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Use It Up Challenge: 1/3-Less-Fat Cream Cheese

May 12, 2016
Photo: Marcus Nilsson
Have a bit of leftover cream cheese from a recipe? Don't let it go to waste! A few ounces adds creaminess to dips, entrées, and even desserts. We typically recommend 1/3-less-fat cream cheese over full-fat. You still get all the rich body and creaminess of the luxurious cheese without the calories and fat. Be sure to wrap up your extra cream cheese with plastic wrap to keep air from drying out the cheese. Use up any leftovers within a week of opening for best taste and texture results.
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Tomato-Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Tomato-Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

A bit of 1/3-less-fat cream cheese adds rich body to our Tomato-Basil Soup, a fast weeknight meal that boasts three times the protein compared to common store-bought varieties.

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Turkey Sliders

Photo: Hector Sanchez
View Recipe: Turkey Sliders

A handful of fresh mint boosts the flavor of ground turkey, while cream cheese keeps the patties moist. Mild-flavored pepperoncini peppers top these sliders served on water rolls.

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Stuffed Berries

Photo: Hector Sanchez
View Recipe: Stuffed Berries

A simple mixture of powdered sugar, cream cheese, and amaretto transforms hollowed out strawberries into an ultra simple dessert or appetizer—perfect for spring gatherings.

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Cheesecake Sandwiches

Photo: Hector Sanchez
View Recipe: Cheesecake Sandwiches

Makeover your cheesecake with a no-bake handheld version that makes an easy party treat. Lemon juice and zest blended with raspberries create a fresh summer confection.

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Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs

Photo: Hector Sanchez
View Recipe: Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs

Dress this staff favorite with cold-smoked salmon atop a creamy filling seasoned with fresh dill. You can easily double or triple the recipe to feed a crowd.

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Cucumber-Feta Bites

Photo: Grant Cornett; Styling: Alistair Turnbull 
View Recipe: Cucumber-Feta Bites

Cucumbers are a wonderful alternative to crackers during snack time. Top them off with a little cream cheese, nonfat Greek yogurt, feta cheese, and walnuts for a protein-packed crunch. Cute, portable, and easy, these are great party starters that guests will love snacking on. Tangy feta cheese steals the show and brightens up the vegetable base.

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Creamy Asparagus, Herb, and Pea Pasta

Photo: Christopher Testani
View Recipe: Creamy Asparagus, Herb, and Pea Pasta

Mascarpone cheese, unsalted chicken stock, and 1/3-less-fat cream cheese create a smooth and creamy sauce that pairs beautifully with asparagus, herbs, peas, and pappardelle pasta.

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Carrot-Zucchini Cake With Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting

Photo: Dylan + Jeni
View Recipe: Carrot-Zucchini Cake With Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting

Zucchini makes a brilliant addition to carrot cake, adding a verdant note to the sweet carrot.

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Chicken, Kale, and Mushroom Chimichangas

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Chicken, Kale, and Mushroom Chimichangas

Fresh tomatoes and an avocado cream offer a bright finish. It's a crisp, flavor-packed wrap of veggies, meat, and cheese for less than 300 calories.

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Two-Cheese Mac and Cheese

Photo: Brian Woodcock
View Recipe: Two-Cheese Mac and Cheese

Indulge in this lighter version of the comfort food favorite. Because it uses unsalted stock, it eliminates a lot of added sodium.

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Bacon-Goat Cheese Jalapeño Poppers

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Bacon-Goat Cheese Jalapeño Poppers

Salty bacon, rich goat cheese, savory-sweet jelly, and roasted jalapeño—it takes teamwork to make the dream work. If you already have the grill going, these dreamy little bites are equally easy to cook outdoors.

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Zucchini and Goat Cheese Quiche

Photo: Iain Bagwell
View Recipe: Zucchini and Goat Cheese Quiche

Is there anything more French than a savory vegetable quiche? Choose fresh-looking, smooth-skinned zucchini. If you have a vegetable garden, add strips of squash blossom to the tart, as well. Crumbled goat cheese and diced ham give the tart a complex flavor. 

