Chili Cheesecake
Submitted by Sue Lowes on Aug 18, 2010

Nice hot appetizer cheese cake baked in tortilla chip crust and topped with sour cream, pico and cheddar cheese

Servings:
10

Complexity:   
Easy

Total Time:
1 hour

Ingredients:
2 to 3 cups crushed tortilla chips
4 tablespoons melted butter
3 (8 oz) packages 1/3 less fat cream cheese, at room temperature
3 medium eggs
8 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated
1/2 to 3/4 cup sour cream
1 cup pico de gallo, drained
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
1/2 cup sliced black olives (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 F.

Coat a 9-inch sprinform pan with vegetable coating spray
Crush the chips using the medal blade of a food processor, or put them in a zip-top plastic bag and use the flat edge of a wooden spoon to crush them. Transfer to a bowl an toss with melted butter. Spread in the prepared sprinform pan. Bake at 325 for 10 to 12 minutes. This can be done in advance.

Place cream cheese in a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process until smooth. Add eggs and pepper jack cheese and mix in completely. Mound in large spoonfuls over the chip crust and spread carefully to distribute evenly. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes.

Remove and cool 6 to 8 minutes, then spread with sour cream and top with drained pico de gallo. Garnish with a mound of shredded cheddar, if desired.