14 Ways to Finish a Carton of Heavy Cream
Fourteen recipes that use up heavy cream — pastas, skillets, soups and desserts — grouped by course, cheapest first, with cost per serving and time.
Heavy cream comes in a carton sized for a recipe you are not making, and it turns in about a week. So the useful question is not what to cook with cream, it is what to cook with the rest of the cream — a pasta on Tuesday, a soup on Thursday, something with the last inch on the weekend. Grouped by course for exactly that.
Anychef catalog data: 136 recipes in our library use heavy cream — 103 dinners, 23 desserts — at a median $2.35 a serving and 35 minutes. Fifty-one come in under $2 and 60 clear 30g of protein. Cheapest first inside each group. Costs are per-serving estimates, not measured prices.
Creamy pastas
1. Creamy Garlic Parmesan Pasta
18g protein520 cal$1.30/serving20 min
Buttery garlic and a snowfall of parmesan turn pantry staples into a 20-minute dinner win.
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2. One-Pot Creamy Tomato Pasta
15g protein480 cal$1.40/serving25 min
A velvety tomato cream sauce that cooks right into the noodles, like tomato soup and pasta had a delicious baby.
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3. Creamy Tomato Penne
17g protein560 cal$1.50/serving25 min
Penne tossed in a velvety pink tomato cream sauce, mild, cozy, and guaranteed to disappear from small plates.
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4. Zucchini Noodle Alfredo
16g protein350 cal$1.80/serving20 min
Light and creamy zucchini noodles tossed with a silky garlic Alfredo sauce and fresh Parmesan.
View the full recipe →Skillets and chicken
5. Spinach and White Bean Skillet
11g protein210 cal$1.70/serving15 min
Creamy white beans and tender spinach sautéed with garlic, a quick vegetarian dinner packed with protein.
View the full recipe →Soups and chowders
6. Potato Leek Soup
6g protein300 cal$1.20/serving40 min
Buttery leeks and potatoes blended into a silky, comforting bowl that proves four humble ingredients can taste luxurious.
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7. Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
5g protein260 cal$1.40/serving25 min
Silky blended tomato soup finished with cream and fresh basil, made for dunking a crusty piece of bread.
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8. Creamy Mushroom Soup
8g protein320 cal$1.80/serving35 min
Deeply savory browned mushrooms in a silky thyme cream, nothing like the can and worth every minute.
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9. Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
14g protein240 cal$1.90/serving35 min
Tender broccoli florets in a smooth, cheesy broth, a nutritious and warming soup that pairs perfectly with crusty bread.
View the full recipe →Desserts
10. Butterscotch Pudding
3g protein220 cal$0.90/serving20 min
Rich, buttery, and deeply caramel-flavored, this old-fashioned pudding tastes like liquid candy spoon by spoon.
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11. Icebox Cake
4g protein340 cal$1.20/serving20 min
Layers of whipped cream and chocolate wafers that soften into pure decadence as the cake sits chilled overnight.
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12. Banana Pudding
5g protein320 cal$1.40/serving10 min
Silky vanilla pudding with layers of vanilla wafers and fresh bananas, a nostalgic Southern classic that comes together in minutes.
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13. Oreo Cheesecake Dip
5g protein220 cal$1.40/serving10 min
Creamy cheesecake dip studded with crushed Oreos, perfect for dunking graham crackers and fruit.
View the full recipe →Everything else
14. Crispy Hash Brown Casserole
12g protein380 cal$1.50/serving45 min
Shredded potatoes bound with cheese and cream, baked until the top is golden and crispy.
View the full recipe →Keep going
Every recipe above comes from the Anychef library of 1,700+ recipes, each with cost per serving and full macros — browse every heavy cream recipe and the comfort food collection. Or skip the browsing entirely: scan your fridge with the Anychef app and get recipes built from what you already have, macros and grocery list included.
