This southwest cheesecake is the perfect appetizer to feed a crowd. It’s spicy instead of sweet and tastes amazing served with crackers or homemade tortilla chips.
GUYS. It’s awards season. Everyone is excited about the Super Bowl on Sunday, but I’m just counting down the days until the Oscars. I’ve always loved movies and Oscars night is one of my favorite events of the year. I’m enamored with everything about the evening, from the beautiful clothing to the celebration of amazing cinema. I still have to watch a lot of the nominees over the next couple of weeks. Which movie was your favorite of 2016?
We almost always get together with friends to watch the Oscars, which makes the evening especially fun. There’s always champagne and a ridiculous amount of food to fuel us through the last speech. Whether we’re hosting or watching at a friend’s house, I always make this southwest cheesecake. It’s a savory appetizer with the consistency of a traditional cheesecake. And, it’s so good. The creamy spread combines all of my favorite flavors: cheese, green chilis, taco seasoning and more cheese.
This is one of those appetizers that’s dangerous — you know what I’m talking about. You start with just a little bit on your plate, but keep going back for more throughout the party. Before you know it, you’ve eaten 25 percent of the dish. It’s just that good!
Southwest cheesecake tastes best the next day, so make this the night before you plan to serve it and let it chill overnight. And, I’m not kidding when I say this feeds a lot of people. You’ll have lots of leftovers if you’re entertaining a small group.
Southwest Cheesecake
[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]
- 2 8 oz. packages cream or Neufchatel cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups sour cream, divided
- 1 4 oz. container diced green chilis
- 6 Tbsp. taco seasoning
- 1 cup salsa
[/ingredients]
[directions title=”Directions”]
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan and set aside.
- Place cream cheese and cheddar cheese in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy, about two minutes.
- Add eggs to cheese mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add one cup sour cream, green chilis and taco seasoning and beat until combined.
- Carefully pour cheesecake mixture into the springform pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until cheesecake is just set. Remove from oven and let cool for ten minutes.
- Spread one cup of sour cream all over the top of the cheesecake and bake for an additional five minutes. Let cheesecake cool completely before covering and refrigerating overnight.
- Before serving, top cheesecake with one cup salsa. Serve with crackers and tortilla chips.
[/directions]
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