When I think of Philadelphia cream cheese, I think of creamy cheesecake or spicy chicken enchiladas. I love it! So much so that I am a follower of @lovemyPhilly on Twitter. (www.twitter.com/lovemyphilly) They asked some of us who follow them to try out a recipe that they developed for a pasta dish, using their cream cheese. In return, they sent three coupons for free blocks of the cream cheese, and a soft-cover Philly cookbook. There are some yummy looking recipes in that cookbook! 🙂 I can’t wait to try more of them.

This particular recipe is called “Spaghetti a la Philly.” I was a little skeptical about putting cream cheese in spaghetti, but I went for it. 🙂 The recipe was very straight-forward and didn’t take long to put together. The only changes I made were that I doubled the recipe, as I have three teenaged sons who eat a LOT, and I sauteed onions with the ground beef. I cook nothing without onions. Well, almost nothing.  😉 Oh, and I added sliced mushrooms. Yum! 

I have to say, this recipe was pretty timely for me.  I just started working last week in the little flooring store my mother-in-law manages. She is beginning chemotherapy later this week , so I will take over while she’s out of commission. Working full time in the store (The Flooring Store of Tyler, on Troup Hwy.) combined with my homeschooling the boys,  plus teaching an English class every Monday, means I am going to be a super-busy mom for awhile. I need more recipes that are fast and easy to prepare but that are also yummy for my boys. Thank you, Philly! My boys all came back for seconds! They really, really liked it. I liked it, too!  It’s very creamy, tasty, comforting, and filling. That’s what a mom looks for for her family, especially when she’s in a hurry! 🙂 Now, I will still make good old traditional spaghetti sauce that simmers for hours, with all its added spices and herbs, on days when I can be home all day, but on workdays, there isn’t time for that. This recipe is perfect for that.

Here is the recipe; let me know if you try it!

Spaghetti a la Philly

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Makes: 4 servings (about 1 1/2 cups each)

1 pound lean ground beef  (ground Italian sausage would have been good, too)
1 jar (24 ounces) Prego® Traditional Italian Sauce
1/2 package (4 ounces) Kraft Philadelphia cream cheese, cut into cubes
1/2 package (8 ounces) spaghetti, cooked and drained
2 tablespoons Kraft grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook the beef in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, stirring
often to separate meat.  Pour off any fat.
2. Stir the sauce and cream cheese in the skillet.  Reduce the heat to low.  Cook for 3
minutes or until the cream cheese is melted, stirring often.
3. Place the spaghetti into a large bowl.  Add the beef mixture and toss to coat. 
Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.

You can also watch a how-to video for this recipe, here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2a0hYsX9LU