Garlic Cheese Spread

One of my tricks for making exciting meals with hardly any fuss is keeping a rotating selection of dips, dressings and spreads lined up in the fridge. On busy nights, these ingredients let me whip up sandwiches, salads and snack boards, and get them on the table fast. Garlic cheese spread is an excellent condiment for sandwiches, but it also works well as a dip for veggies or a garnish for bowls of soup. It would be especially good with tomato soup, broccoli soup or slow-cooked black bean soup. As a dip, serve it with warm focaccia or flatbread, crisp flatbread or crackers, or fresh vegetables like carrots, celery and sweet bell pepper.

Ingredients for Garlic Cheese Spread

• Cream cheese: Full-fat cream cheese is the way to go here. Letting it come to room temperature makes it a lot easier to stir the dip ingredients together.
• Olive oil: Choose an extra virgin olive oil for this recipe for its health benefits. No need to get the most expensive one on the shelf, though, since the garlic and cheese provide plenty of flavor.
• Parmesan cheese: Find a chunk or a wedge in the deli case, rather than buying preshredded Parm. You’ll love its nutty, savory flavors.
• Green onion: Also known as scallions, green onions have a bright, fresh flavor that complements the garlic and adds a bit of color to the spread. Chives would be a solid substitute, although they have a milder taste.
• Garlic: If you’re a garlic lover, there’s no reason not to use two or three cloves, depending on their size. You can mince the garlic, but I’m a huge fan of grating garlic with a Microplane-style zester.
• Pepper: Freshly ground black pepper is a beautiful complement to both the cheeses and the garlic, so don’t skip it.
• Breads for dipping: Serve the spread with flatbread, focaccia or assorted crackers.

Directions

Step 1: Make the dip

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese and oil until they’re fluffy. Add the Parmesan cheese, onion, garlic and pepper, and beat them until they’re well blended.

Editor’s Tip: You can do this by hand or use a hand or stand mixer.

Step 2: Chill the dip

Spoon the dip into a small container. Cover and refrigerate it for at least one hour. Serve the dip with flatbread, focaccia or crackers.

Garlic Cheese Spread Variations

• Change the cheese: Instead of Parmesan, try using sharp cheddar or creamy Monterey Jack.
• Make it spicy or smoky: Give the spread some extra color and flavor by using a spicy pepper powder like cayenne, or a mild one like smoked paprika. You could also puree a small amount of chipotle peppers in adobo and add it to the mixture.
• Include some citrus: Lemon zest and juice would be a great way to brighten up this spread. A lime-cilantro vibe would be another great option.

How to Store Garlic Cheese Spread

Store the garlic cheese spread in an airtight container and refrigerate it. You can set it on the counter 30 minutes before serving it to give it a chance to warm up and become more spreadable.

How long does garlic cheese spread last?

Garlic spread will last for up to four days in the refrigerator.

Garlic Cheese Spread Tips

How else can you use garlic cheese spread?

You can use garlic cheese spread in so many ways! In addition to using it on sandwiches (ham and turkey are especially great matches), you can stuff it inside cremini or portobello mushrooms, toss it with hot pasta to make an instant cheesy cream sauce, or mix it into mashed potatoes. At brunch, fold some garlic cheese spread into scrambled eggs.

If you’re having a barbecue, this could serve as a superb schmear for burgers, or as a butter replacement to slather on just-grilled corn on the cob.