Spicy Garlic Cream Cheese

Fun fact about Veronica #38 - Once when I was about ten years old my Dad made spaghetti. Now my Dad is actually an excellent cook, don't get me wrong. I enjoy his food very much. But this one time he made spaghetti he decided to put 6 habanero peppers in the sauce. I don't think my stomach has ever been quite the same since then. 

Needless to say, I grew up in a spicy food family. My Mom is spanish, my Dad eats like he's spanish, and my husband will put Tapatio on ice cream if it feels right that day. So it probably shouldn't surprise you that my mom has recently discovered Philadelphia's Spicy Jalapeño flavored cream cheese and we absolutely love the stuff. 

Well, we are almost out of it. And I had a giant tub of regular cream cheese to play with leftover from some cream cheese frosting. What else would this mean besides me trying to make my own?

Now I might also mention that we are also a garlic family. We put it in everything, and frankly I blame the constant flow of Emeril Lagasse coming through my TV for most of my young life.

So if you are NOT a spicy food, garlic loving family, then I suggest you tone this recipe down a little. It has delicious flavors, but make them as strong or as weak as you prefer. This recipe is simply what me and my family love.

You can also make more at once if you prefer, but I suggest using a food processor to mix larger batches.

Recipe:

• 1 cup spreadable cream cheese
• 4 serrano peppers (jalapeños if you prefer, I just use whatever is on hand)
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• olive oil

Directions:

• Roast Peppers (see below), scrape out ribs and seeds, and chop into scoopable pieces. You don't want the pieces too big or else it will make this dip harder to eat. If you like it more spicy, take out the seeds (They don't have a good texture), but leave in the ribs. This is where the heat is. They are very easy to remove, simply drag the back of your knife over them and they should come out. Also, the black pieces on the outside add flavor to the recipe, so there is no need to scrape them off. 
• Sautee garlic in a little olive oil until tender, then chop finely.
• Mix all ingredients into the cream cheese.

It's seriously that easy. And delicious. I suggest serving with pita chips or Triscuts. But you could also put this on a toasted bagel and have a pretty stinkin' good breakfast. 

To store, simply put in a small tupperware and take out however much you need at a time. It will last about how long the cream cheese you started with will last. 

If you have never roasted peppers before, don't worry. It's probably the most simple process ever. 

For Gas Stoves:

Simply set your burner to high and use a long pair of tongs to hold the pepper over the flame, rotating as it the pepper burns. Don't worry when it turns black, that's what you want. It does not have to be completely burnt, but remember that the more of the pepper is green, the less cooked it will be, and for this recipe we want nice, tender pieces of serrano. 

For Electric Stoves:

Unfortunately, the roasting trick for gas stoves does not work with electric ones. But don't worry! I've got you covered! Also, if you roast your peppers this way, you can throw your garlic in with them and get similar results as you would from sautéing. 

Simply coat a baking sheet with olive oil, and place the jalapeno's and garlic on. Turn your oven on to broil and allow your peppers and garlic to cook on the top rack until they are tender.  

I really hope you enjoy this recipe! Let me know if you try it out and what you think!!

Until next time!