For Luscious Scrambled Eggs, Mix In Some Cream Cheese

Cream cheese has a place at the breakfast table besides being a bagel schmear, and it's in your scrambled eggs. If you're into soft, smooth eggs with a touch of tangy cheesy flavor, look no further. Mixing a little cream cheese into your morning eggs provides all the creaminess of a splash of milk, combined with the extra body and flavor that cheese usually imparts. It'll keep your scramble moist and tender without having to add a heavy amount of butter.

Simply melt a small spoonful or two of cream cheese into your eggs as they cook in the pan and stir to incorporate it thoroughly. Whatever type of cream cheese you have will work just fine: block or tub, plain or flavored. Just be mindful that not every cream cheese flavor will meld nicely with eggs (garlic and onion will likely taste better in a scramble than, say, strawberry). 

To understand why cream cheese imparts such a luscious texture to eggs, it's important to understand what this silky spread is made of. Cream cheese is a real cheese product; it's fresh cheese, according to the FDA, which is a category assigned based on fat and moisture content. With a 33% minimum fat content, it's no wonder why cream cheese is so delicious and smooth (mozzarella, for example, is only 18% fat by comparison). 

Cream cheese comes in both full and low fat versions. You may also see another type of cheese stocked beside it at the grocery store: neufchâtel. This type of cheese is French in origin and is, by all accounts, very similar to cream cheese besides the fat content. This variety of cheese only has about 23% fat. But texture- and taste-wise, the two dairy products are otherwise quite alike.

If you're avoiding cream cheese or simply don't have it in the house, you can still make a smooth, delicious plate of scrambled eggs with some substitute ingredients. Sour cream, for example, mixes excellently into eggs for a tart, tasty scramble that goes perfectly with a few strips of bacon.

Or, you can go another French route and use crème fraîche, a similar condiment to sour cream that's just a touch fattier.

If you want a soft scramble, though, just as important as the ingredients is the technique. Be sure to cook your eggs on a lower heat, with plenty of cooking grease, and with smooth, slow, constant stirring. This helps the egg curds stay large, soft, and tender, preventing the eggs from overcooking. You'll be left with a luxurious and decadent breakfast, regardless of which dairy produce you use.