- 5 hours ago
Think cream cheese is just for bagels? Think again! In this video, we’re turning this creamy kitchen staple into 15 clever cooking hacks that go way beyond the spread. From quick pasta sauces and ultra-fluffy scrambled eggs to party-ready dips, appetizers, and even decadent desserts, these simple cream cheese tricks add richness and flavor to all kinds of dishes. Whether you’re looking for an easy weeknight upgrade or a crowd-pleasing snack, these versatile ideas will have you reaching for a block of cream cheese every time you cook.
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00:00Cream cheese is my secret weapon for making everything taste better.
00:03Here are 15 reasons you need to keep a block in your fridge.
00:06I'll start by showing you that cream cheese can make an emergency pasta sauce.
00:09By emergency pasta sauce, I mean cheesy creamy alfredo.
00:13I'm gonna start just by flavoring up a little olive oil.
00:17I'm gonna infuse the olive oil with a little bit of garlic.
00:20Could also go in with some onion or shallot at this point.
00:23I'm gonna add a little more flavor with some crushed red pepper and
00:27maybe a pinch of Italian seasoning.
00:29Now for the magic ingredient.
00:31You'll get by the end of this why I call this a secret weapon in the kitchen.
00:34As it melts, I'm gonna whisk it in with a little bit of pasta water.
00:37The starchiness will really help bring the sauce together.
00:40We know cream cheese can be magical, but
00:43don't forget how magical pasta water can be.
00:46It doesn't even add any salt yet because there's salt in your pasta water,
00:49cuz I know you cooked your pasta with salt.
00:51All that's left is adding your pasta.
00:53So cook your pasta before you start the sauce because
00:57sauce is faster than the pasta.
00:59In a pinch, cream cheese.
01:01Finish it with a little cracked pepper.
01:03You can add Parmesan cheese, fresh herbs,
01:05whatever you want at this point.
01:12It's rich and creamy with that little bit of tang, like I said.
01:15And what I also love about using cream cheese as a pasta sauce is that it's not finicky.
01:20This combined with that starchy pasta water, it's gonna stay stable and creamy the whole time.
01:24It's a good one, y'all.
01:27Did you know cream cheese can also make for the creamiest scrambled eggs?
01:31You do now.
01:32Simply scramble your eggs per usual.
01:35Sometimes you add milk to your eggs or other cheese.
01:39A couple cubes of cold cream cheese.
01:42You can either add it to this part while you scramble or once it gets into the pan.
01:46And as the scrambled eggs cook, the cheese will slowly melt into them, making for a really creamy scrambled egg.
01:53A little bit will go a long way.
01:55I like to kind of start with it cold and cube it up.
01:58Toss it in.
02:00Season it however you like.
02:02Just do a little salt and pepper.
02:04And now let's put this to the test.
02:06Melt some butter.
02:07Per usual, scrambled eggs on the lower side of the heat level.
02:12That way they get good and creamy.
02:14I do this with cottage cheese, so there's no reason why it wouldn't work with cream cheese.
02:18As the eggs slowly scramble, the cheese will slowly melt into them,
02:21and I'm making this really creamy.
02:23Look at this.
02:24The little blocks have disappeared.
02:26There's tiny little pockets of it going through, and they'll just melt in there.
02:30Look at that.
02:31Let's taste it.
02:33That is yummy, fluffy, and creamy.
02:36Looking scrambled eggs right there.
02:38Fresh chives, because we're fancy.
02:41Let's see.
02:41No chunks of cream cheese.
02:42I'm excited about this one.
02:47That's really good.
02:48You can't make out that it's cream cheese in there, but cream cheese does a lot of things
02:52you'll also see later.
02:53That subtle, sweet, and tanginess brings out other flavors and other foods.
02:58It adds a mild flavor that elevates the egg, plus just a hint of more richness.
03:04You've got to add cream cheese to your eggs next.
03:06I promise.
