Philadelphia Cream Cheese Cooking Creme: Italian Cheese & Herb Makes Cooking a Snap but Could Use a Little More Flavor

Philadelphia Cream Cheese Cooking Creme is a new product from Kraft that takes their basic cream cheese to the next level. As the name suggests, this cream cheese is especially formulated for actual cooking rather than just spreading on bagels or what have you.

It's similar to Philadelphia Whipped Cream Cheese but is specifically made to be more spreadable than the regular cream cheese. Cooking Creme has a similar texture to the whipped with the added feature that it is easier to melt as well, making it perfect for cooking dishes and the different flavors make each one suitable for different kinds of cuisine.

Philadelphia Cooking Creme is currently available in the following four flavors: Original Flavor Cooking Creme, Savory Garlic Cooking Creme, Santa Fe Cooking Creme, and Italian Cheese & Herb Cooking Creme, which is the focus of this article.

Kraft claims that Italian Cheese & Herb Cooking Creme adds an "authentic old-world flavor to your favorite Italian classics with the taste of real parmesan and fresh herbs."

As for my first encounter with the Cooking Creme, I used a simple recipe on the back of the container called Chicken Primavera with Pasta. The directions are simple. Sauté chicken until cooked, add frozen vegetables, and heat thoroughly. Stir in the entire contents of the cooking creme and heat for three minutes. Then add pasta and done! It doesn't get any simpler.

The Cooking Creme was easy to scoop out of the container and handle. Once it was in the pan with the other ingredients, it quickly dissolved and blended into a sauce. The finished product tasted pretty good but was a little weak on the herbs and spices. I really didn't taste any old world flavor and especially nothing authentic. It pretty much tastes like the whipped cream cheese with a few added spices and requires a lower temperature to melt.

Philadelphia Cooking Creme can be used with beef, pork, pasta, fish and more. If you are out of ideas of your own, check out the Kraft website for dozens and dozens of ideas and recipes utilizing the creme.

The price isn't too bad. One 10-ounce container (the only size currently available) of Cooking Creme cost me $2.69 but I see it listed as $2.50 on my current supermarket flyer. For a limited time, the Kraft First Taste website is giving $1.50 and higher coupons away for Philadelphia Cooking Creme -- simply register and fill out a very short survey and you should receive a coupon offer of some kind like I did. It's not much but it will help you give this product a try at a very low cost.

Conclusion

Overall, Philadelphia Cooking Creme does do as it promises and helps in the cooking process, so it does have its advantages, but it really doesn't bring anything new to the table in the way of flavor. Still, it is a welcome addition and opens up a new level of recipes. Give it a try today but expect to add a few more herbs and spices to the recipe than the Cooking Creme alone.

Rating: 3/5