Philadelphia Baked Salmon

Salmon has always been a food that has intrigued me, but having a dad who is allergic to fish, and a mom, sister, and husband that just don’t like salmon, I haven’t gotten many opportunities to work with it. However, as we go into the summer season, once again it’s that time to look at “diet/healthy foods.” Does anyone else amp up the healthy level of their cooking at this time of the year, or is that just me? 

Anyway, I have always wanted to come up with delicious salmon recipes, but prior to this, my only experience with this meat was in sushi. Some of my favorite rolls at sushi restaurants are the California Roll, and the Philadelphia Roll. Luckily, the sushi restaurant nearest to me combines these two rolls together to create what they call the Mermaid Roll. Using all three of the rolls as a source of inspiration, I decided to use the majority of their ingredients to create what I like to call Philadelphia Baked Salmon. 

*This recipe serves two* 

Ingredients

2 Salmon Fillets – 4-5 oz each

4 tbsp Cream Cheese Spread

2 tbsp Mayo

½ tsp Dried Dill

½ tsp Garlic Powder

Salt and Pepper to Taste

2 tbsp Butter

1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

1 Avocado

Directions

1. If there are any scales left on the salmon fillets use a sharp knife to trim them off. 

Kitchen Tip: I find it’s a little easier to trim the scales off the fish when the meat is still slightly frozen. This makes the meat a little less slippery and easier to get a close cut. This is also easier if the knife is as sharp as possible. 

2. Combine the cream cheese, mayo, dried dill, and garlic powder together in a bowl. Stir until it is a nice spreadable consistency. 

3. Lightly grease a foil lined pan with cooking spray. Set the salmon on the pan and lightly sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. 

4. Spread the top of each fillet with a layer of the cream cheese mixture. This layer shouldn’t be super thick, but should be thick enough that the meat isn’t visible through it. See the picture below for reference.  

5. Melt the butter in a small bowl, then mix the panko with the butter until it is lightly coated. 

6. Cover the top of the fillets with panko until the cream cheese layer is only partially visible. 

7. Flip the fillets over and cover the other side with a cream cheese layer and a panko layer. Use any remaining cream cheese and panko to lightly cover the side of the fillets too. 

8. Bake at 400 degrees for 17-20 minutes. 

Kitchen Tip: The cooking time will vary depending on how thick the fillets are and whether or not you own a convection oven. My fillets were quite thin and I used a convection oven, so I only needed 17 minutes. 

9. Top the cooked fillets with half of a thinly sliced avocado before eating. 

I was so thrilled by how this recipe turned out! It tasted so similar to my favorite sushi rolls, and it was super easy to make. It was also a surprisingly filling meal considering how many healthy ingredients were in it. If you are looking for a healthy yet satisfying meal, this one definitely meets the requirements!