03:07That's a good one.
03:09Cream cheese can be the moisture keeper when it comes to meatloaf, meatballs, or burgers.
03:14Whatever you like, mix all your ingredients together.
03:16Then I'm going to go in with cream cheese.
03:18I'm going to start with it softened.
03:19I think it'll blend in a little easier.
03:22I'd say it's about an ounce and a half to two ounces of cream cheese per pound of meat
03:25you use.
03:26And then into your loaf pan, or you can just free form your meatloafs.
03:31I mean, it is a thing with meatloafs.
03:33Sometimes if you have too many breadcrumbs in there, it can really dry out.
03:37So we're going to see just how moist this stays.
03:39Of course, you've got to have the ketchup topping.
03:41All right.
03:42We're just going to bake this off and see how moist it stays.
03:45Our meatloaf is ready.
03:47Let's see how moist it is.
03:49I will say right off the bat, it didn't shrink up as much as it normally does.
03:54So it did retain a lot of moisture that way.
03:57That is juicy indeed.
03:59I probably should have waited another minute before slicing it, but let's see how it tastes.
04:06Mmm.
04:07You do taste a little creaminess in there.
04:10Super tender, super moist.
04:12It did the job.
04:14It's delicious.
04:16Did you know you can turn cream cheese into candy?
04:19You can.
04:20Remember being at your grandmother's house or maybe a baby shower way back when and they
04:24had those soft butter mints?
04:26Cream cheese butter mints actually is what they are.
04:30So we're going to make those.
04:31It starts out with softened cream cheese, of course, and a couple tablespoons of softened
04:36butter.
04:37I'm just going to give that a little mix.
04:39This really is one of the simplest things to make.
04:41It makes for a perfect addition to your spring party menus or great gifts.
04:46And then you just mix in a bunch of powdered sugar.
04:49Once it's nice and thick like this, you're going to flavor it up with a little peppermint,
04:52because they are mints.
04:54A little bit goes a long way, just a couple drops.
04:56And then you can have white butter mints, leave it like this.
05:01But the nostalgia in me wants those like pastel colors.
05:04So just a couple drops here also.
05:08You can divide the dough out and do multiple colors, which is what we usually do.
05:13So you can do a little light pink, a little yellow.
05:16Then you want to roll it into super tiny balls.
05:18So this amount of dough will make a ton of little candies.
05:22A little ball like this, just about half a teaspoon to a teaspoon.
05:25Fun little craft with the kids, and I'm telling you, these are addictive.
05:32You forget how much sugar's in them, because you just want to keep eating them.
05:34After you make your little balls, you just take a little fork and make them cute.
05:39Press down and just turn them into cute little mints.
05:44It's best to let them dry overnight, but at least a few hours.
05:46No cooking required, the easiest candy you'll ever make.
05:49And after they dry, look how cute these are.
05:52Cream cheese is candy, and watch, they literally melt in your mouth.
06:00They're so good, but how can they be bad?
06:03Butter, cream cheese, and sugar, lots of it.
06:07You remember my favorite food, right?
06:09Chips and dip, so this might be an obvious choice, but cream cheese as dips is the best thing ever.
06:15As a matter of fact, these next five ways are how to break out the block of cream cheese for
06:19your party.
06:20And they're not all as obvious as a dip, and this is a bonus, because you get a little recipe
06:24in this, too.
06:25Two blocks of softened cream cheese.
06:27Then to that, I'm going to add in some jalapenos, about eight ounces, about a cup of jalapenos.
06:32If you don't want it as spicy, you could use chopped green chilies.
06:36And then some shredded Mexican blend cheese.
06:40I really think this would be good, cold, just like this.
06:44To this, I'm adding in frozen corn.
06:46As it cooks, it's going to release some of the moisture into the dip also.
06:50I feel like you can also add black beans here, or drained Rotel.
06:56Recipe says to use two bags of the frozen corn.
