# Poor man's caviar (but it's not caviar, and it's not what you think it is) - a family favorite



## Danabw (Jul 7, 2020)

This can be used as an appetizer, tide-me-over-to-dinner snack, munchie during the big game, or for those midnight moments when you just have to have a quick bite.

My mom always called it "Poor man's caviar" becuase you can put it on crackers and it's a salty bite. She can't remember where she first saw/ate it. Commonly known as cream cheese and olive spread.  :)  Nothing fancy or special about it, but there are times when I just have to have it, particularly when the weather gets really warm, I love the cold, straight from the fridge cream cheese with tangy salty olives on a triscuit.

It's not really a recipe...just chop up your favorite spanish olive w/pimento into small pieces and mix up with some room temperature cream cheese. I can't keep myself from eating it immediately, but on a hot day I really like to refrigerate it and have it later when it's had time to cool down in the fridge. My favorite cracker to have it on is the Hint Of Salt triscuits (don't need the cracker to add a lot of salt to this spread.) :) 

The main variables are the cream cheese to olive ratio, and how finely you like your olives chopped. My mom taught me to be a lover of the finely chopped olive and a very high ratio of olives to cream cheese.  My son and I enjoy adding some chopped pickled jalapenos to the mix, but the wife likes it just cheese and olives.  There are heretical elements whispering in dark alleys of low-fat cream cheese, or adding Mayo, yogurt, dill, and other abominations. Do not listen to them! ;-)

B-roll moments below. ;-)  The first time I told my wife I was going to make this she was, shall we say, highly skeptical. Quickly she became a convert and I kinda wish she didn't like it so much, since it disappears faster!  

C'mon, you know you want some.  :D


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## GaryHibbert (Jul 8, 2020)

What's not to like??  Olives and cream cheese.  I'll be giving this a try real soon.
Thanks for the idea.
Gary


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## Danabw (Jul 8, 2020)

I know, right?! Hope you like it.


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## Steve H (Jul 8, 2020)

Wow! I forgot all about this. My aunt use to make this. And spread it on stalks of celery.  I haven't seen this in over 40 years. Thanks for the memory!


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## zwiller (Jul 8, 2020)

There are no less than 4 bricks of cream cheese on our fridge at all times...  Will try.  Our standard is salami cream cheese rollups.


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## one eyed jack (Jul 8, 2020)

You'r right!  I want some.

Thanks for the idea.


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## one eyed jack (Jul 8, 2020)

zwiller said:


> There are no less than 4 bricks of cream cheese on our fridge at all times...  Will try.  Our standard is salami cream cheese rollups.



How about a how to on your roll ups?  They sound good to me.


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## chef jimmyj (Jul 8, 2020)

In the 60's, Mom could buy Pullman Bread in different colors. It was sliced long ways. Mom spread Cream Cheese and Olive, Egg Salad and/or a spread made of Minced Shrimp Cocktail and Cream Cheese. The long slices were rolled up and cut into Pinwheel Finger Sandwiches. 
I don't think the bread is made any more and I have not had Cream Cheese and Olives in years. Thanks for posting...JJ


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## TNJAKE (Jul 8, 2020)

Wife mixes up cream cheese and olives to put on our bagels. Stuffs delicious


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## Danabw (Jul 8, 2020)

Thank to all for the memories back at me. Glad to hear others have enjoyed this as well. 


Steve H said:


> Wow! I forgot all about this. My aunt use to make this. And spread it on stalks of celery.  I haven't seen this in over 40 years. Thanks for the memory!


Doh! I totally forgot putting it on celery - my mom did the same exact thing, that was her favorite way to eat this. I'm going over to her house to take her to lunch today, and was going to take some to her. I happen to have some celery around so I'll bring some of that too. Now I'm going to get beaucoup "good son" points today! Thanks for the memory back. 



zwiller said:


> There are no less than 4 bricks of cream cheese on our fridge at all times...  Will try.  Our standard is salami cream cheese rollups.


You sound like you're stocked up appropriately. I usually make this a brick at a time so that I don't run out too quickly. 



chef jimmyj said:


> In the 60's, Mom could buy Pullman Bread in different colors. It was sliced long ways. Mom spread Cream Cheese and Olive, Egg Salad and/or a spread made of Minced Shrimp Cocktail and Cream Cheese. The long slices were rolled up and cut into Pinwheel Finger Sandwiches.
> I don't think the bread is made any more and I have not had Cream Cheese and Olives in years. Thanks for posting...JJ


I hadn't heard of Pullman Bread before, interesting history. Sounds like a perfect bread to put this on. 


> Pullman Bread is so Called because of its former use on long-distance Pullman trains in the United States. In France it is known as _pain de mie_, or “bread of crumb,” since it is characterized by having comparatively little crust. It lends itself well to regular toast, French toast, and canapés. The bread is normally baked in rectangular straight-sided pullman pans. Any covered loaf pans can be used, however, for example round cylindrical pans and fluted loaf pans. The powdered milk and the butter give a soft crumb texture to the loaf, and an easygoing eating quality.












TNJAKE said:


> Wife mixes up cream cheese and olives to put on our bagels. Stuffs delicious


Another way we eat this as well. We finished our last bagels yesterday so put them back on our list for this week.  :)


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## SmokinAl (Jul 8, 2020)

Yea 2 of my Favorite things!
I’ll be making that soon.
Maybe even stuff an ABT with it!
Al


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## chopsaw (Jul 8, 2020)

Looks good . Will have to get some olives and try it out . 


zwiller said:


> Our standard is salami cream cheese rollups.


