Filipino Fruit Salad

An unexpected hit that takes familiar ingredients like fruit cocktail and cream cheese... always a hit at summer get togethers. You can easily substitute and add different fruits to your liking. More traditional recipes will include nata de cocoa, lychees, or other regional fruits. My recipe is geared more towards my friends here in the midwest.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 18-20

Ingredients

• 2 (30 ounce) cans  fruit cocktail, drained
• 1 (12 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 (12 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
• 2  bananas, sliced
• 1  apple, diced small
• 1  pear, diced small
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature (may substitute neufatchel cheese)
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (nestle is best)
• 1  cup coconut (optional) or 1  cup  chopped  nuts (optional)

Directions

1. Beat cream cheese until softened and add condensed milk in small quantities until desired consistency to coat the fruit is achieved. I find this is usually about half of the small can. Make sure all fruit is well drained and fold each fruit into cream cheese and milk mixture until well incorporated. Chill well before serving. Add nuts and/or coconut shortly before serving.
2. cooking time refers to chilling.