06:59I feel like I want it extra creamy, so I'm just going to do one.
07:02And then just straight into a baking dish.
07:04And this just goes into the oven 400 degrees.
07:07Just before it's done, I'm going to top it with bacon and Parmesan cheese.
07:11Our hot dip ready and out of the oven.
07:14Finish it off with a little green onion.
07:16I mean, this is nothing new, but I just wanted an excuse to make a dip.
07:21You can see how creamy it is, plus the cheese that cooks around the edges gets good and crispy.
07:34I stay consistent.
07:36Chips and dips still reign supreme in my favorite food list.
07:40This is a two-for-one special because not all dips are savory.
07:44There are sweet dips too, and this is the best sweet dip.
07:48A simple cream cheese fruit dip, cream cheese, and marshmallow cream, two ingredients.
07:55And I feel like this is a blast from the past, like a 90s special.
07:59That's why I do it, because I think you forget about it, because I forgot about it.
08:03If you're younger than me, then maybe you've never even had it before.
08:06And then you mix.
08:07Of course, you want to make sure your cream cheese is softened.
08:10Wow, that was hard.
08:12The marshmallow fluff just really lightened up the cream cheese, so, like, velvety smooth.
08:18Hot, cold, savory, and sweet dips, thanks to cream cheese.
08:26Mm-hmm, mm.
08:27Still hits, big time.
08:29Oh, that's so good.
08:31A cream cheese frosting is my favorite kind of frosting.
08:33Something about the way the cream cheese kind of balances, the sweetness is unmatched.
08:38It offers, it's a scientific thing, okay?
08:41That the tang from the cream cheese brings out better natural sweetness from the sugar and whatever else you add
08:46to it.
08:47Look it up.
08:48Sometimes they're just cream cheese, sometimes it's mixed with butter.
08:51I do like when it is mixed with butter, because butter.
08:55You just want to make sure, no matter what, that your cream cheese is very soft, and so is your
08:59butter,
08:59so that they whip together well and it stays nice and creamy.
09:03Otherwise, you're going to get little chunks in there.
09:05Then gradually add in your powdered sugar.
09:07This is your cream cheese frosting, plain and simple.
09:10Now you can flavor it however you want.
09:11You could add in just simple vanilla, you could do almond extract.
09:15I'm going to do a lemon cream cheese frosting to put on some lemon cupcakes.
09:20Just subtle lemon flavor for this.
09:22And then if you wanted, you could also add in some yellow food coloring just to really, you know,
09:27heighten the lemon experience and let people know exactly what it is, but they're going to know.
09:33It comes out so perfectly creamy and smooth, but it's all about that homemade flavor.
09:39I mean, if you've got cream cheese on hand, you always have butter on hand and powdered sugar.
09:43You don't need to be by and store about frosting.
09:46Just to remind them that this is lemon, a little zest.
09:50That's a happy little plate of cupcakes if you ask me, and they're ready for your party.
09:54I could make about infinity party snacks with cream cheese.
09:58But for today, I'm going to show you salami antipasto bites.
10:04Okay, these are so cute and so easy to make.
10:07Also, a no-cook appetizer, and we always like those.
10:11These are also going to be better if you make them the day before.
10:14Simply take salami, spread the cream cheese over five pieces.
10:19Trust me, it just needs to be a really thin layer.
10:22Cream cheese is one of those things that when it is on sale, especially buy one, get one free, or
10:29at Costco stock up, because it used to be like a dollar, and now it's like five dollars.
10:35So then you stack these on top of each other, and then put one more on top.
10:39Build a bunch of these, and then just pop them in the fridge so that they firm up a little
10:44bit,
10:44and then I'll show you how we make them real cute.
10:46After they've chilled, we're going to cut them into little triangles.
10:49Basically, just cut it into quarters, and now you have these perfect little party bites,
10:53and you get four out of each little stock.
10:56Almost done, but not yet.
