OT...What should I do with a bunch of cream cheese?

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Dang. Now I'm going to have to go buy cream cheese at the store...

 

[LV426]

Ham Wraps
* 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
* 4 ounces sour cream
* 1/4 cup minced sweet onion
* 2 tablespoons minced chives
* 1 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1 pound deli sliced ham, sliced thin enough to easily roll into a tube

Preparation:
Blend cream cheese, sour cream, sweet onion, chives, and garlic powder until smooth. Spread cheese mixture on ham slices. Roll ham slices into logs. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Cut ham wraps into thirds for serving as an entree or into 1-inch thick spirals to serve as an appetizer.

Margarita Balls
* 1 (12-ounce) package vanilla wafers
* 1/2 cup pretzel crumbs (about 1 cup pretzels)
* 1 (16-ounce) pkg. confectioners' sugar, sifted
* 3/4 cup frozen margarita or limeade concentrate, thawed
* 2 (3-ounce) package cream cheese
* 1 teaspoon tequila, or to taste, optional
* 1 teaspoon Triple Sec (orange liqueur), or to taste, optional
* Rind from 1 lime, grated fine (divided use)
* 1 (2.25-ounce) shaker green decorator sugar
* 1 cup granulated sugar

Preparation:
Place half the vanilla wafers in bowl of food processor fitted with knife blade. Process to fine crumbs. Remove crumbs and reserve. Repeat with remaining wafers. Add pretzels (about 1 cup) to food processor and process to fine crumbs to make 1/2 cup crumbs.

In large bowl, combine wafer crumbs, pretzel crumbs, powdered sugar, margarita concentrate and cream cheese. Add tequila and Triple Sec, if desired. Stir until well blended. Divide mixture in half. Wrap each half tightly in plastic wrap and set aside.

Combine half the grated lime with decorator sugar and half with granulated sugar on small saucers or in small bowls, stirring to distribute lime peel evenly. Remove plastic wrap from 1 portion of the dough and shape into small 1-inch balls. After shaping each ball, roll each in green or white sugar. Work quickly, because the treats dry quickly. Repeat until all dough is used.

Sun Dried Tomato and pepper dip
* 3 ounces sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil, about 30)
* 2 jars (7 ounces each) roasted red peppers, drained
* 2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
* 1-1/2 tsp ground cumin
* 1 to 2 bottled pickled jalapeno chilies, seeded and minced
* 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves
* 1/4 cup chopped scallion (green onions)
* 4 ounces cream cheese, softened (half of a large block)
* Salt to taste
* Tortilla chips, carrot and/or celery sticks for dipping

Preparation:
Soak sun-dried tomatoes in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain well, reserving 3 tablespoons of the liquid to be used later.

Place soaked sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, garlic, cumin, jalapeno chiles, lemon juice, cilantro, and scallions in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth.

Add cream cheese, salt to taste, and enough of the sun-dried tomato soaking liquid to thin to a dipping consistency. Pulse until combined and smooth, scraping down sides of processor bowl as needed.

Pour into a serving bowl and serve with tortilla chips, carrot sticks, and/or celery sticks. Dip may be made a day in advance and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature and stir before serving.


Jalapeno Poppers
Ingredients:

* 16 fresh jalapeno chiles
* 2-1/2 cups milk
* 1/2 pound grated chihuahua, monterey jack, or cream cheese
* Flour for coating
* 1 lightly beaten egg
* 2-1/2 teaspoons water
* 1 teaspoon oil
* 3/4 cups dry, seasoned bread crumbs
* Oil for deep frying

Preparation:
Carefully slit one side of each jalapeno chile. Remove the seeds with a sharp paring knife. Place the chiles in a container and cover with milk. Let soak overnight in the refrigerator.

The next day, drain and rinse the jalapeno chiles. Stuff each chile with cheese. Dip stuffed chiles in flour, shaking off the excess.

Beat the egg, water, and oil. Dip the floured chiles in the egg mixture and roll in bread crumbs, being sure the surface of the chiles is completely coated. Place coated chiles on a rack within a tray and refrigerate uncovered for about 20 minutes to dry out.