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Fresh Artichoke and Kale Dip

Photo: Brian Woodcock
View Recipe: Fresh Artichoke and Kale Dip

Fresh artichoke leaves make the best earth-friendly disposable utensils: Their shape is perfect for scooping up dip, and after you nibble the tasty meat from the base of the leaf, you can toss it out guilt-free. Cook the artichokes and kale up to two days ahead–it will be a time-saver during the last-minute rush of putting on a party.

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Ultimate Grilled Cheese

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Ultimate Grilled Cheese

When a rich cheese mixture is slathered on whole-grain bread and sautéed in olive oil, the result is a glorious silky, ultra-cheesy sandwich.

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Mini Bow Ties with Bacon and Peas

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Mini Bow Ties with Bacon and Peas

Finishing your peas and carrots is exponentially more exciting when bacon is involved. In fact, almost every dish is more exciting when bacon comes to play, so feel free to swap your family's favorite veggies into this versatile pasta.

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Basil, Feta, and Quinoa Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Basil, Feta, and Quinoa Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Sweet piquanté peppers, also called sweet cherry or Peppadew peppers, are about the size and shape of a strawberry. Look for them at the olive bar or in the pickle section.

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Gram's Clam Dip

Photo: Brian Woodcock
View Recipe: Gram's Clam Dip

From the Kitchen of Katie Barreira: Cooking Light Test Kitchen Director

Katie, a Boston native, and her cousin rivaled for their grandmother's clam dip recipe and the secret to what made her version green. "My cousin Jen won the battle," says Katie, "so it remains a mystery to me, although I think it's just food coloring."

Katie's lower-fat version uses reduced-fat Greek yogurt and cream cheese for a creamy result that does this heirloom dish justice. Precut crudités will hold up well if you'd like to prep them the day before. Wrap trimmed and cut veggies in a damp paper towel and refrigerate in a zip-top plastic bag for the crispiest texture.

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Crisp-Crust Chicken Potpie

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Crisp-Crust Chicken Potpie

Turn to rotisserie chicken and frozen puff pastry dough to shave time from this deconstructed version of a comfort classic. Cooking the crust separately keeps it crisp and crunchy.

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Almond Butter Snickerdoodles

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Almond Butter Snickerdoodles

2 Yolks

Trust us. Our twist on the classic cinnamon-sugar cookie, lovingly called the Snickerdoodle, won’t disappoint. Using almond butter, egg yolks, and cream cheese in the cookie dough adds richness, and the crunchy coating of cinnamon sugar brings back all the memories from this all-time favorite cookie.

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Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies

Based on the classic whoopie pie, these soft sandwich cookies provide all the pleasures of traditional carrot cake in a fun-to-eat package, including the thick, tangy cream cheese frosting—especially the cream cheese frosting.

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Creamy Spring Pasta

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Creamy Spring Pasta

This dish is luxuriously creamy, but the pasta soaks up the sauce quickly. Be sure to serve right away. Use refrigerated pasta to cut several minutes off the cook time.

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Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Chicken Enchilada Casserole

These enchiladas are a cinch to assemble and easy to freeze—just cover one of the pans with foil. If you plan to serve a crowd, bake in one (13 × 9–inch) baking dish. The chicken stays moist throughout baking and reheating, thanks to a gentle poach and a creamy verde sauce. Fresh cilantro stems have tons of favor; make sure to include them in the sauce.

To Freeze: Cool partially baked enchiladas to room temperature in baking dish. Cover baking dish tightly with heavy-duty foil, or seal with an airtight lid. Freeze up to 2 months.
To Reheat: No thawing needed: Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 45 minutes or until enchiladas are thoroughly heated and sauce is bubbly. Top each serving with tomato and cilantro leaves.

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Snickerdoodle Dip

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Snickerdoodle Dip

This simple treat puts the flavor of classic snickerdoodle cookies in dippable form. Serve with apple and pear slices.

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Turkey Tetrazzini

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Turkey Tetrazzini

Enjoy one baked pasta dish tonight, and freeze one for a comforting supper later. This turkey-and veggie-loaded pasta bake is a one-dish meal worth sharing and is an easy solution for "nothing in the fridge" nights.