10:58I like to take these little banana peppers, give them a little twist,
11:01put it on top, and a little olive.
11:05Stab it with a toothpick, and you know what we call that.
11:09A perfect bite right there.
11:14Party food.
11:16Seriously, can you taste it?
11:17I mean, how cute are those?
11:19We're about halfway through.
11:20Have I convinced you yet the power of cream cheese?
11:23Well, I'm taking you to a block party next.
11:27If you have a block of cream cheese and just about anything else,
11:31you can have a party appetizer in under a minute.
11:34This might have started as a southern thing,
11:35but every southerner I know has a block of cream cheese in their fridge
11:39for emergency party situations.
11:41You've got people coming over last minute, need a quick appetizer,
11:45throw a block of cream cheese on a plate, and then top it.
11:49I'm going to show you a few different varieties, obviously,
11:51because I'm an overachiever.
11:54Probably the most popular southern pairing is a block of cream cheese
11:57with red pepper jelly on top.
11:59I'm saving my favorite for the last.
12:02Pepper jelly is what it sounds like.
12:04It is mostly sweet, but just a little kick from crushed red pepper.
12:08And all you do, I mean, is literally this.
12:12I mean, with this, you're going to get both sweet, spicy, and creamy.
12:17You might say you've known this trick,
12:19but you might not know all these flavor combinations.
12:21For example, something a little bit sweet, a little bit salty.
12:24You don't know if this is dessert or an appetizer.
12:27A little apple, maple, bacon jam, any kind of bacon jam.
12:31You can usually find these at the farmer's market or in the specialty grocery aisle
12:35or specialty grocery store.
12:37But I love pairing a sweet and salty, as you know.
12:40There are so many good gourmet jams and spreads.
12:43Even if you peruse the aisle at a TJ Maxx or a Home Goods, you'll find something good there.
12:48My favorite, this is how it all started for me as a kid,
12:52is my mom would put pick-a-peppa straight over a block of cream cheese,
12:58and we thought that was gourmet.
13:00I don't know if this is everywhere.
13:01I don't even know where this came from.
13:03Now, this one is a little looser, so it's just going to kind of pour over.
13:08And I find that throughout the party, you might just need to pour a little more on.
13:11You can always add other things to your platter, some meats and nuts, fruits to it.
13:16But you get the idea.
13:17And if I haven't convinced you now to keep a block of cream cheese on hand, I'm not doing my
13:22job.
13:26Forgot how good that is.
13:28For my fifth party trick, what would a cream cheese episode be without showing you how to make a cheese
13:33ball?
13:34Another classic that makes a great hostess gift or party appetizer.
13:39And what's good is that they can be made way ahead of time.
13:43They're a no-cook appetizer, and they last for a good while in your fridge.
13:46In with your cream cheese.
13:48Again, you want it to be softened.
13:49To the cream cheese, I'm doing a sharp cheddar cheese here.
13:52Also adding in some minced garlic and then some Worcestershire and hot sauce.
13:56This is probably one of the more classic cheese ball recipes.
14:00And another example of how the simplest things are the best.
14:03Just start breaking it all up and mixing it all together.
14:07The more you mix, the more the shredded cheese will get broken up into the cream cheese.
14:11Now this is a hefty size cheese ball.
14:16So another thing that makes this a good like hostess gift if you're going to somebody's party
14:20is that you can make this two or three cheese balls, which is what I'm going to do.
14:24If you're going to take the time to do this, do it for more than one occasion.
14:28You can just roll it in your hands. I am going to just put on gloves.
14:32You can also put a big old pile of it in some plastic wrap and mold it that way.
14:37I'm going to pop them in the freezer for about 15 minutes before I cover the outside and make them
14:41beautiful.
14:42Once your cheese ball has hardened a little bit, it becomes easier to handle.
14:46So now you just roll it in whatever your toppings are.
14:48For this, I've got chopped up pecans and a little bit of parsley.
