Cucumber and Vegetable Cream Cheese Slices

About

Use this recipe for your next Keto snack, appetizer, or part of your meal prep! It also makes a great component of your lunch as a side dish or the main course of a vegetarian meal. You’ll make your own homemade vegetable cream cheese spread using a stand mixer and a cheese grater. Your favorite brand of brick cream cheese is whipped until it’s super-light and extra creamy. Then, you’ll mix in shredded vegetables with Keto in mind. This why a homemade recipe is healthier than what you might purchase in grocery stores, too. A blend of savory spices is the final touch on the spread. Later, you’ll fill cucumber “canoes” with the chilled vegetable spread before you slice for serving. The slices make the cucumbers a great finger food for adults and kids!

Other Keto Vegetables To Use

Cucumber is one of the most Keto-friendly vegetables out there. However, there are other veggies you can fill with this cream cheese recipe for variety. Stuff brown or white mushroom caps with the spread and serve them either cold or warmed under a broiler. You can also fill slices of celery or bell pepper with the cream cheese. Green bell pepper is the best color to choose for the Keto diet because it has the least carbs.

Shelf Life

If you’re using this recipe as part of your meal prep, store the completed recipe in an airtight container in your refrigerator for the longest shelf life. It should last for up to 7 days, depending on the freshness of the cucumber you started with. If the vegetable cream cheese is stored alone, the shelf life will be as long as the original shelf life of your brick cream cheese. Keep the cucumber slices chilled while serving so the cream cheese doesn’t get too soft.

Ingredients

4 oz cream cheese
¾ oz brown mushrooms (italian or crimini mushrooms), raw, high in vitamin d
½ oz celery
1 teaspoon pimento canned
1 dash salt
¼ teaspoon paprika
⅛ teaspoon onion powder
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
½ tsp, chopped scallions
9 oz cucumber, raw, without peel

Instructions

Pull your cream cheese out in advance to soften at room temperature. Microwaving won’t be helpful, since it will make the cream cheese too soft. Once the cream cheese is no longer cold, mix it in a stand mixer on high speed for about 5 minutes until it is light and extra creamy. You may need to use a spatula to scrape down your mixing bowl periodically throughout the mixing. If you don’t own a stand mixer, check the introduction for suggestions.
While the cream cheese is whipping, you can prepare the vegetables. Use a cheese grater to shred clean mushrooms and whole celery stalk into fine shreds. The celery in particular will yield extra liquid and you’ll be discarding much of the fibers. You can also use a kitchen knife to mince these ingredients, but using a cheese grater will save you a lot of time. Add the shredded vegetables and chopped pimentos to the stand mixer.
Mix the ingredients together. Scrape your mixing bowl down one final time, then mix in all the remaining ingredients. Once the vegetable cream cheese spread is consistent without any white streaks, you can stop mixing. Transfer the cream cheese spread to a sealed container to chill in your refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This time is included in the preparation time of the recipe.
While the cream cheese is chilling, prepare the cucumber. To make 24 slices, you will need a medium-sized cucumber. Cut the ends of the cucumber off and peel it entirely. Cut the peeled cucumber in half to make 2 short pieces. Then, slice each piece in half lengthwise to create 4 long pieces. Use a spoon to scrape all the seeds out of each piece of cucumber. Scrape away enough from the core of each piece to create hollow “canoes”. The weight listed in the ingredients is the final yield of the prepared cucumbers.
Use a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture on the cucumbers. Once the cream cheese is chilled, use a spoon or spatula to fill each cucumber “canoe”. Smooth the top of each canoe so the cream cheese is flat. If necessary, chill the filled cucumber canoes in your refrigerator to firm the cream cheese spread. Otherwise, continue to slice ½”-1”-thick pieces. Each canoe should yield about 6 slices. Keep chilled for serving.