Cream cheese | My Meals are on Wheels

Kitchen Hints of the Day!

May 28, 2013 at 9:18 AM | Posted in Kitchen Hints | 1 Comment
Tags: Cheese, cook, Cream cheese, Food, Home, Plastic wrap, Room temperature, Shopping

Hint #1 – Always bring cheese to room temperature one hour before serving it. Even if the cheese becomes a little melty, the flavor will be much better.

Hint #2 – To keep meat or cheese meat hors d’ oeuvres moist, cover them with a damp paper towel, then cover them loosely with plastic wrap. Many fillings (as well as bread) dry out very quickly, but with this tip, you make these simple appetizers first and have them on the table when guests arrive.

Sausage Stuffed Jalapenos

May 6, 2013 at 7:37 AM | Posted in cooking | 1 Comment
Tags: Bake, Cheese, cook, Cream cheese, Jalapeño, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Ranch dressing, Sausage

Sausage Stuffed Jalapenos

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound ground pork sausage
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese,
softened
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 pound large fresh jalapeno peppers,
halved lengthwise and seeded
1 (8 ounce) bottle Ranch dressing
(optional)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Place sausage in a skillet over medium heat, and cook until evenly brown. Drain grease.
3. In a bowl, mix the sausage, cream cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Spoon about 1 tablespoon sausage mixture into each jalapeno half. Arrange stuffed halves in baking dishes.
4. Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until bubbly and lightly browned. Serve with Ranch dressing.

Nutrition
Information
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Calories: 369
Amount Per Serving
Total Fat: 34.8g
Cholesterol: 59mg
Sodium: 627mg
Amount Per Serving
Total Carbs: 4.3g
Dietary Fiber: 1.1g
Protein: 9.8g

PHILADELPHIA Marble Brownies

May 5, 2013 at 12:06 PM | Posted in baking, dessert, Egg Beaters | 6 Comments
Tags: Betty Crocker, Chocolate brownie, Cream cheese, dessert, Home, Mixer (cooking), PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, Sugar

I made a couple of pans of the classic PHILADELPHIA Marble Brownies, one for the house here and another I took over to my Dad in the rehab center. Which he shared with the nurses and everyone was happy! I reduced the fat, calories and carbs by using a Betty Crocker Low Fat Brownie Mix, 1/3 Less Fat Philly Cream Cheese, Splenda Sugar, and Egg Beater‘s. You couldn’t tell the difference, they came out moist and tasty!

PHILADELPHIA Marble Brownies

Photo by Kraft

A generations-old recipe that never loses its appeal mostly because, as one fan says, “It’s the BEST way to have both a brownie & a cheesecake simultaneously.”

What You Need
1 pkg. (18.3 to 19.5 oz.) brownie mix (family size)
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Make It
HEAT oven to 350ºF.

PREPARE brownie batter as directed on package; spread into greased 13×9-inch pan.

BEAT cream cheese with mixer until creamy. Add sugar, egg and vanilla; mix well. Drop by tablespoonfuls over brownie batter; swirl with knife.

BAKE 35 to 40 min. or until cream cheese mixture is lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting to serve. Keep refrigerated.
Kraft Kitchens TipsNoteFor best results, do not use brownie mix with a syrup pouch.Special ExtraSprinkle 1/2 cup BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks over brownie batter before baking.SubstitutePrepare using PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese
nutritional info per serving
Calories 150 Total fat 8 g Saturated fat 2.5 g Cholesterol 25 mg Sodium 80 mg Carbohydrate 17 g Dietary fiber 0 g Sugars 13 g Protein 2 g

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/philadelphia-marble-brownies-50925.aspx

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

April 18, 2013 at 8:52 AM | Posted in baking, dessert | 6 Comments
Tags: Bain-marie, Baking, Cake, Cheesecake, Cream cheese, Room temperature, Sour cream, Sugar

When preparing a cheesecake, go exactly by the recipe and don’t make any substitutions. You’ll have a much better chance at success.