14:52Looks beautiful, looks gourmet, and looks harder than it was to make.
14:57At this point, you can serve it right away or wrap it in plastic and keep it in your fridge.
15:01It's going to last a good week or so.
15:06Mmm, that's good.
15:07Cream cheese can be the secret weapon to making soups creamier.
15:11I'm going to show you how with this potato soup.
15:14This is just simply potatoes cooked with some chicken stock.
15:17Again, adding the cream cheese is going to substitute from adding either heavy cream
15:21or having to make a roux to thicken your soups.
15:24So I've just cooked some potatoes in with some seasoned broth.
15:28I'm going to give them a little mash.
15:31And then you want to add in your cream cheese.
15:33But you want to make sure the heat is really low or take it off the heat
15:36because you don't want the cream cheese to curdle.
15:38And it's also important that your cream cheese is softened.
15:41This way it'll melt into the soup better.
15:43I've got it cut into cubes.
15:44That way it just kind of breaks down a little easier.
15:46And you can add as much or as little as you want.
15:50It's just kind of melting in there.
15:53And look, almost immediately though, you can see how the color changed to a creamy soup.
15:59This really is the easiest way to make that soup good and creamy.
16:03That's just a good hack right there.
16:06Let's just make it pretty for you.
16:08Have you tried that tip for creamy soups before?
16:10I think you should.
16:16I know I keep talking about that slight little tang, but it does.
16:20It just kind of elevates it.
16:21Gives it a little more something interesting than just adding milk or heavy cream.
16:24It's a good way to finish a soup.
16:26Let's keep going.
16:28I'm doing a one pan creamy lemon chicken pasta.
16:32And the creamy sauce comes thanks to the block of cream cheese.
16:37Start with uncooked pasta in your casserole dish.
16:40Add in some chicken broth or chicken stock.
16:42Some uncooked chicken thighs.
16:45You could do chicken breast here, but you've heard me say,
16:48I think the thighs are more forgiving and you don't run the risk of overcooking them.
16:52I'm also going to add in some lemon zest to really bring out the lemon flavor in this whole dish.
16:58A little fresh garlic and some Parmesan cheese and a little bit of salt.
17:03Remember, you want to start with something a little bit salty so that pasta can absorb the flavor.
17:07That lemon smells so bright.
17:09Don't judge a book by its cover right now.
17:11Cream cheese is going to be the most affordable way to go here and it delivers a nice flavor.
17:16However, we've seen it done with a block of feta cheese as well as that Borsen cheese.
17:22Same method, but with the lemon, the cream cheese is going to be a nice complement.
17:26And you want to cover it tightly with foil because you don't want that liquid to evaporate out.
17:31You want it to absorb into the pasta.
17:32And this goes into the oven 350 degrees for about 40 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed.
17:38After 30 to 40 minutes, uncover it, give it a good stir.
17:41Watch that cream cheese melt and pop it back in the oven.
17:44Looking good and creamy.
17:45Give it one more stir.
17:47And then I'm going to top it with some panko breadcrumbs and more Parmesan cheese.
17:51I'll level one pan there.
17:53And we're just going to pop it in for just a few more minutes.
17:56You can turn on the broiler just to crisp that top a little bit.
17:59Sprinkle a little fresh parsley on here and a squeeze of lemon.
18:03And it's one of the easiest dinners you can make.
18:06All of that creaminess from a little bit of parm, but that block of cream cheese.
18:11Oh my gosh, that smells so good.
18:13A little fresh parsley and a little crack of pepper.
18:17Hot, steamy, light, and creamy.
18:19You can smell that fresh lemon kind of hitting it at the end.
18:22It was a good move.
18:26There's a 100% chance I'll be making this again.
18:29Like I know you thought it was looking too simple earlier, but the flavors.
18:32And that cream cheese, that cream cheese really was a superhero right here.
18:37That is so good.
18:40Make this.
