Joe Ciardullo Smoked cheese is a favorite among cheesy foods and given the popularity of smoked gouda and smoked mozzarella, it’s no wonder why. The process involved in making this type of cream cheese is similar to that used for smoking meat or fish.
Smoked cream cheese provides much more depth of flavor than a plain dairy or vegetable oil product. It might be hard to believe how good it will taste with so few ingredients involved in its making. Consider adding these smoked cream cheese recipes to your holiday table.
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What Is Smoked Cream Cheese?
Smoked cream cheese is a creamy, spreadable cheese that has been cured with smoke. The resulting product is a rich, smoky flavor without the harshness of traditional smoked cheeses. It can be used in many recipes as a substitute for regular cream cheese, though it may require some minor adjustments in amounts to account for its reduced moisture content.
This product originated in Norway where it was traditionally used as a topping for lutefisk, a traditional Scandinavian dish made out of dried cod soaked in lye (lye is alkaline and not meant to be consumed).
Today, this food is popular worldwide and can be found in most grocery stores. It is also possible to make your own smoked cream cheese at home by curing regular cream cheese with wood smoke over time.
What We Need for Smoked Cream Cheese
Smoked cream cheese is a delicious ingredient that can be used to add flavor to many dishes. It is made by smoking regular cream cheese, which gives it a unique flavor and aroma. It can be used as a spread, in sandwiches or on top of cooked foods such as potatoes, meat or vegetables. It is also commonly used in making desserts such as cheesecakes and tarts.
Smoked cream cheese is made with the same ingredients as regular cream cheese, but with additional ingredients that provide its unique taste and smell. The main ingredient in smoked cream cheese is pasteurized milk, which provides most of the calories in this product.
The other ingredients include:
- Salt: This helps preserve smoked cream cheese and gives it its salty flavor.
- Smoke Flavor: This helps give smoked cream cheese its smoky taste and aroma.
- Cream Cheese: This is the main ingredient in smoked cream cheese, it provides more than 25% of its calories.
- Monosodium Glutamate: This is an ingredient that many foods have because of its unique taste, and it is commonly used in smoked cream cheese. It is also an important source of food preservatives and helps prevent bacteria growth.
How to Make Smoked Cream Cheese
You can make smoked cream cheese at home with a few simple ingredients. It’s a delicious addition to cheeseburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches and pasta dishes.
The process for making smoked cream cheese is similar to that of making regular cream cheese. The difference is that you use smoke flavoring instead of liquid smoke and you let it sit for a few more hours in the refrigerator.
Step-by-step make smoked cream cheese:
Step 1: Remove the wrapping off the cream cheese block. It should be placed on a sheet of foil and frozen for ten minutes. Since cold meat and cream cheese both helped the cheese to firm up and make preparation easier, I reasoned that cold meat would also be a better way to absorb smoke. Otherwise, I envisioned it sticking to everything.
Step 2: Choose the rubs you wish to utilize.
I divided the 8-ounce block of cream cheese in half because I was making two different kinds, then I covered each half with rubbing on separate sheets of foil. I used a favorite hot taco flavor for the first one. The spice that gives it its spiciness is cayenne pepper. In addition, it contains paprika, salt, garlic, and onion.
For the second, I used equal amounts of salt, smoked paprika, and honey that had been dried out to provide sweetness. I applied the rubs to both cream cheese halves. I also coated the bottom and all the sides.
Step 3: I then cut a few little incisions into the top. This provides for a great display, but it also makes it simpler for your guests to eat it with their crackers when trying to dip and serve themselves from a practical standpoint. As they smoke, the fissure widens, revealing the ooey, cheesy delight inside.
Step 4: In a smoker or pellet grill, smoke the cream cheese for one hour at 200 degrees. You can utilize the super smoke setting if your pellet smoker has one. In my Traeger grill, I combined hickory and cherry pellets.
Expert Advice: Smoking the cheese in a cast iron pan on your smoker is an alternative to using aluminum foil. Then you can just add some crackers to the space surrounding the smoked cheese and serve it straight from the griddle.
How to Storage Smoked Cream Cheese?
Smoked cream cheese is a delicious, versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of recipes. The best way to store smoked cream cheese is to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator. This will keep your smoked cream cheese fresh for up to one week.
If you want to store smoked cream cheese for longer than one week, then you’ll need to freeze it. This will not alter the taste or texture of the product, but you will need to thaw it before using it again.
When storing smoked cream cheese, keep these tips in mind:
- Use plastic wrap or parchment paper instead of waxed paper or aluminum foil because they won’t stick as easily
- Wrap tightly so there are no gaps and air cannot get inside
- Keep away from heat sources like stoves or microwaves
Variations of Smoked Cream Cheese
Smoked cream cheese is a delicious, tangy artisanal cheese that you can use in so many different ways. It is a creamy, smooth, and mild cheese that has a smoky flavor to it. It is perfect for making dips and sauces for your favorite appetizers and snacks.
Dessert
Smoked cream cheese is great to top off desserts like cheesecakes, pies or even brownies. You can use it as a filling or even spread on top of the dessert of your choice. It adds a nice smoky flavor to any dessert without overpowering the taste of your other ingredients.
Pepper Jelly
If you love spicy foods then this is the recipe for you! Pepper jelly goes well with smoked cream cheese because they both have a similar taste profile that compliments each other very well. This combination works well on crackers or toast as an appetizer before dinner or at parties.
Mexican
Smoked cream cheese makes a fantastic addition to any Mexican dish. It can be used in tacos, quesadillas, and other Mexican dishes as a condiment.
