Do not put sour cream in a container. This versatile yet unassuming grocery staple balances out sweetness while combating dryness. The tangy taste of sour cream adds moisture and zing to many dishes. So many of our favorite recipes, from breakfast to dinner and dessert, start with sour cream.

We’ve collected our favorite sour cream recipes, from salads to side dishes and even cakes. You can start your day off with a formula such as Creamy Egg Strata and end it with something sour. But not too sweet, thanks to the sour cream, like our pound cake (because the best pound cakes are always made with sour cream). Sour cream is essential for cooking, baking, and preparing raw food. You can even create your own in a hurry.

Creamy Egg Strata

Make Creamy Egg Strata the star of your brunch. This creamy egg dish, made with Swiss and Parmesan Cheeses, is worth the wake-up call.

Ingredients

• 1/2 (16-oz.) French bread cubed (about five cups)
• Six tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 cups (8 oz.) 2 cups (8 oz.)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• One teaspoon of minced garlic
• Three tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Eight large eggs, lightly beaten
• Garnish: fresh chopped chives

Directions

1. Place the bread cubes into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish that has been well-buttered. Melt 3 Tbsp. Butter and drizzle it over the bread cubes. Sprinkle cheese on top.
2. Melt remaining 3 Tbsp. Melt remaining 3 Tbsp. Sauté 2 to 3 minutes or until tender. Whip flour until smooth. Cook, constantly whisking, for 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly brown. Blend in the broth and the remaining four ingredients. Stir occasionally. Bring mixture to a rolling boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes or until it thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream. Taste and add salt and pepper.
3. Continue whisking the remaining sour cream mixture and add it to the eggs. Pour mixture over cheese in baking dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours.
4. Let strata sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes or until the plastic wrap is set. Serve immediately.

Sour Cream Banana Cake with Pecan Streusel Top

It’s comforting to smell the familiar aroma of Banana Bread coming from the kitchen. It reminds me of holidays baking marathons, weekend mornings spent baking, and drop-in visits to Grandma’s for a little. The classic batter was updated with half a cup of tangy sour cream. We then topped the loaf with sweet pecan streusel. Wrap up some loaves and deliver them to your friends and neighbors in decorative dish towels or pretty baskets. You’ll soon find that your friends and family will be asking for this banana bread recipe. If you’ve got a bunch of ripe bananas in your kitchen, try something new instead of the traditional recipe. After an hour of baking and a little stirring, you will have delicious banana bread to share with your guests. You can’t wait to get your hands on it? We would like you to take a piece for yourself before anyone else.

Ingredients

• • 1/2 cup, plus 3 Tbsp. Unsalted butter melted, divided.
  • Divided into 1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour (about 7 1/2 oz. )
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • Two large eggs
  • 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (from 3 medium bananas)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • One teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • One teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice
  • 3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350degF. Grease the 9- by 5-inch loaf pan using one tablespoon of melted butter—dust with two tablespoons of flour. Hold the loaf pan upside-down and tap gently on your work surface to remove excess flour. Set aside.
   2. Combine the sugar granules and 1/2 cup melted butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla. Stir well to combine.
   3. Combine baking soda, apple pie spice, and 1 1/2 cups flour in a large bowl. Add to the egg mixture and stir until combined. Pour the mixture into a loaf pan.
   4. Combine pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, and the remaining two tablespoons of melted butter with two tablespoons of flour in a large bowl. Stir until well combined. Sprinkle evenly on the batter in the loaf pan. Bake preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the loaf comes clean. This should take 55-60 minutes.
   5. Let the loaf cool for 10 minutes in a loaf pan. Turn gently onto a wire rack and let cool for about an hour. Wrap in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and store the cooled berries at room temperature for up to three days.