So as many of you know I have been on this cheesecake kick. This will have been the third cheesecake I have made for recent get-togethers and although I love the cheesecake I don't want to be typecast as a cheesecake chef. Ya know kind of like those child actors like that Home Alone kid who is super cute and gets a ton of gigs until he is like 12 and now he is an unemployed adult freak who does crazy ass stuff just to get attention. Yeah I don't want that to be me...ok sure extreme example...but you get the picture, right?



Today I am judging my first Hamburger Cook-Off and I am super excited, but I also felt a lot of pressure to come up with something creative and different to bring as my potluck contribution. So when I found this recipe for a savory cheesecake, it was obvious that this delectable dish would be my date for the event.

I love to bring cheesecakes to events because they can be made ahead and they are easy to transport and because people always think they take a lot more work than they actually do. Shhh....don't tell anyone that part.

So yesterday was truly one of the hottest days of the year and I knew ahead of time that my cheesecake was supposed to sit in the fridge overnight. So I decided to do a late night baking session and started my cheesecake at 2247. By 0100 my cheesecake was done and so was I, put a fork in us both.

This cheesecake has a tortilla chip crust. Just crush the chips and toss them with butter and pat them onto the bottom of your cheesecake pan. Cook the crust for 15 minutes.




Quick valuable cheesecake tip, always cook a cheesecake with a pan underneath it. Spring form pans tend to leak and since cheesecake usually has quite a bit of butter this is a handy way to avoid at the very worse an oven fire and the very least a really messy oven. Just sayin'

Next cream the cream cheese in a mixer, adding in the eggs. Stir in shredded jack cheese and a can of chopped chilies. Add to the crust and bake for another 35 minutes.


Let it cool on a rack for 10 minutes and then spread a layer of sour cream over the entire cheesecake surface. Place it in the oven over night.


1 cup crushed tortilla chips
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies, drained
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 cup chopped sweet yellow pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup chopped tomato

Directions
In a small bowl, combine tortilla chips and butter; press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in Monterey Jack cheese and chilies; pour into crust.
Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Spread sour cream over cheesecake. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool for 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight.
Remove sides of pan. Garnish with yellow pepper, onions and tomato. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 16-20 servings.


Finally garnish the cheesecake with yellow pepper, tomatoes and green onions. I served mine with tortilla chips. And this was really good! The consistency resembles a cheesecake but it has savory flavors from the jack cheese and chilies. The tomato, pepper and green onions give it a fresh flavor and some color as well. This is truly a great pot luck recipe and I will definitely keep this one in my back pocket for another get together. Special shout out to my bff who braided my hair and took my final cheesecake photos...she is pretty handy...think I will keep her around! XOXO

Happy Labor Day Weekend! Cheers!