Summer is almost here, which means spending countless hours
soaking up the sun. What better way to spend your time outside than going on a
picnic? There are the usual bland picnic staples: sandwiches, some sliced or
cubed fruit, maybe some celery or carrot sticks, and bottled water to wash
it all down. This summer, why not perk up your picnic basket and take Philly
with you?
Philly’s Creamy
Roast Beef Sandwich would be a great replacement to the normal bologna
sandwich that’s usually taken on a picnic. To make this picnic friendly try
packing the ingredients separate, to keep from having soggy pita bread. Throw
your veggies together in a plastic container, your sliced meat in another
container, and grab your container of Original Philly or 1/3 Less Fat Philly. When you and your clan are ready to eat put the ingredients
together and enjoy. Cream
Cheese-Stuffed Tomatoes is another great picnic friendly recipe. They’re easy
to make at home. Afterwards just pack them in plastic and put them on ice. Take them out when you’re ready for a lighter snack. Round out your
basket with an easy treat. You can indulge your sweet tooth with Berry
Creamy Sandwich Cookies, and substitute the Strawberry Philly with the 1/3
Less Fat version to erase the guilt. Make sure your picnic is perfect by
keeping your food cool. Pack a small cooler and stock it with drinks and Philadelphia Cream Cheese and any other food items you need to keep on ice.
And there you have it, a picture perfect picnic for any hot summer day. Enjoy
everything that summer has to offer without leaving your love of Philly behind.
Memorial Day is officially the kick off to summer, so get
your summer started right with a backyard barbeque this Memorial Day weekend,
and test out some of these yummy recipes using Philadelphia cream cheese.
For the Grill: You can’t have a barbeque without a good ole’
American hamburger. Try either one of the burgers below with some Philadelphia
Chive and Onion or jalapeno cream cheese spread for added zest. A great way to
really bring out the flavor of the burger is to chop some fresh dill or chives
and mix in with the cream cheese, it make all the flavors pop! Garnish each
with fresh lettuce, tomato, and sliced dill pickle.
On the Side:Each
of these dishes is great for making ahead of time, and they travel well,
whether you’re going to the park or the beach for your memorial cook-out. Every
one will love them and they will be gone in a flash. Lighten each side up by
switching out original Philadelphia
cream cheese for its 1/3 less fat counterpart.
For a lower fat version, prepare as directed
using Fat Free Sour Cream. Serve with
fresh fruit and fat free pound cake. Tip: Always stir before serving. The brown sugar melts after awhile and it helps to incorporate it if you stir.
1 pkg.
(8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup
BREAKSTONE’S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1/3 cup
firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp.
ground cinnamon
BEAT all ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended; cover.
REFRIGERATE at least 1 hour or until ready to serve.
SERVE with assorted cut-up fruit, pound cake or angel food cake cubes.
These delicious easy to make biscuits are very versatile. To spice up your dinner make the Jalapeno Jack Biscuits:
Omit the salt, substitute shredded Colby Jack cheese for the
Cheddar cheese and stir in 1/4 cup chopped drained nacho peppers along
with the shredded cheese. Grease or cover the pan with parchment paper before use for easier removal of biscuits.
1 cup
flour
2 tsp.
CALUMET Baking Powder
1/4 tsp.
cream of tartar
1/4 tsp.
sugar
1/4 tsp.
salt
1/4 cup
(1/2 stick) cold butter, cut up
1 cup
KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/3 cup
milk
1/2 cup
(1/2 of 8-oz. tub) PHILADELPHIA Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Spread
PREHEAT oven to
450ºF. Mix flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, sugar and salt in
medium bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until
mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in Cheddar cheese. Add milk; stir
until mixture forms soft dough.
PLACE on lightly
floured surface; knead eight to 10 times or until smooth. Pat out dough
into 6-inch square. Cut into nine squares. Place on ungreased baking
sheet.
BAKE 10 to 12 min. or until golden brown. Spread each split warm biscuit with 2-1/2 tsp. of the cream cheese spread.
Shower your dog with some Philly love. Make him / her these great cream
cheese and honey dog biscuits! With these your dog will be an even better best friend for
years to come.
I’m currently at that point in my life where all my
girlfriends are getting married, and that means that I have pulled bridesmaid
duty several times, and attended many bridal showers, wedding showers,
bachlorette parties, engagement parties and dinners, and wedding brunches, and
if there is one thing that I have learned, its that it’s all about the theme.