Baked cheesecake with a strawberry, raspberries and blueberries

Here are some other pointers for perfect cheesecake.
* Be sure that the cream cheese is at room temperature before using it.

* When you bake a cheesecake at a low temperature there’s less chance of it shrinking from the sides of the pan.

* Don’t open the oven for the first 30 minutes when baking cheesecake. The cheesecake may develop cracks or partially collapse.

* Cheesecakes will develop cracks when they are overcooked. They’re done when the center of the cake is still wobbly and shaky – which may look underdone to you.

* Flourless cheesecakes need to be baked in a pan of water(called a bain-marie, or water bath) to keep the eggs from coagulating.

* Cheesecake cracks can be repaired with whipped cream cheese or sweetened sour cream, but you’ll be able to see the repair. It’s better to top the cake with berries if it has too many cracks.

Diabetic Friendly Chocolate Mousse and Easy Pineapple Cheesecake

December 20, 2012 at 12:59 PM | Posted in dessert, diabetes, diabetes friendly | 3 Comments
Tags: Corn starch, Cream, Cream cheese, Dietary fiber, Milk, Mousse, Saturated fat, Splenda

With Christmas coming up shortly here’s a couple of Diabetic Friendly Desserts for those that have to watch carbs. A reader that follows my blog passed these along to me to share. He said they came from a Diabetic Cookbook that contained Splenda made desserts. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

3 ounces Unsweetened Chocolate
1 cup Low Fat Milk
1/4 cup Egg Beater‘s Egg Substitute
1/2 cup Splenda Granular
1 teaspoon Corn Starch
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
3 cups sliced Strawberries
Directions:

Place chocolate and milk in a medium size saucepan. Heat over medium heat until chocolate melts.
Stir together egg substitute, SPLENDA®, corn starch and Grand Marnier in a small mixing bowl. Add to chocolate mixture. Stir constantly. Heat over medium heat while stirring constantly until mixture begins to thicken (approximately 3 to 4 minutes). Remove from heat, pour into the bowl of a blender or food processor. Blend or process briefly (10 to 20 seconds) to make a more creamy texture. Pour into mixing bowl and cover.
Refrigerate chocolate mixture approximately 2 to 3 hours or until cool.
Whip cream and fold into chocolate. Refrigerate overnight to set. Will keep refrigerated for 3 days.
To serve layer strawberries and mousse in 6 all-purpose wine glasses.
Makes 6 servings.

Nutrients Per Serving: Total Calories 220, Calories from Fat 140, Total Fat 15 g, Saturated Fat 9 g, Sodium 50 mg, Total Carbohydrate 18 g, Dietary Fiber 4 g, Sugars 10 g, Protein 4 g.

Easy Pineapple Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package Reduced Fat Philly Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
2 (15-ounce) cans Dole Crushed Pineapple, drained
1 3/4 cups Cool Whip Free Whipped Topping
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix cream cheese and SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener together. Stir in 1 can of pineapple and whipped topping to cream cheese mixture. Mix until smooth.
Pour mixture into crust and top with other can of pineapple. Cover and chill for 2 hours.
Makes 8 servings.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/8 of recipe): Calories 330 | Calories from Fat 170 | Fat 19g (sat 10g) | Cholesterol 30mg | Sodium 230mg | Carbohydrates 38g | Fiber 1g | Sugars 28g | Protein 4g

Chocolate Mini Cheesecakes

August 10, 2012 at 10:08 AM | Posted in dessert, diabetes, diabetes friendly | Leave a comment
Tags: Cheesecake, Cream cheese, Dietary fiber, Egg white, Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes, Saturated fat, Stir, Wafer

Came across this great sounding low carb dessert from a diabeticlivingonline.com email and just wanted to pass it along! Chocolate Mini Cheesecakes at 156 calories and only 19 carbs. If you’ve never visited the
http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com
web site you have to check it out. It’s loaded with great diabetic recipes.

