Most of us have probably been in this tricky situation before. You buy a container of sour cream for Tuesday Taco Night – delicious! But then a few taco-less weeks go by and there’s that sour cream. Still sitting there, slowly spoiling with no purpose. Let’s face it: you just don’t USE sour cream too frequently in the kitchen. Well, rather than let it go to waste, use up the last of your sour cream with these 11 clever tricks instead!

1. Make a Fruit Topping

Toss excess sour cream with any fruit and sprinkle the whole delicious concoction with a little brown sugar. And just like that, you have a sweet, creamy dessert that’s satisfying to your taste buds and good for your waist line.

2. Whip Up Some Tzatziki Sauce

For falafels, salads, or just for dipping, use sour cream to make homemade tzatziki sauce. This thick cream relies on sour cream as  its base ingredient, so you already have the makings of a perfect tzatziki! Make your sauce ever thicker by folding in chopped cucumber, herbs, and a bit of lemon juice.

3. Top Off Oatmeal

Don’t let breakfast get boring! Top off your polenta or oatmeal (whether it’s savory or sweet) with something out-of-the-box…like, for instance, a dollop of tangy sour cream.

4. Use It To Bake

In any dough or batter where you’d otherwise use yogurt, you can use sour cream instead. Make these tender sour cream rolls or even bake your very own sour cream pie crust from scratch.

5. Make Sour Cream Frosting

Who doesn’t love the sweet tangy taste of sour cream frosting? For the next cake you have to whip up, use your leftover sour cream to make this decadent frosting from scratch! It’s especially delicious on lemon cakes (the tart flavor of the lemon is well complimented by the sourness) and plain bundt cakes (we find the tangy flavor gives a bland bundt exactly what it needs). Yum.

6. Indulge In Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are inherently more delicious than regular hard boiled eggs because their yolks have been whisked to perfection with mustard, seasonings, and mayo. The next time you need finger foods for a get together, replace the mayo with some sour cream for a flavorful, rich mixture that your party guests will eat up. Literally.

7. Use It In Creamy Soups

Anything that starts with “Cream of…” requires, you guessed it, cream! And sour cream is just the thing to give your soup the thick, soul-warming consistency you crave. Plop some into your Cream of Broccoli, your Cream of Zucchini, your Cream of Corn….you get the drift.

8. Put It In Pancakes

Sour cream pancakes are AMAZING. They are the fluffiest flapjacks you’ll ever have the pleasure to drench in maple syrup. Make them blueberry pancakes for extra sour flavor.

9. Make a Cheesecake

Because if you have a tub of sour cream just lying around, you literally have no excuse not to whip up a cheesecake immediately. Sour cream has the rich consistency that cheesecake needs exactly – and it’s still a little lighter than cream cheese. So you’re just winning all around, here.

10. Upgrade Your Pasta

This Million Dollar Pasta recipe is going to show you how to use that excess sour cream and turn it into the creamiest bowl of pasta you’ve ever had. This dish is going to blow your mind.

11. Add Some To Casseroles

Most casseroles (chicken, green bean, baked potato) need a creamy element to keep them from getting all dry and disgusting while baking. And if you just so happen to have some extra sour cream lying around, it’s perfect additive for an indulgently creamy casserole

For a few more brilliant ideas on how to use all your sour cream, check out this article from our friends at Food52.

Do you use up sour cream in your own clever way? Share your ideas in the comments section below.