Tasso and Smoked Cheddar Cheesecake

Vegetables

One of the best tasting, and most versatile, recipes in this book. This can be made four or five days in advance. Beautiful on a sideboard for a cocktail party, perfect with a salad for lunch, an excellent side item with an entrée for dinner. Country ham, chopped bacon, or cooked sausage can be substituted for the Tasso (Cajun-spiced ham).

Ingredients

Crust

2 cup Japanese breadcrumbs

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp Fresh thyme

1 Tbsp parsley

1 /2 cup melted butter

1 tsp. black pepper

Filling

1 Tbsp butter

1 1 /2 cup tasso, diced

1 /2 cup onion, minced

1 Tbsp garlic, minced

1 /2 pound cream cheese, softened.

1 /2 pound smoked cheddar cheese, finely grated

3 eggs + 2 yolks

1 /4 cup sour cream

1 /2 tsp salt

1 tsp creole seasoning

1 /4 tsp black pepper

1 /4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 /2 cup chopped green onions

2 Tbsp finely chopped red bell peppers

Instructions

Crust

Preheat oven to 275

Combine all ingredients.

Press into a 9-10 inch spring-form pan, covering the bottom completely and bringing the crust 1 1 /2 inches up the sides. Bake crust five minutes and allow to cool.

Filling

In a medium sized sauté pan, melt butter and cook tasso, onions and garlic for 3-4 minutes. Allow to cool.

While tasso mixture is cooling, beat the cheeses together until soft in a mixing bowl. Add eggs, one at a time allowing them to incorporate. Add remaining ingredients, and cooled tasso mixture.

Pour filling into par-baked crust and bake45-60 minutes.

Let cheesecake cool completely before cutting. Dip a clean knife into hot water to cut, wiping knife clean, and re-dipping into water after every slice.

Can be made two days in advance. Remove from refrigerator 1-2 hours before serving.

Serves: 10-12

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