Unconventional "Storage" Items - Cream Cheese

The following recipes both call for cream cheese.  I thought that would be an ingredient that I would be unable to "store".  Once I looked at the expiration date I realized I could store cream cheese for several months in my frig.  I try to always have 8 to 10 in the frig and buy Western Family when it is on sale. 

Baked Penne Pasta

3 cups Barilla Plus multi grain pasta cooked (4 cups cooked)

2 - 10 oz. pkg frozen spinach cooked and drained really really well

                      or 2 cups re hydrated freeze dried spinach

2 tsp. dried basil

1 - 26 oz. can Hunts Roasted Garlic and Onion sauce (or whatever brand you prefer)

1 - 28 oz. can diced tomatoes (drain)

1 - 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (can buy in bulk and freeze in smaller pkgs.)

Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to directions

Cook spinach and squeeze out all water

In a separate pan, combine spaghetti sauce, tomatoes and softened cream cheese

Cook until cream cheese melts

Drain pasta and combine with spinach and sauce

Pour into a 9 X 13 dish

Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese

Bake in 375 degree oven for 20 minutes

printable recipe

Cream Cheese Brownies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Prepare 1 German Chocolate Cake mix (I prefer Betty Crocker) as instructed on box.

Pour batter into sprayed or greased 10 X 15 jelly roll pan

Beat until creamy

1  8 oz. pkg. softened cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

Add:

1 egg and beat until smooth

Dollop cream cheese mixture all over cake batter and swirl

around.  Sprinkle about 1 1/2 cup choc. chips (I always have some

stored in the freezer--they last forever) all over cake and cream

cheese mixture.  Bake for 35 min. and ENJOY!!

printable recipe

 Thanks to Patty W. for sharing these recipes.

UPDATE Status Check

UPDATE:  - If you're wanting to add pasta this is a good week to do it.   Kent's has 4 lbs packages of spaghetti and elbow macaroni for $2.48

So how are you doing?

Have you added anything to your 3-month supply?  Thanks to a trip to Sam's club I was able to bring our pasta supply back up closer to where I'd like it to be.  "Noodles" are a favorite at our house even with the pickiest eaters. 

I bought one six pound box of spaghetti for $5.76 and one six pound box of Penne Rigate also for $5.76 (the elbow macaroni was also, you guessed it . . .  $5.76, I'll add that next time).

Daily Chef™ Penne Rigate Pantry Pack - 6/1 lb.

Daily Chef™ Spaghetti Pantry Pack - 6/1 lb. 

I've probably found better buys on pasta but this was close to the LDS storehouse price so it worked for me, I'm actually wishing I'd bought more.  Twelve pounds is 12 meals for our family of 8 but we've been know to eat pasta more than once a week.  I also picked up a few extra bottles of spaghetti sauce to add to that I canned this summer

 

FYI

Storehouse price (for spaghetti)

5lb pouch -  $5.30

25lb bulk - $23.85 

 

What have you bought???? 

 

next on my list - orange juice