Product Review: Philadelphia Original Cooking Creme



Before you say "Geez, Cynthia, couldn't you take a more appetizing photo?" let me tell you this picture is worth a thousand words and all of them are "Blech!"

I tried the new Philadelphia Original Cooking Creme and it is disgusting.

This is the Lemon-Broccoli Rice with Chicken. Just looking at the photo now a few months after I tried it makes me feel queasy and like there's a brick in my stomach. The way-too-cheesy sauce makes this heavy and so rich you can stand only a few bites. Do not buy this.

You could make a lighter, more appetizing and more healthful sauce with a couple of tablespoons of butter, a couple of tablespoons of flour and some fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth.

I also bought the Tomato & Basil Cooking Creme and made the Easy Skillet Lasagna with it. (Sorry, no photos.) It was almost as icky. These are new convenience products that I won't waste my money or my calories on. These recipes sure make a lot of food though -- way more than we cared to eat.

But if you can't take my word for it, here are the recipes to try yourself. Just remember ... I warned you it's gross.

EASY SKILLET LASAGNA
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup each chopped green and red peppers
1 24-ounce jar spaghetti sauce
2 1/2 cups water
12 lasagna noodles, broken
1 10-ounce tub PHILADELPHIA Tomato & Basil Cooking Creme

Brown meat with peppers in deep large nonstick skillet; drain.
Stir in sauce and water. Bring to boil. Stir in noodles; cover. Simmer on medium-low heat 18 to 20 minutes or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally.
Add cooking creme; swirl with spoon. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 3 minutes.

LEMON-BROCCOLI RICE WITH CHICKEN
1 tablespoon oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1o-ounce tub PHILADELPHIA Original Cooking Creme
2 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 cups hot cooked rice

Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken, garlic and pepper; cook 5 to 6 minutes or until chicken is done, stirring frequently.
Add cooking creme and broccoli; cook and stir 2 minutes. Stir in lemon zest.
Serve over rice.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Farewell, My Hero (Burger)

One of my guilty pleasures -- the Hero Burger -- is gone from the market. A Hero Burger is two hamburger patties on a six-inch hero sandwich bun, topped with grilled salami and ham, cheese, mayo, lettuce and tomato and grilled onions if you wish. Late this summer I noticed that the Dairy Mart in my town became a Mountaineer Mart. Throughout the fall more Dairy Marts and All Star Expresses in my area became Circle K convenience stores. The Hero Hut sandwich stations in them closed. Finally this week I noticed that the standalone Hero Hut restaurant in Sabraton has also shuttered. Chico Enterprises sold 26 stores to Circle K and at least one to Mountaineer Mart. From now on, I will only get Hero Hut's signature sandwich, my guilty pleasure -- a Hero Burger -- if I make it myself and then it doesn't taste quite the same. Hero Huts have been around since my childhood, if not before. I'm sad to see them go.
Read more

Family cooking contest reinvents hot dogs

Image
I'm fortunate to be virtual friends with today's guest blogger, Kara Glenn, because we share a love of food. I ogled her photos of Thanksgiving dinner one year and sent her a Facebook friend request for that reason (though I had met her in person when we worked for the same company years ago.) And I'm excited to share with you the cooking contests her family holds. Without further delay, meet Kara. Kara Glenn lives in Morgantown with her husband Trevor and Golden Retriever Kelsey. She currently works for the Department of Energy doing design work, and enjoys cooking, reading (mostly Harry Potter), blogging, gaming with her husband and spending time with her family. Here's her story of a recent family get-together over Columbus Day. One of my family's favorite activities is eating. OK, actually it's our favorite. My mom went to culinary school in New Orleans, and good food has always been the centerpiece of our gatherings. With the growing popularity of the Food
Read more

Old-fashioned candy: January Thaw

Image
Among my fondest memories of growing up in an Appalachian holler is the food, specifically the sweets. Late last year, foodie trend watchers predicted old-fashioned candy is going to be hot this year. I have yet to see Google return this recipe in response to my request for "old-fashioned candy." Trust me, it's a goodie. As a kid, I never gave much thought to why January Thaw was called that -- we sometimes made it in months other than January -- but a Web site that printed a recipe similar to my mom's says it’s because it looks like muddy slush. I assure you it's much tastier. And as the foot or so of snow outside my house has melted this week, the candy doesn't much resemble what's in my yard. Nor does the batch I made tonight exactly match what I remember from 25 years ago. I chalk that up to ingredients and technique and I'll throw in different elevation for good measure. While not "perfect", it's still pretty good -- who could find f
Read more