Ranch
Ranch dressing is one of the most popular dipping sauces in America. This smoked cream cheese dip is easy to make, very flavorful and goes perfectly with chips and vegetables.
Everything Bagel Seasoning
This seasoning mix has become so popular that it’s even available in bulk at Costco. It includes poppy seeds, sesame seeds and salt along with garlic powder, onion powder and other spices. All you have to do is mix it into your favorite brand of soft cream cheese before baking it or spreading it on bagels!
Bacon
Bacon is great on its own, but when you add smoked cream cheese as well? It’s even better! The smoky flavor from the bacon pairs perfectly with the smokey flavor of the cream cheese for an amazing combination that’ll make your taste buds happy!
How To Serve Smoked Cream Cheese
Smoked cream cheese is a smoked cheese made from the cream cheese. This smoked cream cheese is great for serving bagels, toast, sandwiches, and more. It also makes a great addition to appetizers and can be served with crackers, breadsticks, and vegetables.
To serve smoked cream cheese, simply spread it on your favorite foods. Use a knife or pastry spatula to spread the cream cheese over crackers or bread. You can also use a butter knife to spread it over bagels or toast. It can also be used as an ingredient in recipes such as dips, spreads, and sauces.
Smoked Cream Cheese is available at most grocery stores and specialty food shops. It is usually sold in small containers that contain around 1/3 pound (150 grams) of the product.
Other Ways To Make Smoked Cream Cheese
If you’re looking for a way to smoke cream cheese, but don’t want to use the traditional method of smoking it on a grill or in an oven, there are other ways to make smoked cream cheese. Some of these methods are even easier than the traditional method and require only minimal effort on your part.
Hot Honey Smoked Cream Cheese
This recipe uses a hot honey glaze that gives the cream cheese a sweet and smoky flavor. It’s perfect for topping cinnamon toast and waffles, or even on hot cereal like oatmeal or grits.
Taki’s Smoked Cream Cheese
This recipe comes from Taki’s Japanese Steakhouse in Atlanta, Georgia. It uses a marinade made with soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic powder and ginger root. Taki’s serves this creamy spread as an appetizer with crispy wonton chips or crispy rice cakes as well as on top of salads like Asian chicken salad or shrimp salad.
Smoked Cream Cheese Using Wood Chips
One of the easiest ways to make smoked cream cheese is by using wood chips. If you have access to any type of wood chips, such as hickory or mesquite, you can add them to your regular recipe for homemade cream cheese and then bake the mixture until it’s done. The chips will give the cream cheese an earthy flavor that will remind you of camping trips or backwoods adventures.
Smoked Cream Cheese Using Liquid Smoke
Liquid smoke is another easy way to get that smoky taste without having to light up your grill or fire up the oven. You can find liquid smoke at most grocery stores or online at Amazon or other online retailers. Once added to your favorite homemade cream cheese recipe, this ingredient will give you the perfect amount of smoky flavor without all the work involved in real smoking it yourself!
Recipe FAQs
1. Is smoked cream cheese dip better eaten hot or cold?
The best way to enjoy smoked cream cheese is to use it on a cracker with fresh pickles. You can also add it to recipes that call for cream cheese, such as cheesecake or pumpkin cheesecake. If you want to serve your smoked cream cheese at room temperature, you can do so without concern.
2. Is cold-smoked cream cheese safe to eat?
Cold-smoked products are safe to eat if they are cooked thoroughly and handled properly. This means that anything you make with your cold-smoked cream cheese should be cooked at least two minutes longer than the recipe calls for (and up to five minutes longer depending on how far along your smoker was in the process when you took the product out).
3. What does smoked cream cheese taste like?
Smoked cream cheese is a savory, salty spread that can be used as an ingredient in a number of different recipes. As with other types of cream cheese, it has a creamy consistency and spreads easily. The main difference between smoked and un-smoked cream cheese is the smoky flavor.
4. Is smoked cream cheese healthy?
Smoked cream cheese can be considered healthy if you buy it without added preservatives or artificial colors. The main ingredients are milk and cream, both of which are good sources of calcium, protein and other nutrients. However, many brands add sugar or artificial sweeteners to their products, so read the label carefully before purchasing any brand.
This recipe can be a handy thing to have around and they really do taste great. And you can use smoked cream cheese in just about any recipe that calls for cream cheese. So here are some of the best smoked cream cheese recipes for you to try out.
Smoked Cream Cheese
Ingredients
Tex-Mex
- 8 ounces of chilled brick cream cheese
- 1/4 cup taco seasoning
- ½ white onion diced
- 1 big chopped red bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Steak Seasoning
- 8 ounces of chilled brick cream cheese
- 1 tbsp seasoning for steak
- 1 cup sliced button mushrooms
- ½ white onions diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Decide the flavor you want to smoke first. Then, preheat the smoker to 220°F and construct 1 little aluminum boat that is rectangular in shape. Olive oil the boat, then leave it aside.
- The cream cheese brick should be placed on the aluminum boat, and the specified seasoning should be sprinkled on top. Spices should be gently pressed into the cream cheese's top.
- Olive oil is drizzled over the veggies and cream cheese after the vegetables have been scattered over the block of cream cheese.
- Finally, cut a diagonal checkerboard pattern into the top of the cream cheese using a chef's knife that has been dampened with water (this helps prevent the cream cheese from adhering to the knife).
- Place the foil boat carefully atop the smoker and cover. Cream cheese should be smoked for two hours at 220°F.
- Take the cream cheese out of the smoker and serve it with crostini, crackers, chips, or veggies.
