ISO: Alternative ingredient to cream cheese

 Cream cheese here is terribly expensive, even on sale. Is there some other ingredient that could be used in place of it? I'm thinking of all the hundreds of recipes that I see on the board, for squares, cheesecakes, cakes, cookies, dips...really, anywhere that cream cheese is used.

Is there something that you've used successfully, to replace cream cheese?

ViolaB 

Sorry, no personal experience, but will throw this out there until someone sees your post that can help:

How to store: Use cream cheese within a few days after purchasing, and throw it out if mold appears. For best results, serve chilled.

Substitutions: 2 cups of cream cheese = 1 lb; Neufchatel (lower in fat and moister than regular cream cheese) OR equal parts ricotta and yogurt OR tofu

http://www.recipezaar.com/library/getentry.zsp?id=506

There is absolutely no substitute for cream cheese.  No other ingredient would produce the same smooth, creamy texture wanted in cheesecakes and other dishes. Of course, Philidelphia Cream Cheese is the best but I did use a store brand (Publix) last week and had good results.  It was  about 50 to 60 cents less for the 8oz. package than the brand name.

 I'm not overly concerned with producing the exact same results...that'd be like saying butter and margarine in baking are the same. I know they're not and they produce somewhat different results, but margarine is a perfectly acceptable substitute for butter other than in shortbread cookies. That said, I am looking for something that's an acceptable substitute.

Thanks Jolene! The tofu would be much easier to find, as well as yogurt and ricotta, at more reasonable  prices. I'll check out that link to see what they say about cooking with the tofu.

Thanks again!

ViolaB