Southwest Appetizer Cheesecake

[bean]

This is always a hit at get togethers. Serve it up with tortilla chips and corn chips. The above recipe (Sambal Oelek - Chilli Paste) is a perfect side to spice it up even more!


Southwest Appetizer Cheesecake

8 ounces Cream cheese, softened
8 ounces Ricotta cheese
8 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 package Taco seasoning mix
8 ounces Sour cream
3 Eggs
1 can Green chilies, diced and drained
1/2 cup Red bell pepper, diced

TOPPING

3/4 cup Salsa medium or hot
Scallions, chopped
Cilantro, chopped

Beat cream cheese, ricotta and cheddar cheese with taco seasoning. Add sour cream. Beat in eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. Fold in chilies and red pepper. Pour into greased 9 inch springform pan. Bake at 350º for 50 minutes or until center of cake is firm. Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Just before serving spread salsa over top of cake and garnish with parsley and scallions. Serve with chips or crackers. Freezes well.

Note: If you do not have ricotta, you can substitute an additional 8 oz. cream cheese.

*I add chopped jalapenos and cumin to the above mixture. I also like a simple pico de gallo with tons of fresh cilantro to top it off!

[bean]

Here is another that is really good & really HOT! Very easy and is great on everything!


These recipe go VERY well together.

This is totally addictive. Dead simple to make. If you grow your own chillis, it's a great way of preserving them, but they won't last long!

Sambal Oelek - Chilli Paste

1/2 lb medium-hot chillis of your choice. Red or green jalapenos are fine, large Thai chillis ditto. Habaneros/birds-eyes/bonnets are too hot.
2 tbsp sea salt (to taste)
2 tbsp lime juice or vinegar

Remove the stalks from the chillis, but not the seeds. Lightly roast the chillis for 15 mins in a warm oven. Blend in a blender or mortar and pestle, then add the liquid and salt and blend a bit more. Taste, add more salt if you want but 2 tbsp is quite a lot. Add more liquid if it gets too sticky - it should be like wet pickle consistency.

Store in a sterilized jar. It probably doesn't need refrigerating due to the high salt levels.

To use: Use anywhere you need chillis, such as in marinades, thai currys, tex-mex.
Alternatively, just eat from the jar, but be careful - excess has it's Nemesis with a capital N!

* I use about 20 - 25 jalapenos and 1 habanero & roasted them at 350º for 20 to 25 minutes, de-stem them and threw them in my chopper. I add the juice of two limes & only a scant T. of Sea Salt.

[bee]

Here is my masterpiece ~ LOL.
I may have baked it a bit too long so hope it tastes good. My middle did not set up at 50 minutes so I check it every 5 minutes for a total bake time of 65 minutes.

Haven't tasted this yet but it smells and looks wonderful.....Serving this with Tostido Scoops and some garlic crustini rounds.

[bean]

That looks killer! They will love it.