Chef Tom knows the secret to smoked cream cheese perfection: the offset smoker! Enjoy delicious results, perfect smoke infusion and an experience you won't forget. Ready to discover the passion and flavor of smoked cream cheese?
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- One coal bed and one smoke session turns out four completely different flavor directions, so a single cook covers an entire spread of dips instead of repeating the same one four times
- Scoring a cross-hatch pattern into the top of each block opens channels for smoke to penetrate deeper than a solid, unscored surface would allow
- Building the Italiano version's marinara from whole peeled tomatoes broken down by hand gives more texture than a jarred sauce would, and it's timed to finish right alongside the smoke
- Coating every side of the cream cheese in seasoning before it goes on the Frog Mat means the crust forms uniformly around the block, not just on the top
Smoked Cream Cheese 4 Ways
Tom Jackson
Rated 4.5 stars by 4 users
Category
Main Course
Cuisine
American
Servings
4
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
3 hours
Calories
522
Chef Tom fires up the Yoder Smokers Loaded Wichita Offset Smoker for Smoked Cream Cheese! Your favorite new BBQ trend has so many possibilities, why choose just one?!
Ingredients
- 8 oz block cream cheese
-
Cattleman’s Grill Everything Bagel Seasoning
-
Holmes Made Sweet & Spicy Dill Pickles
- Crackers, for serving
-
Meat Church Honey Bacon BBQ Rub
-
Plowboys BBQ Yardbird Rub
-
Blues Hog Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
- Chips, for serving
-
Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning
-
Cattleman’s Grill 8 Second Ride Carne Asada Seasoning
-
Holmes Made Marty’s Roasted Green Chile Salsa
- Tortilla chips, for serving
- 8 oz block cream cheese
-
Urban Slicer White Pizza Mojo Seasoning
-
Cattleman’s Grill Italiano Seasoning
- Marinara sauce (recipe below)
- Crackers, for serving
-
1 (800 g) can Ciao San Marzano Whole Peeled Tomatoes
-
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- pinch red pepper flakes
-
Noble Saltworks Hickory Smoked Salt, to taste
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, minced
Everything Bagel:
Barbecue:
Mexicano:
Italiano:
For the marinara sauce:
Directions
- Build a coal bed with hot lump charcoal in the back half of the firebox in the Yoder Smokers Loaded Wichita Offset Smoker. Add splits of pecan (or other smoking wood) to the coal bed and stabilize the pit temperature at 225ºF-250ºF.
- Coat each block of cream cheese generously with seasonings of your choice on all sides. Score the top of each block of cream cheese in a cross-hatch pattern with a knife.
- Transfer the cream cheese to a Frog Mat placed on the second shelf of the smoker, opposite the fire box.
Smoke for 2-3 hours until the surface is darkened and the scoring on top of the cream cheese opens up.
- Remove from the the smoker and serve warm with corresponding toppings, crackers, chips and/or veggies for dipping.
- To make the marinara sauce, combine all ingredients in a small skillet and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon, until the sauce reaches your desired consistency, about 5-10 minutes.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why score a cross-hatch pattern into the top of each cream cheese block?
Cutting into the surface opens it up so smoke can penetrate deeper into the block. By the time it's done, that scoring should have visibly opened further as the cheese softens.
Why season all sides of the block instead of just the top?
Coating the entire block, not just the top, means the crust that forms during the smoke wraps evenly around the whole piece rather than being concentrated on one face.
Can I really get four different flavors out of one smoking session?
Yes the technique (coal bed, 225-250°F, 2-3 hours) stays the same across all four; only the seasoning blend and toppings change, so it's easy to smoke several blocks side by side for a variety platter.
Why make the marinara from whole canned tomatoes instead of using a jarred sauce for the Italiano version?
Breaking down whole San Marzano tomatoes by hand while they cook gives the sauce more texture and fresher flavor than a pre-made jarred marinara, and it only takes 5-10 minutes to come together.
How do I know when the cream cheese is actually done smoking?
Look for the surface to darken and the cross-hatch scoring to visibly open up that's the cue this recipe uses rather than an internal temperature target.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
1 out of 5 — the smoke flavor is the entire point of this dish, and there's no real substitute for a live smoker here; an indoor oven would just soften the cheese without any of the smoky character.
Recipe Highlights
Four flavors, one method: Everything Bagel, Barbecue, Mexicano, and Italiano all share the same base smoking technique.
Cross-hatch scoring: Opens the block to let smoke penetrate deeper than a solid surface would.
All-sides seasoning: Builds an even crust around the whole block, not just the top.
Hand-crushed marinara: Gives the Italiano version fresher texture than a jarred sauce.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 2 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 522
- Carbs
- 10 grams
- Protein
- 9 grams
- Fat
- 44 grams
- Sodium
- 787 milligrams
