We can't tell you how many times we've had a meal almost cooked when we realized that to take it to the next level, it needed a sauce. Thank goodness for cream cheese sauces. They're quick and easy, and they go with everything from pasta to meat.
Want the kids to eat their veggies? Cream cheese sauce! Looking to make a quick pasta Alfredo? Cream cheese sauce! Want to cover up the flavor of something that didn't come out quite like you wanted it to? Yup. Cream cheese sauce. We could go on and on, but we trust you to come up with all sorts of ways you can use these creamy, delicious cream cheese sauce recipes.
Garlic Cream Cheese Sauce
Who doesn't love a good creamy, garlicky sauce? Yeah — that's what we thought. This is the perfect sauce to take rice, pasta, or chicken (or even taters) to the next level.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt the butter with the garlic. Cook, stirring, for one minute. Do not let it brown.
- Add the cream cheese and stir slowly until it melts and blends with the butter and garlic.
- Slowly stir in the milk and salt, and continue heating on low for another 3 minutes. Serve immediately.
Love a homemade pizza with white sauce like we do? This is the sauce to make it happen!
Cream Cheese Alfredo Sauce
Alfredo sauce goes on more than fettuccine — although the wide noodles are the perfect conduit for this rich and creamy sauce. Toss it with pre-cooked pasta and add in some cooked seafood, chicken, or veggies like peas or broccoli.
Ingredients
- 1 stick + 1 tablespoon butter, divided
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, at room temp and cut into cubes
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter on low heat.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
- Add the remaining butter, cream cheese, milk, Parmesan cheese, and pepper.
- Cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts and the sauce is blended. Use immediately.
Savory Cream Cheese Herb Sauce
We love the fragrant combo of herbs with the tangy cream cheese in this sublime sauce. It's yummy on fish and seafood.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Zest of ½ lemon
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
Instructions
- In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour. Continue heating and stirring until it forms a roux, about one minute.
- Add the milk and stir until it's completely incorporated with the roux.
- Add the cream cheese, and stir until the cheese melts and the sauce becomes creamy.
- Add all the fresh herbs and other seasonings, and continue stirring and heating for another minute. Serve immediately.
Sweet Lemon Cream Sauce
We can't leave you hanging without first offering a sweet sauce. Try it on crepes or French toast... you're welcome!
Ingredients
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Zest of ½ lemon
Instructions
- In a small, heavy saucepan, combine the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk.
- Heat and stir over low heat until the cream cheese melts, but do not allow the mix to reach a simmer.
- Stir in the water, lemon juice, and lemon zest. You can add a little more water if you want a thinner sauce.
- Remove the sauce from the heat, and pour over your chosen dessert.
Tips for Working With Cream Cheese in Sauces
These sauces are super easy to make, and they come together quickly, so they can be a last-minute addition to your meal.
- Always heat on low to avoid burning.
- Control the thickness of the sauce by adding more or less liquid.
- Cut calories by using low-fat cream cheese or neufchâtel cheese, if you wish.
- While these sauces are fairly stable, they can break if you let them sit too long or if you overcook or cook them on too high of a temperature. Always serve them right away.
- Experiment with flavored cream cheeses in these sauces to add even more flavor.
Easy Meal Ideas Using Our Cream Cheese Sauce Recipes
Ready to make something tasty with very little effort? Of course you are... and we promise we won't tell anyone how easy it is. Your secret is safe with us.
- Make the Alfredo sauce into mac n' cheese sauce by replacing the Parmesan with 1 cup of shredded mild cheddar and 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. If it's too thick, add a few tablespoons of milk to adjust the consistency. Then all you need to do is stir in cooked noodles.
- Turn the Alfredo sauce into a tasty queso by replacing the Parmesan cheese with 2 cups of shredded pepper jack cheese. You can adjust the consistency by adding a bit more milk. Use it with nachos, tacos, enchiladas, or for dipping.
- Stir a little jam into the sweet cream cheese sauce and use it to dip donut holes.
- Replace half of the milk in the Alfredo sauce with mushroom broth (make it by soaking dried porcini mushrooms in hot veggie broth for an hour and removing the mushrooms) and stir in some crumbled cooked bacon, satuéed fresh mushrooms, and a tablespoon of chopped, fresh thyme. Spoon it over pork chops to make smothered pork chops.
- Use strawberry cream cheese in the sweet sauce and pour it over an unfrosted cake for a delicious dessert.
Cream Cheese FTW
Let cream cheese become your secret weapon in the kitchen. It's such a versatile and tasty ingredient that it's easy to mix up sweet or savory sauces that take your meal to the next level.
