Get Creative With This Cream Cheese Recipe

Recipes are impressionable and preferable. We pick and choose what we like, want, and eat from them. That’s the beauty of food, especially homemade meals. We can add or subtract whatever we want. Recipes are customizable. This week’s recipe is inspired by a Rachael Ray classic, hamburger sliders with flavored cream cheese. 

This type of cream cheese can be flavored with anything you and your family likes. Especially, fresh ingredients from the local Farmer’s Market. 

Gather at the Poway Farmer’s Market: 

1 onion, diced

1 head of garlic, diced

1 bunch of cilantro, diced

10 jalepeno peppers, seeded and sliced (wear gloves to keep from touching the peppers if need be)

2 fresno or anaheim peppers, seeded and sliced

1 bottle extra virgin olive oil

1 block sharp cheddar cheese, sliced

12 small rolls, sliced

1 carton eggs

Any rolls, bagels, or breads you prefer to spread your homemade cream cheese on!

Any fruits, veggies, or herb flavors you prefer in your cream cheese!

Ingredients from the Cabinet or Local Grocery Store: 

1 pound ground turkey or beef

1 teaspoon cumin

Two 8 ounce packages cream cheese

Salt/pepper

Directions: 

Note: *These recipes are not spicy beyond a mild flavor if jalapeno are seeded and sliced. For a spicy taste, keep some of the seeds in. Remember to use gloves when cutting peppers and stay away from touching the eyes or sensitive areas.*

Mini-hamburger Sliders with Jalepeno Popper Toppings: Mix ground meat with diced onions and garlic. Drizzle olive oil in a pan and after creating palm sized patties, brown the mini-hamburgers, flipping every 5 minutes. Season room temperature cream cheese with onions, garlic, cumin, cilantro, salt, pepper and a diced jalepeno. In a separate pan, caramelize the other sliced peppers. Once the patties are thoroughly cooked, scoop a heap of flavored cream cheese on top and place a slice of cheddar on top of that. Warm buns and place the layered patty on top of each bun half, layer with cooked peppers, and place second bun half on top holding everything together. Serve warm and enjoy the jalepeno-popper-goodness! 

Breakfast sandwich: Toast bread of your choice. Layer with left over jalepeno flavored cream cheese. Poach or scramble one egg. Layer cooked egg on sandwich, top with cilantro an serve. 

Flavored cream cheese and your favorite bread: Toast up bread of your choice. Flavor your cream cheese by dicing or mashing in whatever ingredients sound good to you: berries, melon, chives, other cheeses, honey, olives, the possibilities are endless! Make a sandwich, a morning toast, or just dip in your favorite fruit or veggies. Spread on tortillas, flat-bread or crackers. 

Let us know what you come up with and have fun with creative cream cheese spreads, homemade with home goodness.