Use it up · Eggs and dairy

Cream cheese

Have extra cream cheese? Here’s how to choose, store and prep cream cheese, plus 5 family recipes to use it all up, best matches first.

🍽 See the recipes 🧺 Pick a few things you have

🛒 Choosing it

Bricks work best for baking and dips; tubs spread more easily.

🧊 Storing it

Fridge: About 2 weeks after opening
Freezer: Not recommended (it turns grainy)

Keep the fridge at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F. Freezer times are for best quality; food kept frozen at 0°F stays safe. When in doubt, throw it out. Times from Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

🔪 Prepping it

Let it soften on the counter for 30 minutes so it mixes in without lumps.

📊 Nutrition per 100 g

Cream cheese. 100 g is about 3 1/2 ounces.

Calories	350 kcal	18%
Protein	6.2 g	12%
Total fat	34 g	44%
Saturated fat	20 g	101%
Total carbohydrate	5.5 g	2%
Dietary fiber	0.0 g	0%
Total sugars	3.8 g
Sodium	314 mg	14%
Calcium	97 mg	7%
Iron	0.1 mg	1%
Potassium	132 mg	3%

% Daily Value for adults (FDA). From USDA FoodData Central 173418 (SR Legacy).

🍽 Recipes that use it up

5 recipes, the ones that use the most cream cheese first.

Plan them into your week in the meal planner, or find recipes for two or three things at once with the “What can I make?” picker.

More eggs and dairy

Eggs Milk Butter Cheddar and other firm cheeses Mozzarella Parmesan Sour cream Yogurt Cottage cheese Ricotta Cream and half-and-half Buttermilk Feta All ingredients →

Storage times and buying tips are general guides from the sources below; follow any date or instructions on the package. Cook meat, poultry, fish and eggs to the USDA safe temperatures in each recipe.