To Freeze: Cover baking dish with heavy-duty foil or an airtight lid. Freeze up to two months.
To Thaw: Remove foil; place dish in microwave. Microwave at 30% power for 30 minutes or until thawed.
To Reheat: Preheat oven to 400° for 20 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in center registers 160°.

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Chocolate-Dipped Cannoli with Pistachios

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Chocolate-Dipped Cannoli with Pistachios

Chocolate and nuts are the perfect combination to top off sweetened ricotta and cream cheese in this cannoli. Swap out the pistachios for peanuts or almonds for a different taste.

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Stovetop Sausage Mac and Cheese

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Stovetop Sausage Mac and Cheese

A quick and easy pasta toss combines three types of cheese, plus sausage, for creamy yet hearty texture and flavor. For a more colorful version, stir in spinach.

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Brown Sugar Cheesecake with Cranberry Compote

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Brown Sugar Cheesecake with Cranberry Compote

Thick cranberry sauce lends brilliant color and sweet-tart taste to this rich cheesecake.

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Creamy Ranch-Style Dip

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Creamy Ranch-Style Dip

Serve this dip to your football crowd with baby carrots, broccoli florets, or other fresh vegetables.

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Cherry and Pistachio Rugelach

Photo: Linda Pugliese
View Recipe: Cherry and Pistachio Rugelach

You can switch out the cherry preserves and dried cherries for another fruit that comes in both spread and dried form, such as apricot, currant, or blueberry. 

​Pretty Packaging: These rustic cookies can handle a more rustic approach to wrapping. Carefully place the cookies into a cellophane bag, then drop inside a burlap bag; cinch with a ribbon.​

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Farro Salad with Creamy Feta

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Farro Salad with Creamy Feta

Good news, whole-grain shoppers! Precooked farro is popping up in both the grain aisle and the frozen-foods section of many supermarkets. Alternatively, you can cook up a batch of unpearled farro in about 45 minutes— it keeps, refrigerated, for up to 1 week and freezes beautifully.

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From Cooking Light's Test Kitchen to Your Kitchen Table

Photo: Nigel Cox
View Recipe: Pumpkin-Hazelnut Cheesecake

We have a secret weapon in our Test Kitchen: Deb Wise, an experienced baker who gets the science and loves the challenge of making light sweets with sublime texture and glorious flavor. Here, we offer Deb’s wisest offerings yet.

First we have this Pumpkin-Hazelnut Cheesecake. Spiced pumpkin adds seasonal color and warm flavors to this magnificent double-decker dessert. Hazelnuts contribute their unique browned butter note to the wonderfully dense cake beneath the silky cheesecake. Shards of brittle add drama and style.

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Chicken Taco Salad

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Chicken Taco Salad

Add a little variation to taco night and throw your favorite taco fillings on a bed of fresh romaine lettuce. Ready in just 25 minutes, you’ll have a flavorful, fresh taco salad that is sure to satisfy your Southwestern craving.

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Strawberry Cream Cheese Waffle Sandwiches

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Strawberry Cream Cheese Waffle Sandwiches

Standard toaster waffles get a tasty upgrade in this easy-to-prepare breakfast dish.

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Winn's Fig and Pecan Rugelach

Photo Courtesy of Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Winn's Fig and Pecan Rugelach

This is a gluten-free variation of the traditional Jewish pastry. Filled with fig preserves, pecans, and brown sugar, they are the perfect treat for a Hanukkah celebration.

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Cream Cheese-Swirled Brownies

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Cream Cheese-Swirled Brownies

For moist and fudgy results, be careful not to overbake. When the brownies are perfectly done, the edges of the batter will just begin to pull away from the pan.

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Cream Cheese Meltaways With Lemon Glaze

Photo: Jan Smith
View Recipe: Cream Cheese Meltaways With Lemon Glaze

When shaping these buttery cookies, do not try to form perfectly smooth balls. If the dough is handled too much, the cookies will become heavy and dense.

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Fig and Cream Cheese Bars

Photo: Jan Smith
View Recipe: Fig and Cream Cheese Bars

With the honeyed flavor of dried figs, a sweet cream cheese layer, and a buttery, crumbly crust, these bars garnered our Test Kitchens' highest rating. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

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