lox (smoked salmon,) capers, onions, cream cheese & a sprinkling of lemon juice as a savory topping on on their bagels. The sun-dried tomato and the salsa suggestions are also savory. Not all cream cheese spreads have to be sweet.

Plus richs52 brought the idea of the chopped green olives & cream cheese first. I don't think anything is wrong with jmpellet's post as he was conversationally following up on richs52's post.