Chocolate Mini Cheesecakes
This low calorie cheesecake recipe is made with a vanilla wafer crust and reduced fat cream cheese and chocolate filling. The small size is a perfect dessert.
YIELD: 12 mini cheesecakes
CARB GRAMS PER SERVING: 19

Ingredients:

12 reduced-fat vanilla wafers
1 8 ounce package reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel), softened
1/2 8 ounce package fat-free cream cheese, softened
3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/4 cup finely chopped dried cherries or dried apricots
Chocolate curls and/or small whole or sliced strawberries (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line twelve 2 1/2-inch muffin cups with foil or paper bake cups. Place 1 wafer in the bottom of each muffin cup. Set aside.
2. For filling, in a medium mixing bowl beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Beat in chocolate, sugar, milk, and vanilla until well combined. Stir in egg white. Stir in dried cherries. Spoon filling into prepared cups, filling each about 3/4 full.
3. Bake about 20 minutes or until set. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. (Centers may dip slightly as they cool.) Remove cheesecakes from pans. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Cover and chill for 3 to 24 hours.
4. If you like, garnish with chocolate curls and/or strawberries before serving. Makes 12 mini cheesecakes.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:
Calories: 156
Protein(gm): 4
Carbohydrate(gm): 19
Fat, total(gm): 8
Cholesterol(mg): 17
Saturated fat(gm): 5
Monosaturated fat(gm): 2
Dietary Fiber, total(gm): 1
Sugar, total(gm): 15
Sodium(mg): 147

http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/recipe/chocolate/chocolate-mini-cheesecakes/

Mango-Cheesecake Parfaits

May 26, 2012 at 9:25 AM | Posted in dessert, fruits | 1 Comment
Tags: Calorie, Cooking, Cool Whip, Cream cheese, dessert, Home, Whipped topping, Whisk

Tried a new dessert tonight. Ran across it in the latest edition of the Kraft Food Magazine. It has Mangos in it which I love! To cut the carbs and calories I used 2% Milk, Sugar Free Jello Mix, Reduced Philly Cheese, and Cool Whip Free. this makes a tasty and refreshing Summer Dessert! The recipe is below with the Kraft link.

What You Need
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups cold milk
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1-1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided
2 mangos, peeled, seeded, chopped
Make It

BEAT cream cheese in medium bowl with mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in milk. Add dry pudding mix; mix well. Whisk in 1 cup COOL WHIP.

LAYER half each of the mangos and pudding mixture in 8 parfait glasses. Repeat layers.

TOP with remaining COOL WHIP.

nutritional info per serving
Calories 230
Total fat 13 g
Saturated fat 9 g
Cholesterol 40 mg
Sodium 310 mg
Carbohydrate 26 g

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/mango-cheesecake-parfaits-135649.aspx

Kiwi – Lemon Cheesecake

May 7, 2012 at 4:44 PM | Posted in dessert, diabetes, diabetes friendly, fruits | 1 Comment
Tags: Cake, Cheesecake, cook, Cream cheese, Fruit curd, Graham cracker, Kiwi, Lemon Curd

Kiwi – Lemon Cheesecake

Came across this recipe in a Every Day Rachael Ray magazine and my Mom wanted to try it and what Mom wants Mom Gets! It really came out good! The Kiwi, Lemon Curd, and Philly Cream Cheese make a great trio. I used Philly No Fat Cream Cheese and a Keebler Graham Cracker Pie Shell.

