I was a little short on cheese for Tuesday night's pizza-making. So, I improvised just a tad. Those white blobs are not mozzarella, in case you were thinking along those lines. Those lumps are cream cheese. I had no idea how this was going turn out, or taste. It wasn't just for 1 pizza, either. I was making pizza for two dinners. You could say that it was a bit of a gamble. However, my family is a group of risk-takers, when it comes to my cooking.
The cream cheese did not melt into the rest of the cheese; but it did taste great. After baking, I topped the whole thing with lots of dried, crumbled garden basil, which maybe hid the whiteness of the cream cheese a little.
Part of this package of cream cheese had some dried out portions. those would normally get tossed. The other night, though, I just added them to the pizza. No one noticed. Anyway, sounds strange, but cream cheese on a pizza did work.
Hi, Lili--
ReplyDeleteLooks yummy! Cream cheese is something we sometimes buy expecting to use it for one thing, and then change plans, so need to use it for something else. Or it's on-sale, and we buy a little extra and figure we will use it for SOMETHING (and we always do!)
We've never tried it on pizza, but sounds like a great plan (especially for any dried-out edges!) How clever!
We find that cream cheese bits and pieces are excellent for adding flavor and richness to lots of different dishes, from grilled sandwiches to mashed potatoes to mac-and-cheese. You can also make a really fancy spread for crackers or muffins with just a little bit of it, a few seconds, and a couple of ingredients you have on hand.
This doesn't seem weird to me, at all. Yummy! You go, girl! LOL Sara
Hi Sara,
DeleteI've added cream cheese to soups, too. It does add great slightly tangy flavor and creamy texture.
Hope your day was a wonderful one, Sara!
Yum that looks really good! I never would of thought of this myself. You could even do a sweet pizza with cream cheese cinnamon and sugar or fruit or fruit sauce. The wheels are turning. Thank you for the idea :)
ReplyDeletePatti
Hi Patti,
DeleteCream cheese with raspberry or strawberry jam, plus fruit would be a yummy dessert pizza!
Have a lovely evening!
I have never tried cream cheese on pizza, but I think I would prefer it to the Mozzarella because of Mozzarella's stringy texture. However, I sometimes do use Feta cheese on pizza that doesn't melt into the pizza either, but is quite good.
ReplyDeleteHi live and learn,
DeleteOh feta sounds delicious. I was surprised that we all enjoyed the cream cheese on the pizza. It's definitely not the same and lots of mozzarella, but good in its own right.
Have a pleasant evening!
I always use cream cheese as one of the layers when I make lasagna. Most people would use ricotta, but it just tastes like Styrofoam to me. I got the idea from an Italian friend who used Mascarpone in her lasagna. Cream cheese tastes almost as good, but at a fraction of the cost.
ReplyDeleteAnd... cream cheese in mashed potatoes is to DIE for!
Hi Cat,
DeleteNow that sounds delicious and creamy, the lasagna with cream cheese. I've only ever used cottage cheese in lasagna, never ricotta. Usually, though, I do a mix of mashed tofu and cottage cheese (less dairy for me). I'll consider cream cheese as an alternative to the cottage cheese. Thanks for the suggestion!
Thanks for some great ideas...cream cheese and making dessert pizzas. Next time the grandkids are over, I'm going to have them make their own personal pan pizzas, and do a dessert pizza. Usually we make three 12" pizzas, all same.
ReplyDeleteYHF
Hi YHF,
DeleteI'm guessing that your grandsons would love making their own pizzas. And it is a double winner for you, an activity to keep them busy for a short while, and it prepares dinner! Sounds like a lot of fun to me! Have a great weekend YHF!
I made an "Alsatian tarte flambee" style pizza just the other day, for which I used a mixture of buttermilk and cream cheese instead of fromage blanc, which I have yet to find here in LA, as the white sauce, as recommended in Daniel Gritzer's recipe: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/02/classic-tarte-flambee-alsatian-pizza-recipe.html
ReplyDeleteIt was very well received by my husband and his friends, whom we were entertaining for the 4th! Creamy things + carbs = YUM.
Frankly though, I'll sneak cream cheese into anything I can. I find its particular brand of unique tanginess so delightful. Have you heard of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams? It's a well known artisan ice cream company based in Ohio, which uses cream cheese in its recipe! They claim it makes for a recipe that any home cook can churn up in a small machine that has as good of texture as what you can buy.
Allie