Smoked Cream Cheese

Overnight, smoked cream cheese became a barbecue sensation on a global scale, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure what all the fuss was about. A slab of creamy cheese. Regarding the smoker. Really?

After biting the bullet and sampling this smoked cream cheese, I can now understand the excitement. This cheery little snack goes well with meats, salsa, and crackers. Additionally, you can use your creativity to add a spicy, sweet, or savory ingredient to the cream cheese. Therefore, you should try smoked cream cheese at least once.

Ingredients for Smoked Cream Cheese

You don’t need much to make this smoked cream cheese. Here’s what you’ll need to make this appetizer:

• 1 8-ounce block of cream cheese
• 1 Tablespoon of your favorite BBQ Rub

Get creative with this recipe because the wood smoke and rub add a bit of flavor to the cream cheese. This would be great with almost any rub or seasoning, but I especially love it with my Sweet Rub or Rib Rub. Although I haven’t used them yet, I’m very inclined to try this with my Fiesta and Fish & Veggie Rubs.

How to Smoke Cream Cheese

Let’s get to the smoking! It’s a simple process with very little prep work or effort on your part. (A win-win in my book!) Here’s how to smoke cream cheese:

1. Preheat. Turn on your smoker and preheat it to 180 degrees F with your favorite wood.
2. Season. Score 1/2 inch deep cuts into the top of a cold brick of cream cheese. Place it on a baking sheet and season well with your favorite BBQ seasoning or rub.
3. Smoke. Place the seasoned cream cheese on the smoker and smoke for 1 hour.
4. Make the salsa. While the cream cheese is smoking combine all ingredients for the cranberry jalapeno salsa in a blender (ingredients listed in the recipe card below) and pulse until it’s finely diced. Do not overmix! Transfer the salsa to a glass jar and refrigerate until ready to serve.
5. Serve. Remove the smoked cream cheese from the smoker and serve with the cranberry jalapeno salsa.

How Long to Smoke Cream Cheese

Cream cheese requires about one hour to smoke at 180 degrees Fahrenheit when the smoker is operating continuously.

Make sure you monitor the temperature of your grill to make sure it doesn’t decrease too frequently. When it comes to this cream cheese, use your discretion. You are welcome to take it down earlier if it appears to be finished before the hour has passed. Give the cream cheese brick a little more time to soften and become exquisite if it still looks a little too solid.

Tips for Smoking Cream Cheese

Hold up there just a moment! Before you get to smoking this cream cheese, I have a few tips to help you get the most out of the recipe.

• Choose your wood adventure. Experiment with different wood types to create different flavor profiles. The cream cheese takes on a lot of smoke flavor quickly, so you can have some fun here.
• Try a different rub! Mix and match rubs for different final flavors that your friends and guests can sample. I made my smoked cream cheese with Rib Rub and Sweet Rub, which turned out amazing!
• Give the gift of smoked cream cheese! To give these snacks as a gift, cool the cream cheese entirely before wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap. Prep the salsa a day in advance and spoon it into individual 6-oz serving jars.
  

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