Cheesecake Fruit Salad

1 8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese (you can use regular cream cheese but this helps cut a few calories.)

2/3 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

dash salt

2 cup whipping cream

Enough fruit to give the salad the amount of bulk you want.  For mine I used 2 bananas (sliced and coated with orange juice so they didn't brown), 1 can chunk pineapple, 1 can mandarin oranges, about 20 grapes (halved), and almost 1 lb of strawberries (sliced) I'll admit I was trying to use up the fruit I had in the house before going on a family trip so it wouldn't go bad. You could really use whatever kind of fruit your family prefers.

 

Graham crackers, optional

 

Add cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla to the bowl of a mixer.  With the whisk attachment, beat until smooth 2-3 minutes, scraping down the bowl if necessary.  Once smooth, add whipping cream and whisk at medium speed until thickened.  About 2-3 minutes, the whisk will leave 'trails' in the mixture.

 

Then fold in the fruit and refrigerate until chilled (a couple of hours) You can sprinkle crushed graham cracker over the top.  

I borrowed/lifted/plagiarized this recipe from my friend Amanda. I know she won't mind but you really should go check out her blog.  She has the best recipes ever!  And she takes good pictures of everything like a real blogger! http://www.girlplusfood.net/2013/07/berry-cheesecake-salad-red-white-and.html