Ingredients Dairy Recipes Cheese Recipes Cream Cheese Recipes 8 Dinners That Start with a Block of Cream Cheese By Hannah Klinger Hannah Klinger Hannah Klinger is a writer, editor, and content manager at Savory Magazine. She has a passion for helping home cooks build their confidence in the kitchen with hacks, how-tos, and guides to inspire them to try something new. She's contributed to America's Test Kitchen, Cooking Light, Food & Wine, EatingWell, and more. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Updated on November 14, 2022 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Lorraine Foil-wrapped blocks of cream cheese may as well be wrapped in gold: The creamy spread is an all-star ingredient in so many dishes. Yes, it's the foundation for our favorite cheesecakes and frostings, but did you know it can also make an instant Alfredo sauce or transform stuffed chicken? These savory recipes all get fantastic richness, body, and tang from a block of cream cheese. Go ahead and give this block permanent real estate in your fridge, right next to the butter. 01 of 08 Home-Style Macaroni and Cheese View Recipe Lori Otherday Cream cheese is the secret to the rich sauce that coats every noodle in this baked mac and cheese. It also tames the heat of chopped canned jalapeños, a great addition for kick. "Winner!" says Emily Righter. Our Best Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipes 02 of 08 Garlic-Lemon Double Stuffed Chicken View Recipe Lauren Gibbons "This recipe was so easy — and tastes heavenly!" says cinnamonlover. Cream cheese and Cheddar–stuffed chicken breasts are breaded and baked until golden. It's an easy way to totally upgrade a weeknight staple. 03 of 08 Creamy Chicken Lasagna View Recipe TRAILINDAWG No need to cook a béchemel sauce before assembling this lasagna: A block of cream cheese melds with the warm broth for an instant creamy base. "It is so good and so rich!" says eyessparkle. 04 of 08 Jalapeño Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas View Recipe BrianP Shredded chicken combines with cream cheese, onions, and jalapeños in these enchiladas that burst with flavor. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or guacamole on the side to tame the heat. 10 Best Side Dishes for Enchiladas 05 of 08 Cream Cheese, Garlic, and Chive Stuffed Chicken View Recipe LouLou "This turned out very well," says Momof2. "I used garlic herb cream cheese to add more flavor." 06 of 08 Smoked Salmon Pinwheels View Recipe Lorraine Bagel favorites smoked salmon and cream cheese come together once again in these grab-and-go wraps, also an easy appetizer for a crowd. "Everyone loved it and it was easy to make," says Elena. 07 of 08 Quick and Easy Alfredo Sauce View Recipe Rabithabit Your shortcut to creamy Alfredo sauce is just a package of cream cheese away. It's stirred right into the pan with melted butter and Parmesan — just add your cooked noodle of choice and toss to coat. Italian Side Dishes 08 of 08 Cream Cheese Chicken View Recipe adleslie44 Brown sugar and Dijon mustard give a sweet and tangy coating to this cream cheese-stuffed chicken. This recipe is also gluten-free, since crunchy nuts are used in place of bread crumbs. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit