Fiesta Southwestern Cheesecake
- Yield 25 servings
Make ahead and freeze this savory Southwestern-style cheesecake for an appetizer taste sensation.
Holly Clegg
Ingredients
- 1 cup toasted corn checks cereal crumbs
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 -- (8-ounce) packages reduced-fat cream cheese
- 1/3 cup nonfat sour cream
- 1 -- egg
- 2 -- egg whites
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese
- 2 -- (4-ounce) cans chopped green chiles, drained
- 1 bunch green onions, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 cups salsa, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven 350F. Coat 9-inch spring form pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In springform pan, mix together cereal crumbs, butter, and oil, press into bottom of prepared pan.
- n mixing bowl, mix together cream cheese, sour cream, egg and egg whites until creamy. Add garlic, chili powder and cumin, mixing well.
- Fold in Cheddar cheese, green chilies, green onions, and onion. Carefully spread half mixture over crust, top with 1 cup salsa, and cover with remaining cream cheese mixture; do not mix.
- Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until mixture is set. Remove from oven, let cool in pan 10 minutes. Run knife around inside edge to loosen; remove sides from pan. Let cool to room temperature before refrigerating. When ready to serve, remove from refrigerator and top with remaining 1 cup salsa. (If freezing, top with salsa, when serving.)
Spicy Advice: For extra flavor and kick, use a flavored salsa such as roasted tomato or your favorite. Also, you can add shrimp or crabmeat to cheesecake for a seafood version.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Holly Clegg’s Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets to Sizzle at Any Age (2010).
