10 Best Food Pairings for Salmon Cream Cheese

Cream cheese and salmon is a classic combination that tastes great, is easy to make, and can be used for many snacks and meals. The creamy, tangy cream cheese complements the rich, fatty taste of salmon perfectly. Maybe the most well-known way to enjoy this mix is on salmon cream cheese bagels, but there are so many other tasty ways to use this spread. Here are 10 great foods that go well with salmon cream cheese.

1. Bagels

A classic! Salmon cream cheese spread on a toasted bagel is a quick and filling way to eat breakfast, lunch, or a snack. A plain bagel is always a good choice, but an everything or onion bagel also goes well with coffee. If you want, you can add sliced tomato, red onion, capers, fresh dill, and a squeeze of lemon on top. You can also put salmon cream cheese on thin bagel crisps or chips.

2. Cucumber Rounds

Cool, crisp cucumber slices or rounds are the perfect complement to creamy salmon cream cheese Simply top cucumber slices with a dollop or schmear of the salmon spread. Garnish with fresh dill or chives, a squeeze of lemon, and a pinch of minced red onion or capers if you’d like It’s a light appetizer or snack that takes just minutes to throw together.

3. Endive Leaves

Scooping salmon cream cheese onto endive leaves makes an elegant and easy appetizer. The mild bitterness of the endive leaves balances the rich creaminess of the spread. Garnish with salmon roe, chopped hard-boiled egg capers or fresh herbs.

4. Crackers

Buttery crackers like Ritz are a no-brainer pairing for salmon cream cheese. Stronger crackers hold up well and give the creamy spread a crunchy contrast. As well as everything crackers, crackers with black pepper or other spices also go well with this.

5. Celery Sticks

Celery sticks provide a nice crunchy vehicle for scooping up salmon cream cheese. They also add a refreshing flavor that cuts through the richness. Spread the salmon cream cheese into the celery sticks and top with minced red onion, capers, chopped hard-boiled egg, or fresh dill.

6. Cucumber Sandwiches

Dainty tea sandwiches are easy to make with cucumber slices and salmon cream cheese. Simply spread the cream cheese onto slices of cucumber and top with another cucumber slice to make a sandwich. If desired, remove the edges from the cucumber slices first with a biscuit cutter so they are perfectly round.

7. Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs get an upgrade when the yolk mixture is blended with salmon cream cheese. Scoop the egg yolk into a bowl and mix with cream cheese, lemon juice, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy. Spoon into halved hard-boiled egg whites and garnish with capers, fresh dill, paprika, and salmon roe.

8. Potato Pancakes

Mix some of the salmon cream cheese into the potato mixture before forming into pancakes. Then pan fry until golden brown. Top the crispy potato pancakes with an extra dollop of the salmon cream cheese and garnish with fresh dill.

9. Bruschetta

Bruschetta makes an easy appetizer topped with salmon cream cheese. Grill or toast slices of baguette or ciabatta bread, then top with the cream cheese spread. Add any bruschetta toppings like chopped tomato, red onion, basil, balsamic reduction, and a drizzle of olive oil.

10. Wonton Wrappers

For an easy appetizer, simply drop small spoonfuls of salmon cream cheese onto wonton wrappers. Wet the edges with water, fold into a triangle, and press to seal. Bake at 400°F until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Serve warm with soy sauce for dipping. Garnish with sesame seeds, sliced green onions, or salmon roe if desired.

How to Make Salmon Cream Cheese

Making your own salmon cream cheese at home is simple. Here is an easy recipe:

Ingredients:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup minced smoked salmon
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp minced red onion
• 1 Tbsp capers
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, smoked salmon, lemon juice, onion, capers, dill, and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Mix thoroughly with a spoon or rubber spatula until well blended.
3. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
4. Remove from fridge about 15 minutes before serving to soften spread.
5. Serve with your choice of pairings like bagels, crackers, cucumber slices, or endive leaves.

Tips for Making Salmon Cream Cheese

• Whipped cream cheese or neufchâtel cheese blends more easily than brick cream cheese. But regular cream cheese works fine too.
• Flavor with minced red onion, capers, fresh dill, lemon zest, etc. Add as much or as little as you like.
• For convenience, used a canned salmon that has been drained well instead of cooking fresh salmon.
• Allowing the spread to chill for 30+ minutes allows the flavors to evenly distribute.
• Let sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving if too firm.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of salmon works best?

Both smoked salmon and cooked salmon work well. For cooked salmon, grilled, baked, or poached salmon filets will provide flakes to easily mix in. Canned salmon also works as long as it is drained thoroughly.

Can I use cream cheese or neufchâtel?

Either type of cream cheese will work beautifully. Whipped cream cheese blends most smoothly but regular cream cheese provides a nice density. Neufchâtel is a lower fat option.

How long will salmon cream cheese last?

Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, salmon cream cheese will keep for 5 to 7 days.

Can I use fresh dill instead of dried dill?

Absolutely! Fresh dill provides the best flavor. Use about 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh dill in place of 1 teaspoon dried dill.

What’s the best way to serve salmon cream cheese?

Salmon cream cheese is great served on toasted bagels, with crackers or cucumber slices, stuffed into celery sticks, dolloped onto potato pancakes, or spread onto sandwiches or bruschetta.

Salmon cream cheese is endlessly versatile and can be used in so many quick appetizers, snacks, sandwiches, and other recipes. It’s easy to whip up a batch to keep on hand for whenever a savory spread is needed. Experiment with different flavor additions like lemon, capers, herbs, and spices to find your favorite iteration. Any of these 10 food pairings will let the delicious combination of salmon and cream cheese shine.