What do you do with excess stock of cream cheese and mozzarella?

Here's a question that I answered at Growlies Recipe Exchange and Party Planning Board this afternoon. ReBecca, who appears to cook at a homeless shelter somewhere in Canada or the U.S., posed this question recently:

I have a situation here. I have a woman who was so thrilled with the poor man's fettuccine Alfredo (cream cheese recipe) that she now brings me cream cheese and shredded mozzarella almost every week now.

I can't make any more fettuccine because my homeless guys are starting to complain; plus-I would love something other than pasta since we already serve spaghetti every week for the main course.

My meals are the "to-go" meals to sustain our homeless community for the 'next' day when there are no churches making meals. SO ... does anyone have any recipes for copious amounts of sausage, cream cheese and shredded mozzarella? Thanks!

There are many things do do with the mozzarella and cream cheeses. First, you can use the shredded mozzarella in place of most shredded cheeses the shelter acquires.

If mozzarella is too stringy once it melts, try combining it with shredded cheddar. The two flavors will compliment each other.

Cheesy potato soup, rich two- or three-cheese macaroni and cheese or salad topping are just a few of ways to use the shredded mozzarella cheese. Use extra cheese in each recipe as long as your inventory holds.

Consult cookbooks like Food For Fifty or Professional Cooking for ideas. They're too numerous to print on this blog.

You can also make a versatile cream cheese and mozzarella mixture. Use it for any number of dishes, both hot and cold.

Mix cream cheese, shredded mozzarella, garlic powder and hot pepper sauce. Season lightly with salt and pepper while whipping in a mixer bowl. Although you should be careful with the hot sauce, I suspect these guys will appreciate it.

Use the mixture on:

• Celery sticks in place of peanut butter; this is a good, filling appetizer
• Dip for crackers or chips
• Sliced French bread halves, baked under broiler until lightly browned; use any excess hamburger/hot dog buns, French rolls or other donated bread
• Twice-baked potatoes, baked under broiler until cheese melts and topping browns

You didn't say what kind of sausage the lady donates. Many breakfast and Italian sausages (especially if donated in bulk form) can be used interchangeably. This recipe from Food For Fifty will help you use both cheese and sausage:

EGG AND SAUSAGE BAKE

40 ounces sliced bread
9 pounds bulk sausage
40 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
72 ounces eggs (about 42 total), beaten
3 quarts milk
1-1/2 tablespoons dry mustard

Cut bread in cubes. Cover bottom of 2 greased 12x20x2-inch baking pans with bread cubes. Pans should be well covered.

Brown sausage. Drain well. Spread cheese and sausage over bread cubes.

Combine eggs, milk, and mustard. Pour over mixture in pans, 2-1/2 quarts per pan. May be mixed, covered, and refrigerated overnight.

Bake uncovered at 325 degrees F for approximately 1 hour or until set, 180-degree internal end-point temperature. If browning too fast, cover with foil.

Cut each pan 4x6. Recipe yields 2 (12x20x2-inch) hotel pans.

VARIATIONS:

Sausage-Potato Bake. Substitute frozen hashed brown potatoes for bread cubes.

Egg-Potato Bake. Delete sausage. Substitute frozen hashed brown potatoes for bread cubes.