Ingredients:

11 oz. Jar of Lemon Curd
4 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
1 Store bought Graham Cracker Piecrust

Directions:

*Using an electric mixer, whip Lemon Curd and Cream Cheese until doubled in size, 3 minutes.
*Spoon into piecrust; freeze 10 minutes. Meanwhile, peel Kiwis, halve lengthwise and thinly slice. Scatter over filling.
*Refrigerate until ready to serve. (Serves 6 )

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/

Turkey Burger w/ Twice Warmed Potato

April 6, 2012 at 5:20 PM | Posted in cheese, diabetes, Food, ground turkey, Healthy Life Whole Grain Breads, Jennie-O Turkey Products, low calorie, low carb, potatoes | 1 Comment
Tags: Black pepper, Cheese, Cream cheese, Mashed potato, Olive oil, Potato, Sea salt, Sour cream

Today’s Menu: Turkey Burger w/ Twice Warmed Potato

At dinner tonight I had a Turkey & Swiss Burger. I used Jennie – O Extra Lean Ground Turkey (99/1 and 120 calories o carbs). It’s hard to beat Jennie – O Ground Turkey for freshness. I seasoned it with Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper. Fried in Extra Virgin Olive Oil about 4 1/2 to 5 minutes per side. Topped it with a slice of Sargento Ultra Thin Swiss Cheese and served on a Healthy Life Whole Grain Bun.

For a side tried a new recipe, Twice Warmed Potato. They really came out good and their almost a meal in their self. Easy to fix and a little time consuming putting it all together but well worth it! All you need is a large baking Potato, 2 Tbsp. PHILADELPHIA Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Spread, 2 Tbsp. Daisy Light Sour Cream, and 1/4 cup Sargento Shredded Reduced Fat Cheddar – Jack Cheese, divided. Microwave your potatoes for 7 or so minutes, scoop out the flesh of the potatoes and add your ingredients and mix. Then scoop it back into your potatoes and bake 10 minutes at 40 degrees. You then have one delicious Twice Warmed Potato! I’m going to try this one again sometime soon and add some Turkey Chili to it. I left the recipe below. For dessert later sticking to the fruit tonight. A Mini Banana and a couple of slices of a Gala Apple.

Twice Warmed Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 large baking potato (10 oz.)
2 Tbsp. PHILADELPHIA Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Spread
2 Tbsp. Daisy Light Sour Cream
1/4 cup Sargento Shredded Reduced Fat Cheddar – Jack Cheese, divided

Directions:

*HEAT oven to 400ºF.

Ready for the oven

*PRICK potato in several places with fork. Microwave on HIGH 7 to 8 min. or until tender.

*CUT potato lengthwise in half. Scoop flesh into bowl, leaving thin shells; mash potato flesh with cream cheese spread, sour cream and 2 Tbsp. Cheese. Spoon into shells; sprinkle with remaining Cheddar.

*BAKE 10 min. or until cheese is melted and potatoes are heated through.

Cheese ‘n Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

December 11, 2011 at 6:13 PM | Posted in bacon, baking, diabetes friendly, Food, Kraft Cheese, low calorie, low carb, mushrooms | 3 Comments
Tags: Cheddar cheese, Cheese, cook, Cream cheese, Home, Mushroom, Stuffed Mushrooms, Tablespoon

Came across this recipe for Stuffed Mushrooms. The prepared recipe is only 70 calories and I even lowered that by using fat free and reduced ingredients. They turned out delicious!

Cheese ‘n Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

12 large fresh mushrooms (1 lb.)
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Fat Free Cream Cheese, softened
1 clove Garlic, minced
4 slices OSCAR MAYER Turkey Bacon, cooked, crumbled
1/2 cup KRAFT 2% Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh Parsley

Directions:

HEAT oven to 350°F.

REMOVE stems from mushrooms; discard or reserve for another use.

MIX remaining ingredients; spoon into mushroom caps. Place, filled-sides up, in shallow baking dish.

BAKE 18 to 20 min. or until heated through.
Kraft Kitchens Tips
Variation
Prepare using PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, OSCAR MAYER Turkey Bacon and KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Cheddar Cheese.
Special Extra
Sprinkle with paprika before baking.
nutritional information
per serving

Calories
70
Total fat
6 g
Saturated fat
3.5 g
Cholesterol
20 mg
Sodium
115 mg
Carbohydrate
1 g
Dietary fiber
0 g
Sugars
1 g
Protein
3 g
Vitamin A
4 %DV