18:41Is cream cheese the secret to perfect creamy mashed potatoes?
18:45Maybe.
18:47Let me show you.
18:48This is a high-rated recipe at all recipes for cream cheese mashed potatoes.
18:53They start out just like any mashed potato.
18:56Boil and drain.
18:59Then go in with some butter and the cream cheese.
19:02This is another time when you want to make sure your cream cheese is softened first.
19:05I like to add my butter and I guess at this point my cream cheese also while it's still
19:10hot before I mash it.
19:11That way it mashes into the potatoes as I do the work.
19:14I also like to do this part over the burner after you've turned it off,
19:18just so the extra moisture can evaporate out.
19:21All right, then you're just going to finish it off like any other mashed potato.
19:24A little salt and pepper.
19:26And then a little bit of sour cream.
19:28Really at this point it's anything goes.
19:29Now that cream cheese has melted in there nicely.
19:32You can't even see it anymore.
19:33You can add in some green onions.
19:35Have you done this one before?
19:36This is one of those times where you make the recipe and they'll be like,
19:40why are your mashed potatoes so good?
19:42You don't have to tell them.
19:43Oh, you and I know it's cream cheese.
19:45Number 13 is another two-for-one special cream cheese for sweet and savory fillings.
19:52I'm going to start with a savory filling that's perfect for another dinner entree.
19:55This is Greek cream cheese stuffed chicken breast.
19:59What I've got here so far, I've got cindro tomatoes, olives, a little onion,
20:03some spinach, and of course feta cheese.
20:05You can fill your chicken with just this, but it's going to get all crumbly.
20:09So that is where the cream cheese comes in play.
20:12This will hold it all together and make it easy to fill.
20:15When you think of other savory fillings,
20:16you might think of jalapeno poppers or even burgers.
20:19So I'm just going to mix all this together.
20:21And now all the fillings will stay together for whatever you fill it in.
20:26You could stuff that directly into a burger also or inside a pasta shell.
20:30I've got these chicken breasts here with butterfly to open.
20:34I'm just going to fill them up and then just roll.
20:40And then just bake them off.
20:42This is Sopa Pia Cheesecake Dessert.
20:45It's one of our most highly rated desserts at all recipes.
20:49And I just love it because it's that dessert that you can also eat for breakfast.
20:52So I've just got three blocks of cream cheese with some sugar in here.
20:55And I'm just going to whip that up.
20:57Also add in a little vanilla and you just blend it till it's smooth.
21:02And that's the filling.
21:03And you're going to layer it between two sheets of crescent rolls.
21:07Take it out of the can and roll it out slightly just so it fits into your 9 by 13.
21:12Place one sheet into the bottom of a casserole.
21:15Add your filling.
21:16This dessert might be cream cheese's best accomplishment.
21:19It really is the star of the show here.
21:21All right.
21:22And then just spread that into an even layer.
21:24And it's way easier to make than a cheesecake.
21:27But it delivers the same satisfaction for me.
21:31Oh, I think that's wrong, actually.
21:33I think I forgot the melted butter.
21:39Well, I screwed this up, guys.
21:41Drizzle first with plenty of melted butter.
21:44Then sprinkle on your cinnamon sugar.
21:46This makes like a crunchy crust on the top.
21:49Then this goes into the oven 350 degrees till it's all browned and bubbly.
21:54Our savory and sweet fillings plated up.
21:58Does this not look so good?
22:00Just that little bit of cream cheese holds that filling together inside the chicken.
22:04And you get little pops of cream cheese.
22:07And then that sopapilla cheesecake.
22:09I mean, the cheese to crust ratio is perfection.
22:13I will sample these for you just to make sure they're not poisonous, as my dad would say.
22:22What's so good about using cream cheese is it doesn't
22:24hide the other flavors that we added.
22:27It just kind of sits in the background here, but offers that good creaminess.
22:30So you still get all of the olive, the sun-dried tomato, that feta cheese in there.
