Smoked Cream Cheese

 Smoked cream cheese is an easy, delicious dip! It can be made with a wide variety of flavor profiles depending on the occasion and your personal preference. Use as a dip for tortilla chips, crackers, pita chips, pretzels, veggies, etc.

 

Ingredients:

 

1 8 oz. block of full-fat cream cheese, refrigerated

1-2 TBS of your favorite rub or seasoning (my preference is Cimmaron Docs Sweet Rib Rub or Pork Star)

4 TBS of your favorite BBQ sauce (my preference is Head Country Apple Habanero)

 

Preheat smoker to 200 degrees, using your preferred flavor of pellets. Carefully unwrap the cream cheese. In a small to medium foil pan (bread loaf or 8 x 8 size), place the rub in the bottom of the pan. Press all sides of the cream cheese block into the rub so that all sides of the block are coated. Dump out any remaining rub. With a knife, carefully score the top of the cream cheese both directions diagonally, approximately one inch spacing. Place the cream cheese in the pan, and put in the smoker for about 90 minutes. You should see the cream cheese start to separate along the score lines. After 90 minutes turn up the smoker to 350. Pour the BBQ sauce on top of the cream cheese (it should mostly cover the top and down the sides, with a little running into the bottom of the pan. Continue smoking for 15-20 minutes. The BBQ sauce should set up a bit, and the scoring on the cream cheese should separate a little more. (If you nudge the pan, the cream cheese should jiggle a bit.) Let stand for 5-10 minutes before you start dipping.

 

If you have left overs, cover and place in the refrigerator. It can be easily reheated in the oven or enjoyed cold.

 

Alternative ideas:

 

Place cooked, chopped bacon pieces or crumbles on top.

Use red pepper jelly on top in lieu of BBQ sauce.

Try seasoning with onion soup mix in lieu of BBQ rub.

Use buffalo seasoning and wing sauce.

Use taco seasoning to serve with tortilla chips and a mexican meal.