As some of you know, I live in an apartment at the Lodge at Historic Lewes, where there are a number of daily and weekly activities for the residents. One of my favorites is the Live Cooking Show, which was recently going to be canceled because we lost one of the activities coordinators when she went back to teaching at a middle school. But fear not; the intrepid concierge and driving team stepped in to save the day.

In the photo, you can see Andrea Green, Peter Bilyk and Meg Bruce, who called themselves “Three’s Company.” They danced into the demo kitchen attired in decorative aprons, with sayings like “Made with love means I licked the spoon and kept using it.” Fortunately, during the demo, none of them did that. They did, however, laugh nonstop and share their favorite Dad jokes, also known as groaners.

Andrea kept track of how many people were in the audience in order to make sure there would be enough samples to share, while Peter was assigned the job of chopping strawberries and Meg kept a mini food processor busy grinding graham crackers. All the while, the "Three’s Company" sitcom theme song played in the background. Then came the assembly line to layer the ingredients in plastic cups.

First the crushed grahams, followed by something I had never seen before, Philadelphia No-Bake Cheesecake filling (more on this to come), canned strawberry pie filling, sliced fresh strawberries, a swirl of whipped cream (directly from the can), and a sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs. The finished product was colorful and delicious – and thank goodness, just enough for everyone to have a taste.

The key ingredient is the no-bake cheesecake filling, sold in plastic tubs and usually found in the grocery dairy aisle near the blocks of cream cheese. It can be poured directly into a prepared nine-inch graham cracker or Oreo pie crust and chilled until set. Instead of making your own cheesecake filling (not difficult, just takes more time), the premade version is a reasonable substitute.

Many of the online comments about the product are complaints that it is in such short supply, likely because there are all sorts of recipe hacks and TikTok videos showing how to use it. These include mixing in yogurt, adding fresh fruits, decorating with Biscoff cookies or topping with caramel sauce to make a dip.

The history of cheesecake may be older than you realize, with food historians describing its origins in Greece thousands of years ago. These early versions would have included a mixture of wheat, honey and cheese that was formed into a cake and baked for weddings, and served as high-energy food for Olympic athletes. The American addition of cream cheese can be traced back to that product's invention in the 1870s, when it was first marketed under the Philadelphia brand name. 

Through the years, Kraft sold foil-wrapped blocks of cream cheese, flavored and whipped versions in small containers, and eventually the popular tubs of no-bake cheesecake filling. I’ve included recipes for the layered dessert from today’s demo, a version using phyllo pastry cups, and a caramel-covered dip. None of these are even vaguely healthy or low-calorie, but they are a quick and easy ways to get dessert on the table or serve a decadent party treat. Thanks to the team of Three’s Company!

No-bake Strawberry Cheesecake Cups

1 box graham crackers
1 pint fresh strawberries 
1 tub Philadelphia no-bake cheesecake filling
1 can strawberry pie filling
1 aerosol can whipped cream

Break the crackers into small pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until a fine crumb forms. Transfer to a bowl; set aside. Wash, drain and hull the strawberries. Cut into slices; set aside. Arrange eight 9-ounce plastic drink cups on a flat surface. Place 2 T of cracker crumbs in each cup. Top with 2 T cheesecake filling; smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Layer on 2 T pie filling. Add sliced strawberries, and top with a swirl of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cracker crumbs. Yield: 8 servings.

No-bake Phyllo Cheesecake Cups

1 package of mini phyllo pastry cups
1 tub of no-bake cheesecake filling
1 C mini chocolate chips

Spoon or pipe the cheesecake filling into each individual phyllo cup. Top each cup with a sprinkle of chocolate chips. Serve immediately or keep cold in the fridge until ready to serve. Yield: 12 servings.

Caramel Cheesecake Dip

1 tub no-bake cheesecake filling 
1 bottle caramel sauce
pretzel sticks
Granny Smith apple slices

Spread the tub of cheesecake filling into the bottom of a shallow serving dish. Drizzle thick caramel sauce generously over the top. Serve with crisp apple slices and pretzels for dipping. Yield: 12 servings.