Same here , but I spread it on 1 piece of salami , then put another piece on top . Cut  in  1/4's .


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## Bearcarver (Jul 8, 2020)

Sounds Outstanding to Me, Dan!!!
Thanks for the idea!!
Like.
I wonder if I add some olive pieces to My Roll-ups (below):
Dried Beef Roll-ups

Bear


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## Winterrider (Jul 8, 2020)

Steve H said:


> Wow! I forgot all about this. My aunt use to make this. And spread it on stalks of celery.  I haven't seen this in over 40 years. Thanks for the memory!


Yep, used to have on celery all the time. Good stuff...


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## Danabw (Jul 8, 2020)

Bearcarver said:


> Sounds Outstanding to Me, Dan!!!
> Thanks for the idea!!
> Like.
> I wonder if I add some olive pieces to My Roll-ups (below):
> ...


Oh yesss...those sound great, love horseradish. I can definitely see trying those w/some olive/pimento added in.


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## Danabw (Jul 8, 2020)

SmokinAl said:


> Yea 2 of my Favorite things!
> I’ll be making that soon.
> Maybe even stuff an ABT with it!
> Al


I wish I had thought of that. My son and I are going to make some poppers - our jalapeno shrub is going crazy so we're going to have a bumper crop.  We will definitely be stuffing a few w/the "caviar." :)


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## chef jimmyj (Jul 8, 2020)

Another favorite.  Chopped Dry Beef and Scallions in Cream Cheese. I don't know how far West it's available but, it ain't a party in PA, without Sweet Lebanon Bologna and Cream Cheese Roll ups...JJ


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## one eyed jack (Jul 12, 2020)

Made up a batch.  2 Bricks Philly Cream Cheese,  some garlic stuffed olives, some pimento stuffed olives, and chopped up some roasted red bell peppers , for good measure.

I like it pretty good.  Club crackers are what I had on hand.  (Buddy's treats, there on the right).


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## Danabw (Jul 12, 2020)

one eyed jack
 - Wow, that sounds like a great combination. I could live on garlic alone, if needed. Will try that the next time. Funny, ate this all my life and for some reason I've hardly ever modified the mix. I'm such a boring traditionalist...

I grew up eating club crackers (and their cousins, Waverly Wafers). My dad and I used to eat sardines on them by the can. I remember one of my friends coming over to our house in elementary school, and him watching in horror as my dad and I "Ate little fish whole, bones and all!" as he regaled my classmates the next day. :D I grew up around sardines and had no sense of them being any more exotic than peanut butter.  :)


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## one eyed jack (Jul 12, 2020)

Hey Dan,
I'm a big fan of sardines, too.  As the main ingredient of a sandwich, or on crackers,  makes no difference to me.

I keep the Club crackers around because they work so well with smoked cheeses.

Thanks again for the thread, and inspiration, about your cream cheese and olive spread.  It's a winner.


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## 00nothing (Nov 22, 2020)

Made this today I loved it but was a bit salty for me will cut back the olives next time, but it wasn’t a problem my wife consumed 3/4 of what was made


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## Starfall (Jan 7, 2022)

Poor man's caviar is actually better than real caviar. I like it much more because my mom knows how to make it the most delicious thing ever. My dad prefers red caviar instead. That's why I wanna get a caviar gift set for him, but don't know what option to choose. I read at pearlsofcaviar a couple of articles for newbies. So my decision is to try the OLMA Paddlefish gift set for newbies. I hope my dad's gonna like it. If not, he's gonna eat poor man's caviar every day, lol.


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## one eyed jack (May 29, 2022)

Revisited this recipe, yesterday.  2 bricks of Cream Cheese, both pepper stuffed and garlic stuffed olives.  Spied that mostly full quart jar of Capers that I bought for a recipe a while back and have been wondering what I was going to do with them ever since,   and chopped some of them up and threw them in as well.

The Capers play real nice with the olives in this recipe.  Thought that I should report in case any of you all have been wondering what else you can use capers in.  

First class dip.

EDIT;

I'm getting old;   I forgot to add a couple pictures.


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## Nefarious (May 29, 2022)

one eyed jack said:


> Revisited this recipe, yesterday.  2 bricks of Cream Cheese, both pepper stuffed and garlic stuffed olives.  Spied that mostly full quart jar of Capers that I bought for a recipe a while back and have been wondering what I was going to do with them ever since,   and chopped some of them up and threw them in as well.
> 
> The Capers play real nice with the olives in this recipe.  Thought that I should report in case any of you all have been wondering what else you can use capers in.
> 
> First class dip.


Thats an interesting addition.  Turns out I need an appetizer for this afternoon and have a large bottle of capers, hmmm.


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## SmokinEdge (May 29, 2022)

Looks delicious. I just cannot do the green olives, never have been able to, however I love black olives and this would work great along with cappers. Will try this for sure.


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## one eyed jack (May 29, 2022)

Nefarious said:


> Thats an interesting addition.  Turns out I need an appetizer for this afternoon and have a large bottle of capers, hmmm.


I didn't use a lot of Capers, maybe 1/8 - 1/4 cup along with the olives, in 2 bricks Cream Cheese.



SmokinEdge said:


> Looks delicious. I just cannot do the green olives, never have been able to, however I love black olives and this would work great along with cappers. Will try this for sure.


I think you'r onto something there Edge.  The black olives should be great.  Let me know how it turns out.


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