Saying, "As American as Apple

¶ … saying, "As American as apple pie." This day and age, you could easily say "As American as Kraft Dinner and Philadelphia Cream Cheese." If you ever live overseas, bring plenty of boxes of Kraft Dinner with you. I promise that you'll miss it, especially if it was a staple while you were growing up. That's why the meal I have to demonstrate today will satisfy most people's picky palates.

It comes from a book Kraft Best Ever Holiday Collection that uses name brand foods that we all love like "Jell-O" deserts, "Oscar Mayer" meats, and "Good Seasons" salad dressing for snacks, dinners, side dishes and deserts. Naturally (or should I say unnaturally, since these are anything but "natural" foods), the meals in the recipe book are not the height of gourmet .. sort of American kitsch (not quiche). Yet they do have a lot of nostalgia and some very tasty dishes.

The blurb on the jacket states, "This book offers ideas for Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas and New Year's (very politically correct), even a bonus section on Halloween. Recipes are tested and approved in the Kraft Kitchens taking advantage of the quality Kraft products you can trust." The recipes are even tested and approved in the Kraft Kitchens (impressive) and "uses recipes from one of the most trusted names in cooking." This Halloween recipe that I am demonstrating today is called "Chili Cheese Dip." The ingredients are very simple to remember.

For 8 to 10 servings, all you need are 1 package (8 ounces) Philadelphia Cream Cheese softened. (not said, of course, is that a store brand would be cheaper and taste just the same; also, a low-fat cream cheese would be good for dieters. But what is the fun in that?). Cream cheese can be softened either by leaving it out for an hour or so, or by putting it into the microwave oven (totally unwrapped and placed in a microwavable bowl) covered (no tinfoil, remember) for 15 seconds.

Any longer and it turns to cream cheese mush. 1 can (15 ounces) chili without the beans (no brand name is mentioned here, but since Taco Bell is owned by Kraft Foods, this is probably desired) 1 cup Kraft Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese (Once again, generic is just as good.) Apparently, what makes this Halloweenish is the color of the dip. There are no ghoulish or nasty things in it .. just orange. It only takes five minutes to prepare this dish, so no rocket science is involved.

1) Spread cream cheese on the bottom of a nine-inch pie plate or quiche dish (It does not say glass or metal, so it probably does not matter). A metal or wooden spatula would work best for spreading. (Remember, no licking off the utensil until everything is spread.) Top with chili and cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Garnish with chopped green onion and bits of tomato. Serve with tortilla chips.

If you are going to a party and know that an oven is available, I would wait until you arrive before heating up the dish. That is, unless you live in the same place or next door to where the party is being held. As you can see, this is really a no brainer. Even I can make it, and believe me, I am no chef. Plus, it is something that will be liked by almost everyone at the party.

Who cannot like this American delicacy? There are a great number of permutations on this dish, which can be found through Googling. These are not mentioned in the Kraft book, of course, but by competitors. Hormel, for example, answers one of my questions about microwavability (is that a word?). The Hormel recipe website says "Microwave for 5 minutes on high, stir after 3 minutes." Of course Hormel uses other standards such as Velveeta (mmm Velveeta), Hormel Chili (with or without the beans) and cheese. This will give a somewhat different taste.

A more elaborate and dinner approach is "Crock Pot Chili Cheese Dip" suggested by the website Recipelink.com. This takes much longer, but surely.