Heat oil in a deep-fryer to 425 degrees F. Ease stuffed jalapenos into oil, a few at a time without crowding, and cook until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

Shrimp Spread
* 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
* 1 teaspoon fresh dill weed, chopped
* 1 (12-ounce) bottle cocktail sauce
* 1/4 pound small frozen cooked salad shrimp, thawed and patted dry
* 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
* 1/2 cup diced green pepper
* 1/2 cup diced roasted sweet red peppers
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Preparation:
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Stir in dill weed. Spread on a 12-inch round serving platter to within 2 inches of edge.

Combine coctail sauce and shrimp. Carefully spread in an even layer over the cream cheese, taking care not to dislodge the bottom layer.

Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, green pepper, and roasted red peppers. Top with chives and serve with an assortment of cocktail crackers.


Artichoke Dip
* 1 jar marinated artichoke hearts
* 4 scallions
* 1/4 cup fresh parsley
* 6 sprigs of thyme
* 8 ounces cream cheese (soft-spreading, low fat if possible)
* 1/2 cup sour cream
* 2 cloves garlic, pressed
* Salt and pepper to taste
* Squeeze of lemon juice
* 1/2 cup walnuts, sunflower seeds, or almonds, chopped

Preparation:
Drain the marinade from artichoke hearts. Chop the artichoke hearts finely with scallions, parsley, thyme, and leaves stripped from stems. Set aside.

Mix cream cheese with sour cream, garlic, salt, and pepper to taste, and squeeze of lemon juice.

Add the chopped artichoke/onion/herb mixture to cream cheese, and add chopped walnuts or other nuts. Blend well. Adjust seasonings to taste.


Carribean Sausage Cheese Triangles
* 1 pound ground pork sausage
* 1 cup minced sweet onion
* 3 large garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced
* 1/2 pound (8 ounces) mushrooms, chopped into 1/2-inch dice
* 1 scotch bonnet chile pepper, finely minced (optional)
* 1 tsp dried thyme
* 1 tsp ground allspice
* 1 tsp kosher salt
* Freshly ground pepper, to taste
* 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
* 8 ounces phyllo (fillo) sheets (half of a 1-pound package - see Note)
* 1 stick (about) butter, melted

Preparation:
In a large, deep skillet, saute pork sausage, sweet onion, garlic, mushrooms, and chile, if using. Stir often to break up sausage. Cook until no pink remains in the sausage. Add thyme, allspice, salt, and pepper to sausage mixture. Turn off heat and stir in cream cheese until combined. Cool to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Remove phyllo sheets from package and unroll so they are flat. Cut stack in half lengthwise. Cover with plastic wrap so dough does not dry out and become brittle.

Remove two strips of phyllo from the stack (remembering to re-cover remaining strips each time) and place on a flat surface. Brush each strip with melted butter. Place a heaping tablespoon of sausage-cheese mixture on one end. Fold strip up to form a triangle. Continue folding back and forth until you reach the end of the strip, forming a filled triangle packet. Continue until all of sausage filling is used up.

Place phyllo sausage triangles on an ungreased cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until pastry is golden.

Serve hot or at room temperature. (I don't like mushrooms so I leave those out)

Bacon-Wrapped Cream Cheese Chicken Breast

* 8 boneless skinless chicken breasts
* 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese with or without chives your call (sliced into 8 even squares)
* 16 slices bacon (cooked just to release fat but not until crisp)

* Set oven to 325 degrees F.
*Butter a large baking dish.
*Pound the chicken breast until flat (pound just enough to roll up easily).
*Place 1 slice cream cheese in the middle of each breast.
*Roll up the chicken breast (it does not matter if a little of the cream cheese comes out of the sides).
*Wrap 2 slices of bacon around each breast, secure with a toothpick then place into prepared baking dish.

Cover with foil and Bake for about 30 minutes then remove foil and cook another 14 min or until the chicken is fully cooked. For crispier bacon on top place under the broiler for a few min.