Check out some of the most memorable party themes, and a few of the great
appetizers using Philly.
Italian Theme- One
of my best girlfriends from high school comes from a big Italian family. So we
honored her with a traditional Italian style bridal shower. We had one long table
that we covered with a classic red and white checkered table cloth and found
some of those old wine jugs with the candles in them (you know the kind where
the wax drips all down them, so they look like they have been burning for
days), and lined the table with red wine, rustic bread, and some great
appetizers using Philadelphia cream cheese:
This creamy pumpkin cheese pie is absolutely delicious! Try using fat-free cream cheese and light
whipped cream instead of the heavy cream, for a reduced fat version. You can also substitute Splenda for
1/2 c. granular sugar and the brown sugar with 1 Tb.
honey.
1 envelope
KNOX Unflavored Gelatine
1/2 cup
cold water
1 pkg.
(8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 can
(16 oz.) pumpkin
1/2 cup
granulated sugar
1/4 cup
firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp.
ground cinnamon
1 tsp.
vanilla
1/2 tsp.
salt
1/8 tsp.
ground cloves
1 cup
whipping cream, divided
1
pastry shell (9 inch), baked, cooled
8
PLANTERS Pecan Halves
SPRINKLE gelatine
over cold water in small saucepan; let stand 1 minute. Cook on low heat
2 minutes or until gelatine is completely dissolved, stirring
constantly. Set aside.
BEAT cream cheese in
large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add
pumpkin, sugars, cinnamon, vanilla, salt and cloves; beat on low speed
until well blended. Add gelatine; mix well. Refrigerate 30 minutes or
until mixture is thick enough to mound.
POUR 1/2 cup of
whipping cream into small bowl. Beat with electric mixer on high speed
until soft peaks form. Add to pumpkin mixture; stir gently until well
blended. Spoon into pastry shell. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm.
Beat remaining 1/2 cup whipped cream. Spoon over pie just before
serving; top with pecans.
Substitute
3 large red, yellow or green bell peppers, cut into triangles, for the
jalapeno pepper halves. Spoon cheese mixture evenly onto pepper
triangles. Bake as directed. Also try using Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese instead of Cheddar cheese.
4 oz.
(1/2 of 8-oz.pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup
KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese
4 slices
OSCAR MAYER Bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
2 Tbsp.
finely chopped onion
2 Tbsp.
chopped cilantro
1 clove
garlic, minced
18
jalapeño peppers, halved, seeds and membranes removed
PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Mix cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, bacon, onion, cilantro and garlic until well blended.
SPOON evenly into peppers. Place, filled sides up, on baking sheet.
The one thing that I always admired about my dad was his
love of cooking, and experimenting with food. He loves making things from
scratch, so when I saw that you can make your own cream cheese right at home, I
immediately thought of him. It’s so simple and only takes a few ingredients. I
think Dad would approve!
If you
think that you may want to try making your own cream cheese, you may need to do
little research first to find a few special ingredients. First look in your
local gourmet grocery store for cheese-making rennet and a packet of instant
starter which will help the cream acidify in the process. If you can’t find
these in a local market, you may be able to order them online from various
cheese supply making companies. Other
than that everything else can be found at your everyday supermarket.
It’s Wednesday already, which means you’re probably already
planning on how you’ll spend your weekend. I always look forward to sleeping in
Saturday mornings and treating myself to huge breakfast when I finally
roll out of bed. But instead of my usual pancakes, eggs, bacon, and tall glass
of orange juice, I’m going to give this newest Philly recipe idea a try. I’m
sure after one bite, I’ll be happy I rose and I’ll definitely be shining.
Philly’s Stuffed French Toast 8 slices French bread or white bread
Filling: 1 1/2 cups cream
cheese 1/8 cup orange
juice (optional) 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon pure
vanilla extract
COMBINE
cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar in small bowl.
MIX ingredients for filling and
beat until smooth
HEAT butter over medium heat till
melted. Whisk together cinnamon mixture, eggs, milk, and vanilla and pour into
a shallow container such as a pie plate. Dip bread in egg mixture. Fry slices
until golden brown, then flip to cook the other side.
SERVE by plating one slice of
French Toast, then add filling, and cover with another piece of French Toast.
