Need Cream Cheese and Milk Help Please

[kcjodih]

I'm making the Loaded Baked Potato Chowder at a show tomorrow and I'm dreading the milk/cream cheese step. When I've done it at home with nicely softened cream cheese it's been a nightmare. I can't get it creamy, it ends up more like milk with small lumps. Not to mention the cream cheese all getting caught up in the whisk.

I KNOW there are alot of you that make this regularly so what do you do when demoing this?

Please help!

 

[esavvymom]

I can't answer about demoing, because I've only done it twice.....but I found that I have to have the cream cheese very soft (I microwave it for about 30 seconds- and that helps...less if it's been sitting out already and softened). I then start stirring it and then add a little milk into it As you stir it and add the milk, it should be creamier and less/no lumps. The lumps, in my experience, were because the cheese wasn't soft enough.Also, if it's soft enough- it won't stick in the whisk as you add the milk. It will at first, but only as you get started. Try that. I make it at home all the time and that's how I do it.Good luck.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I soften the cream cheese & butter together (in the 2 cup ERMC) in the micro for about a minute before I start the demo. It doesn't have to be melted, just really soft

Then, when I get to that part of the demo, I stir the cream cheese directly into the hot chopped/mashed potatoes really well, and then slowly, with the mix n masher, whisk in the milk.

That makes it nice and creamy and thick every time! :chef:

 

[esavvymom]

I like Becky's idea better!!

 

[kcjodih]

Thanks Bobbi for your help. No offense but so do I

As usual, you rock Becky Thanks hun!

My fellow cheffers are the bestest

 

[cookingwithdot]

I like Becky's idea too & I'm using at my show tomorrow! I also have warmed up the crm chz and used the other silicone whisk with bigger gaps in it - the stuff doesn't seem to get stuck as much! Luckily on my last demo, it wasn't me whisking it, so I didn't look like the silly one ... At home I just throw it in my KitchenAid!

 

[kcjodih]

BTW Becky do you just use the mix n scraper to stir the cream cheese/butter into the hot potatoes or something else? Does it melt easily/quickly?

 

[christinaspc]

I have made this bunches of time and what I will do is melt the butter and cream cheese and blend together and then I will mix in the milk and then heat all together for a couple of mins and it gets all creamy.

 

[ShellBeach]

it ends up more like milk with small lumps.

That's what happened the first few times I made it, too.
Now I put about 2 tablespoons of milk in, mix that until it's smooth, and the rest of the milk goes in and it all stays smooth.

 

[babywings76]

That happened to me one time and I realized it was because the cream cheese will just clump if it isn't introduced to the milk a little at a time. I just soften the cream cheese first, then whisk it. Then I add just a little milk in at first and whisk that. Then add a little more milk and whisk it, and repeat. After just doing that it gets to the point where it's fine to just dump the rest of the milk in and continue on. It works perfectly and I make sure to point that out at a show so they can do the same at home.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

BTW Becky do you just use the mix n scraper to stir the cream cheese/butter into the hot potatoes or something else? Does it melt easily/quickly?

Jodi - I do just use the mix n scraper to mix in the cream cheese. It melts nicely into the potatoes - looks like creamy, lupy mashed potatoes when you're done. I use the mix n masher to wisk in the milk though.

 

[DebbieJ]

I heat up the milk.

 

[straitfan]

I ALWAYS use the mix and masher to whisk cream cheese for everything! I also point this out as an alternate use for it all of my shows.

 

[wadesgirl]

That happened to me one time and I realized it was because the cream cheese will just clump if it isn't introduced to the milk a little at a time.

I just soften the cream cheese first, then whisk it. Then I add just a little milk in at first and whisk that. Then add a little more milk and whisk it, and repeat. After just doing that it gets to the point where it's fine to just dump the rest of the milk in and continue on. It works perfectly and I make sure to point that out at a show so they can do the same at home.

This is what I do. It really does help.