Smoky cheddar spread — a refrigerated alternative to cold-smoking cheese
New refrigerated smoke-flavored alternative to the incomplete cold-smoking cheese instructions. Exact flavor and texture are not claimed to reproduce a smoked cheese block, and Robert has not tested this addition.
- YIELD
- About 1 1/2 cups, 8 servings
- PREP / WAIT
- 15 minutes plus 1 hour chilling
- COOK
- None
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasteurized sharp cheddar, freshly grated
- 4 oz pasteurized cream cheese, softened briefly for mixing
- 2 tablespoons plain pasteurized yogurt
- 1/4 teaspoon food-grade liquid smoke, or the label’s lower amount if concentrated
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Method
- Keep the cheddar, cream cheese and yogurt refrigerated until needed. Let the cream cheese soften only while assembling the other ingredients; do not leave it out for hours.
- Mash the cream cheese and yogurt until smooth. Stir in the liquid smoke, garlic, paprika and pepper, then mix in the grated cheddar. Taste with a clean spoon.
- Cover and refrigerate at 40°F or below for at least 1 hour. Serve a small portion with crackers, returning the main container promptly to the refrigerator.
- Keep refrigerated and use within 3–4 days or the shortest remaining ingredient use-by date. Discard any served portion held above refrigerator temperature more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F.
Notes & storage
- This supplies the smoky cheese flavor through a labeled food ingredient, not by holding dairy for hours in a 60–90°F smoker. It is a spread rather than a reconstructed cold-smoked cheese block.
- Do not vacuum-pack this spread for room-temperature aging. The cold-smoking discussion is not proof of a safe storage process for homemade smoked cheese.