22:35Now this, one of my favorite things ever.
22:38I mean, I love a coffee cake, but sometimes they short you on the cream cheese filling in there.
22:42Look at that ratio.
22:43Then you get that sugary, crunchy top.
22:47Oh my god.
22:51It's still one of the best things on the Alt Recipes website.
22:53I don't care what you say.
22:54If I had no worries in the world, I'd make this every single week.
22:58If you wouldn't tell me it's bad for me.
23:00Cream cheese as a filling is its superpower.
23:04You've probably heard of this one, but have you ever made it?
23:07Cream cheese biscuits.
23:08Cream cheese makes biscuits tender, fluffy, and slightly sweet.
23:13Perfect.
23:14So I've got my dry ingredients already in a bowl, which is just flour, sugar, a little salt,
23:19baking soda, and baking powder.
23:20Mix that together.
23:22Then you take cold cream cheese and cold butter, like normal, and cut them into the flour.
23:27I'm going to get the butter coated first.
23:29If you have a pastry cutter, this is most classic.
23:33You can also do this in a food processor.
23:35You kind of want to gradually add the cubes in.
23:38Not quite what I did, but it'll still work.
23:40Once your flour has crumbs in it, make a little well and pour in your buttermilk.
23:46The thing with biscuits is no matter what recipe you're doing,
23:49you don't want to overwork them.
23:50That way they rise nice and tall.
23:53When it just starts to come together, transfer it to a surface and then just
23:57kind of work it with your hands to form a rectangle to cut it out.
24:02You can already see how tall they're going to be.
24:05These are going to be some fluffy biscuits.
24:08See the little layers in there?
24:10I don't lie.
24:11I know a good thing when I see it and cream cheese biscuits are a good thing.
24:15Let's see how they look inside.
24:17I mean, look at that.
24:19Hot, steamy, so tender.
24:21I can tell before I even take a bite, but of course I'm going to take a bite.
24:29Look at all those layers, and this is just half a biscuit.
24:32Besides making them tender and flaky, it also does change the flavor a little bit.
24:37It is a different flavor than just your average biscuit.
24:40And if you love biscuits, you should try making them with cream cheese.
24:44Just saying.
24:45How could I do a cream cheese episode without bringing in the bagels?
24:49So I'm going to show you a simple recipe for a cream cheese spread,
24:52and then a little hack to make it even more spreadable.
24:55So I've got softened cream cheese.
24:57To that, I'm going in with some garlic powder and some minced scallions.
25:01So I'm doing the scallion cream cheese, which I think is one of the most popular varieties.
25:05And then just a little bit of salt and pepper.
25:07You can make this as simple or as complicated as you want.
25:10We're at number 15, so I'm going simple.
25:12Get it mixed up a little bit.
25:14Obviously, you want to start with softened cream cheese.
25:16But you know when you go to a New York bagel shop, their cream cheeses look so fluffy,
25:22sitting in those big old bowls in the case?
25:24Apparently, the secret to that is a little splash of seltzer.
25:28This is your hack.
25:31I think it's just a little splash is all you need.
25:34The effervescence is going to lighten the cream cheese as well.
25:37Oh, yeah.
25:39Well, that works, like, immediately.
25:40It increases the volume, too.
25:42I've heard about that hack, but I don't know why I've never used it before.
25:45Look at that.
25:47Regular softened cream cheese is not this spreadable.
25:50Wow, see that?
25:51You can even see a little bubble.
25:53I don't know if you can really tell, but it's there.
25:56I mean, it does look like straight out of a commercial, am I right?
25:59From dips and desserts to sauces and spreads,
26:02I have given you 15 reasons why you need to be keeping a block of cream cheese in your fridge
26:06at all times.
26:07What classic ingredient are we looking to turn up next?
26:09Let me know.
26:12I love cream cheese.
26:14Cream cheese is my secret weapon for making everything in the kitchen taste better.
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