Smoked Cream Cheese 4 Ways

Yield: 4 servings per block of cheese

Everything Bagel:

• 8 oz block cream cheese
  
• Cattleman’s Grill Everything Bagel Seasoning
• Holmes Made Sweet & Spicy Dill Pickles
• Crackers, for serving

Barbecue:

• Meat Church Honey Bacon BBQ Rub
• Plowboys BBQ Yardbird Rub
• Blues Hog Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
• Chips, for serving

Mexicano:

• 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

Italiano:

• 8 oz block cream cheese
• Urban Slicer White Pizza Mojo Seasoning
• Cattleman’s Grill Italiano Seasoning
• Marinara sauce (recipe below)
• Crackers, for serving

For the marinara sauce:

• 1 (800 g) can Ciao San Marzano Whole Peeled Tomatoes
• 1 tbsp Saica Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• pinch red pepper flakes
• Noble Saltworks Hickory Smoked Salt, to taste
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, minced

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.

You might also enjoy: Grilled Jalapeno Poppers

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.