Whatchu gonna do with all that junk, all that junk inside your fridge?
March 31, 2015 4:41 PM   Subscribe

I made some really delicious tacos, but I have a lot of crema mexicana and queso fresco left over in proportion to the other ingredients. How can I creatively use the extra crema mexicana and queso fresco to make stuff that won't be too similar to the tacos I will have been eating all week?
posted by capricorn to Food & Drink (14 answers total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
I feel like crema mexicana would be good on a waffle with a drizzle of maple syrup and some berries (maybe a little squeeze of lime too).
posted by everybody had matching towels at 4:47 PM on March 31, 2015


Make a chipotle-black bean-cumin soup, or creamy pumpkin soup, or any other creamy/smoky soup and drizzle the crema onto it.

Make huevos rancheros, or a hearty crunchy salad, like a cabbage-cilantro-citrus salad, and top with queso fresco. I would basically use it in any context you would use feta.
posted by foodmapper at 4:49 PM on March 31, 2015 [1 favorite]


Chiles rellenos! If you don't do spicy so well you can use a milder pepper than a poblano, but if you go heavy on the cheese and crema it will balance it out nicely, and if you want spicier you can bump it up in whatever salsa you like, or you could put a little chorizo in with the cheeses (nobody's making you be authentic, here.)

I like crema mexicana on coleslaw in place of mayo, especially if it's a citrusy coleslaw. Also it's great on roasted potatoes - mix some crema up with a little sliced green onion and dust your potatoes with cumin and garlic.
posted by Mizu at 4:54 PM on March 31, 2015


You can add diced chipotle peppers and adobo sauce to the crema and use it as a topping with baked potatoes or soup.
posted by a lungful of dragon at 4:54 PM on March 31, 2015


Best answer: You probably already know this or you wouldn't be asking, but the queso fresco goes off FAST although it freezes fine. Anyway, my wife likes to grab a quarter round of that along with a tart apple and have a snack.
posted by ftm at 5:23 PM on March 31, 2015 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: I actually did not know you can freeze it and will probably do so, thanks!
posted by capricorn at 5:32 PM on March 31, 2015


Queso fresco in scrambled eggs. (If you have leftover salsa, chips, tortillas, beans, etc. you could throw those in too until you end up with chilaquiles or migas.)
posted by clavicle at 5:37 PM on March 31, 2015


Elotes or esquites! Use white corn, not yellow.

Chilaquiles with egg for breakfast or with chicken for lunch or dinner.
posted by clearlydemon at 5:38 PM on March 31, 2015 [2 favorites]


Feta and Queso Fresco are more or less interchangeable.

It's too early for corn, otherwise I'd suggest Mexican Corn on the Cob. But if you can freeze it, well, that's what you should save it for.
posted by Sunburnt at 6:05 PM on March 31, 2015


Crema is very similar to creme fraiche, just a little thinner. Creme fraiche is awesome with strawberries, especially if you mix it with some vanilla sugar. (Vanilla sugar: Slice a vanilla bean lengthwise and put it in a jar of sugar. Let sit for a few days. Now you have vanilla sugar.)

Other uses for creme fraiche (from an organization with a vested interest).
posted by mudpuppie at 6:27 PM on March 31, 2015


Queso fresco is a great sub for ricotta salata. Especially nommy over fried eggplant, or other hearty Sicilian recipes!
posted by Wavelet at 6:33 PM on March 31, 2015


I can vouch for crema on fruit. It's up to you whether you want to add any or all of the following:

lime juice
chile powder
sugar
vanilla

I like a fruit salad heavy on strawberries and pineapple. You can also make a sort of trifle by adding cubes of pound/angel/whatever cake.

Crema is also nice with smoked salmon and/or caviar - basically anywhere creme fraiche goes, but is okay to be a little more drippy. (Queso fresco might also be a nice dimension here.)

Make your favorite tomato pasta sauce. Add some crema. (Ditto queso.)

You can zizz a few tablespoons of crema with an avocado in a jar with a hand mixer, add seasonings, and you have creamy avocado dressing. (Some or all of a hot pepper, with however much spine and seed you can stand, does not suck here. The fat pulls a lot of the hot punch but you can taste the flavor, so use a nice pepper.)
posted by Lyn Never at 6:34 PM on March 31, 2015 [2 favorites]


Best answer: Queso fresco goes off so quickly because it's very moist. The outside gets slimy, then stinky and gross, then moldy.

Usually when you open up a package of it, it's floating in a bit of liquid - I highly suggest drying it with a paper towel, then wrapping it in wax paper and putting in a fresh ziploc or tupperware. It will last a LOT longer.

I really like making a bright green, fresh, tangy sauce by pureeing a cleaned bunch of cilantro with sour cream, lime juice, and queso fresco in a blender. It's good on everything; over eggs, as a dip for quesadillas.

This black bean casserole with pickled onions has a similar lime crema component that would use up your crema. It's a bit complicated but REALLY good. You know how a lot of casseroles are boring and all taste the same and you're wicked sick of them after two days of leftovers? The zingy lime crema and the sour bite of the pickled onions keeps leftovers exciting, with a variety of textures and flavors bite to bite.
posted by Juliet Banana at 9:00 AM on April 1, 2015 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: I ended up freezing the queso for future use (maybe some esquites or migas this summer!) and using the crema to make Juliet Banana's cilantro lime crema for some TJ's garlic chili tilapia and asparagus spears. It was awesome. Thanks, you guys!
posted by capricorn at 6:21 PM on April 30, 2015 [1 favorite]


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