You might be underestimating the humble little brick of cream cheese that’s hanging out in your fridge. An often-unsung hero of the kitchen, cream cheese not only lends creamy richness to a dish, but also tang and stability to a host of dishes both savory and sweet. Cream cheese is considered to be fresh cheese, which is defined by the FDA as having a minimum of 33 percent fat and a moisture content of no more than 55 percent. A thoroughly American product, cream cheese was created in the late 1800s by a New York company under the label “Philadelphia” in an attempt to create an association with the high-quality dairy products that Pennsylvania was known for at that time, essentially making it one of the first branded food products in U.S.
This soft, spreadable cow’s milk cheese is in the same family as Neufchâtel cheese and mascarpone. Cream cheese is made with a mixture of milk and cream, whereas Neufchâtel cheese is made with just milk, making it a lighter, lower fat alternative cream cheese. Mascarpone, on the other hand, is made by adding acid to heavy cream. A specialty product from the Lombardy region of northern Italy, mascarpone is smooth, mild and just a tiny but sweet, essentially whipped cream sans air. It’s delicious and decadent but also expensive, and I find that I often prefer the distinctive tang of cream cheese, with the added benefit that it’s significantly cheaper.
While cream cheese plays an obvious starring role in dishes like cheesecake and frosting, it flexes in unexpected places as well, from mashed potatoes, deviled eggs and even soups and salads. And in the summertime, it’s in nearly constant us, when tomatoes and cucumbers are at their peak and meals made up of crunchy veggies and creamy dips hit particularly well.
Some of my favorite ways to put the block to work:
-Add 4 to 8 ounces to hot, freshly drained boiled potatoes with a splash of milk and butter for ultra creamy mashed potatoes.
-Mix in a couple tablespoons of softened cream cheese along with hardboiled egg yolks, mayo, vinegar and lemon juice to yield an incredibly smooth textured deviled egg filling.
-Use cream cheese in an “everything bagel salad.” Roll teaspoons of cold cream cheese into little balls before rolling them in everything bagel seasoning. Scatter the cream cheese balls on top of a mixed green salad along with cucumbers, tomatoes, shaved red onion, capers, smoked salmon and crunched up bagel chips.
-Make surprise muffins by spooning teaspoonfuls of cream cheese into the center of a carrot or banana muffin batter before popping them into the oven.
-Whip up homemade garlic-herb cheese by combining eight ounces softened cream cheese with two cloves of minced garlic, four tablespoons of minced fresh herbs (such as parsley, chives, rosemary and or basil) and a pinch of black and/or crushed red pepper as desired. Spread it on sandwiches or crackers or use it to fill mini pepper halves. The cheese-stuffed pepper halves are delicious raw or baked in a 375-degree oven until brown and bubbly. Serve warm with a sprinkle of minced herbs.
-Make ultra creamy soup by adding cream cheese to sauteed mirepoix (chopped carrots, onion and celery). Cook the cream cheese with the sauteed veggies over medium heat until the cream cheese is completely melted before adding hot chicken or vegetable broth. I use this technique for decadent broccoli cheese soup as well as creamy taco soup.
Cream cheese tiramisu
Quite possibly the ultimate no-bake dessert, this dish is normally made with luxe mascarpone cheese. I first made it with cream cheese out of necessity when I couldn’t get mascarpone, but I discovered that I preferred the flavor of the cream cheese version to the original.
For the coffee mixture:
¼ cup cocoa powder
⅔ cup strong coffee, hot
¼ cup Kahlua
¼ cup Marsala (if you don’t have Marsala just use extra Kahlua)
For the cream cheese filling:
5 fresh eggs
½ cup sugar
A pinch of salt
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, cold
To assemble the tiramisu:
30 ladyfinger cookies
Cocoa for dusting
Make the coffee syrup by combining the cocoa, coffee, Kahlua and Marsala (if using). Set aside.
Fill a saucepan with two inches of water and bring to a simmer. Combine the eggs, sugar and pinch of salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with a silicone spatula. Set the mixer bowl over the pan of steaming water (make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water) and cook, stirring constantly until the egg mixture reaches 160 degrees, about five minutes.
Move the bowl to the mixer and use the whisk attachment to whip the egg mixture until it is light and foamy with the consistency of soft serve. This will take five to 10 minutes depending on your mixer. Lower the speed on the mixer and add dollops of the cold cream cheese a few tablespoons at a time, stopping to scrape the bowl down a few times in between each addition. Once all the cream cheese is incorporated, increase the speed and whip until the mixture is thick, a few seconds more.
To assemble the tiramisu, dunk the ladyfingers into the coffee syrup one at a time (don’t soak or they’ll fall apart) and arrange them over the bottom of a two to three baking dish. Spread half the cream cheese mixture over the soaked lady fingers, then dust with cocoa powder. Repeat with the remaining ladyfingers before topping with the rest of the cream cheese filling. Smooth the filling with the spatula then dust with cocoa powder to finish. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. The tiramisu can be stored in the fridge for up to three days.
This article appears in July 30 – August 5, 2026.
