Savory Cheesecake and Chips

This is one of those recipes that I’ve made for probably fifteen years.  The original was clipped from some newspaper, probably the Rocky Mountain News, since I think that’s where we were living when I started making this.  It calls for green chilis, Pepper Jack cheese, and chopped fresh tomatoes, green onions, green and red peppers, and some olives as a topping.

I wanted something red for Independence Day (and because I have a cool star-shaped insert for my springform pan that I completely forgot about until last week), so I made a few substitutions.  I found the red, white, and blue tortilla chips at World Market, but I really had just planned on using blue corn ones and maybe some white, since the star was already red.  The star platter was at the dollar store.


I took about fifty photos and just couldn’t get one that showed how very festive this turned out. SO you’ll have to use your imagination.  I made a half recipe, since I wasn’t filling the whole springform pan, but am giving the recipe for just a round one in a 9” springform pan.  It feeds a crowd as an appetizer and can be made a couple of days in advance.

Roasted Red Pepper Cheesecake

serves 16, easily

1 cup Crushed Tortilla Chips

3 Tablespoons Butter, Melted

16 ounces lowfat cream cheese, softened

2 eggs, beaten

1 Tbsp taco seasoning

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 cup roasted red peppers, pureed

8 oz (2 cups) shredded sharp Cheddar

1/2 cup sour cream (regular or lowfat)

1 cup red salsa

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9" springform pan with cooking spray.  In a medium bowl, combine the tortilla chips and butter. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven, and let cool. Usually I just let it sit while I make the filling and call it good.

2. In a large bowl, blend the cream cheese, eggs,taco seasoning, and cumin. Add the red pepper puree and both cheeses and blend well. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 minutes at 325 degrees. DO NOT OVERCOOK. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. When ready to serve, spread the sour cream over the top, then spread the salsa over that. Remove the sides of the pan and serve with tortilla chips.
 

Enjoy!

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