I know, I’ve been on an extreme veggie kick lately! I can’t help it with everything growing and blooming…we are going to plant a raised garden in our backyard this year! Okay, so in my endless quest for more veggies I decided to make some homemade veggie cream cheese.
It’s so much better than commercial cream cheese in a tub.
Next time you’re chopping vegetables, chop up a few extra. The crunchy types work the best and will keep for several days in the fridge. Carrots, celery, colored peppers…
Mix in some low fat cream cheese until it’s a spreadable consistency. Add seasonings or fresh herbs to taste. I didn’t have any fresh basil or parsley, or I would have added that right before serving. Don’t add anything too perishable to the mix or it will wilt…just add at the last minute.
Store in a covered dish or plastic tub in the refrigerator for up to a week. This makes a quick healthy alternative for lunch.
I decided to have a little fun with cookie cutters. I had a butterfly and a tulip~
I used Pepperidge Farm thin sliced wheat bread to make the sandwiches
and added some fun details with grape tomatoes and green onions. The tips of the scallions made great antennae! And the little dots on the tulip are slices from the white of the onion. I used a dab of cream cheese to “glue” the garnishes onto the bread. I added fresh spinach leaves to the sandwiches when I made them.
What fun for a ladies luncheon!
This cream cheese is great for a wrap too… I added crunchy romaine and cucumber slices to this before I rolled it up. I stored one half in saran in the fridge and I had a grab and go snack for the next day.
Veggie cream cheese would make a great GIFT FROM THE KITCHEN too!
Pack it in a jar or plastic tub and tie with a cute ribbon. Add a tag with suggestions for use and storage info. This would be a great hostess gift, welcome gift or “just because” for a good friend or neighbor.
Here’s the recipe:
VEGGIE CREAM CHEESE SANDWICHES
Ingredients
- carrots
- colored peppers
- celery
- green onion
- low fat cream cheese
- spinach leaves
- lettuce
- cucumber slices
- cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Chop carrot, peppers, celery, and green onions into small pieces and stir together.
- Add cream cheese until desired consistency. Store covered in fridge up to 1 week.
- Use as a sandwich spread or cocktail spread with crackers. Add spinach leaves, cucumber and lettuce right before assembling sandwiches. Garnish sandwiches with tomato halves or vegetable pieces if desired, by using a dab of cream cheese to glue them on
- Adjust amounts according to volume needed and add any desired seasonings.
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