Cooking “Creme”, Can’t Kraft Do Any Better?

A new “hot” product at the groceries this week is Philadelphia Cooking Creme, a softer, spoonable cream cheese type product which, if you believe the ads, will revolutionize your recipes.

As you can guess, it’s a highly processed product that bears little resemblence to actual cream cheese. I had a hard time finding an ingredient list – it’s not on the Kraft or Philadelphia website. I found a foodie blog that lists the following as the ingredients for the “Santa Fe Blend Cooking Creme”.

Pasteurized nonfat milk and milkfat, water, whey, whey protein concentrate, salt, red bell peppers, cheese culture, onions, maltodextrin, garlic, tapioca starch, spice, yeast extract, sugar, lactic acid, corn flour, carob bean gum, guar gum, natural flavor, corn syrup, citric acid, chipotle chili pepper, lime juice, sorbic acid (as a preservative), jalapeno peppers, vitamin A palmiate.

Ah, our old friend corn syrup. And yeast extract (think: MSG), sugar, and maltodextrin. Yummo!

Do yourself a favor and skip the “creme”. Make your own- just mix sour cream and cream cheese, and gently heat over low heat with chopped green chiles until the cream cheese is smooth for an out of this world sauce for chicken. And that’s real food, too.

Fooducate recently wrote about Kraft’s growth strategy. Unfortunately, the food conglomerate is planning to branch out into more fake food in order to drum up business (vitamin gum? Really?)

Come on, Kraft. Surely you can do better than this.

Nicki Woo March 5, 2011 9:27 am edit
Yeah, I was wondering about this. What is the purpose anyway? Other than to make money. The product never really seemed too appealing in the first place.

Jenny March 5, 2011 3:41 pm edit
Thank you for the recipe to make my own. I saw this in the store and knew well enough to stear clear, but wondered about an alternative.

I’m a new follower from Catholic Mothers Online. Please stop by and return the favor.

Muliebrity March 8, 2011 12:47 pm edit
We don’t watch TV here, but I have been ill and my hubby recently partially set up a digital receiver box we received for Christmas. I needed distraction, so I watched ABC, which is one of the 4 channels we get, and what did I see a commercial for? This product! Boy did the commercial make it look good! I can’t understand why food needs to be destroyed.

My other favorite commercial? The Roundup Ready Soybeans – just in time for planting! Gag.

christy March 9, 2011 12:47 pm edit
wah!!!! I wanted to like it. I love cream cheese and anything that makes stuff have that creamy taste I am usually a sucker for. So glad you posted an alternative.
I was thinking of you the other day when I made hamburger helper from a box because it was SO cheap and felt SO guilty making it when I knew I could make it cheaper and more healthy with your recipe.
Do you have all your little recipes in one place? like this one

- Milehimama March 9, 2011 1:01 pm edit
  The recipes that I post in full on my site are all at the top under “real food”. Click ‘recipes’.
  http://www.milehimama.com/real-food/recipes-2/
  
  Hmm maybe I’ll make chicken con crema this week- YUM! And post it so I can link.
  
  Don’t feel guilty! Do what you can and make small improvements that are right for *your* family. Your first priority is getting people fed; next comes the how to do it in a more healthful way and for cheaper.
  
  Be inspired by blogs- don’t let them make you feel like you are ‘less than’ or not doing things good enough or the right way. You are blessing your family and that’s what comes first! Don’t ever forget that when you read blogs (my own or others) you are just seeing a tiny snapshot.
  
SteveMac March 21, 2011 11:12 pm edit
Nothing brings back the heartwarming memory of delicious Kraft cheese like a product that is mostly extenders such as tapioca and guar gum. That is not to mention the item in greatest concentration after whey, which is good old SALT. Can’t get enough of that! On the topic of vitamin water, please note that there is also vitamin water for dogs. Yes!

- Milehimama March 22, 2011 8:43 am edit
  I wonder if hipsters are broke if they buy dog vitamin water instead of the human variety, the way sometimes broke people buy catfood instead of canned tuna.
  
tanya November 12, 2011 5:30 pm edit
Thank you so much for posting this! I couldn’t find the ingredient list on their website and now i see why.

Bitsy December 4, 2011 6:42 pm edit
I love to cook – it is, in fact, one of my main hobbies. Unfortunately, these past few years have seen my health decline to the point where I am now bed bound and cannot cook for myself. I must rely instead, on the care givers who come to assist me and a room mate who knows his dinner is done when the fire alarm goes off. If it weren’t for premade items, like these marvelous cooking creams, my meals would be beyond bland and uninviting. There may be unhealthy ingrediants in them, but the good I get from far out weighs concerns about them.

I also have a rehtorical (sp) question – how many of the ‘Don’t use it, it’s unhealthy for you’ happen to be users of tobacco – or over indulgers of alcohol/spirits. Don’t throw the stone unless you are without that first sin… thank you.

Kristin December 5, 2011 5:14 pm edit
I don’t smoke, or drink to excess, and I still think these could be better formulated.

Stevi December 5, 2011 6:14 pm edit
I am with Kristin, I don’t smoke and rarely drink. But here we may differ, I am also on disability, living with multiple illnesses including couple of chronic pain conditions. I live alone with no one to cook or clean for me and I use a 4 wheeled walker when I am able to walk. I don’t disagree with using things that help us in the kitchen I just wish companies would pay more attention to the ingredients they use. My doctors prescribe enough poisons for me, I don’t need to put them on my dinner plate as well. Until we tell these companies to use better ingredients they will continue to fob us off with Franken foods.

debbie March 15, 2012 12:05 pm edit
I went on line to find a healthier organic recipe for cooking creme without all the poisons and after reading the blog – I think I’m going to hurl.

Thanks for the green chilie, sourcream, cream cheese recipe.

Eren June 19, 2012 6:10 pm edit
It’s still a good product for people on the go who don’t have time to grow peppers, sauté them and then put forth a slaved over family meal.

You can’t make me think you’ve never used something that’s been processed before.

Mary Ann May 3, 2013 8:37 pm edit
What are the proportions to your substitution? I can’t stand to use Velveeta–think SALT!! I was really disappointed to see all the neat recipes but all of them required this “new” creme.

Cooking “Creme”, Can’t Kraft Do Any Better?

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