Chile Cheese Cake, a great Southwestern appetizer recipe. It’s prepared in a spring form pan like a cheese cake, it looks like a cheese cake, but loaded up with southwestern ingredients, this appetizer served with tortilla chips is a unique and wonderful crowd pleasing recipe.
For our May Wine Time gathering we chose a wonderful Italian Wine to sample. One of these days I’m actually going to plan ahead and serve an appetizer that pairs with the wine, but when this recipe caught my eye I threw all food/wine pairing rules out the window and grabbed my spring form pan.
A cheese cake made with all things Southwestern? What a great idea. And it was an easy fix.
For the crust, I used my food processor with the plastic blade to crush up some corn chips and mixed them with melted butter. Pressed into a cheese cake spring form pan and baked a few minutes before adding all the cheesy ingredients on top. Loved this idea.
The cheese cake uses two 8-ounce blocks of cream cheese, and Colby and Monterey Jack creamed with two eggs. I think the key to the flavor of this is the can of fire roasted chopped chile peppers. The smoky flavor really shined. Don’t grab just any old can of chopped peppers.
And topped with tomatoes, green onions and avocados, we loved this. My imagination ran wild on variations to this recipe, but I wanted to try it in it’s original form first. The only thing I added that the recipe didn’t suggest was chopped avocados. You’ll find the full recipe below.
With usual suspects, Dan and Teri, Tom and Kathy, let’s look at the line up of food.
I thought this was the best thing on the table. Teri brought some incredibly flavored sun-dried tomatoes swimming in olive oil and served with some of the best ciabatta bread, I l-o-v-e- loved it.
I mean just look at it.
She also plated some creamy Gorgonzola, honey infused goat cheese, poached figs, quince marmalade, served with crostinis and balsamic glaze.
The obligatory Cheetos in crystal, this time accompanied by a candy jar full of peanut M&M’s.
The red wine a 2003 Montefalco Sagrantino.
For the white, Tom and Kathy brought a Chateau St. Jean Fume Blanc.
- 1 C. tortilla chips, crushed
- 3 T. butter, melted
- 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese (softened)
- 2 eggs
- 1 4-oz can fire roasted diced green chiles
- 1 fresh jalapeno, cored, seeded and diced
- 4 ounces Colby cheese, shredded
- 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- ¼ C. sour cream
- For topping:
- chopped tomatoes
- chopped green onions
- sliced black olives
- chopped avocado
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In medium bowl, combine crushed tortilla chips and butter. Press into bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan. Bake 15 minutes, remove from oven, leaving oven on.
- In large bowl, blend cream cheese and eggs. Add green chiles, jalapeno, Colby and Monterey Jack. Pour over crust and bake 30 minutes. Do not overcook. Remove from oven and cool in pan 5 minutes. Run knife around inside edge and remove sides from pan. Spread sour cream over top and decorate with tomatoes, green onions, olives and avocado. Serve with tortilla chips.
Chile Cheese Cake…It’s What’s for a Southwestern Appetizer Recipe.
On this day..
Boy that looks amazing! Who woulda thought??
And why didn’t I think of it in the first place.
Oh, I love savory cheesecakes. It sure looks like you had a lot of good food and I’m sure had a good time! Is this something you do regularly? I have a cheesecake recipe: Bleu Cheese Cheescake. It is SO good. The base is crushed up cheez-its.. I’ll email it to you.
We have our little wine time gathering once a month. Just a little group of us that enjoy and appreciate wine. It’s an appetizer event on a Wed. night right after work. Love your blue cheese cheez-its reicpe. Yes, please mail it. I’d love to see what that’s all about.
I love this, what a unique appetizer. I’m a fan of anything cheese! I also love cheese cake and Southwestern flavors…it’s a homerun for me! I’ll be making this for my next get together!
Let me know how you like it Rhonda.
You guys sure know how to party. Your chile cheeses cake sounds awesome and is such a unique idea – must try it.
Yup, you’ve got to try it. And Larry, you know you’re always invited to that party.
This looks amazing. I have a savory cheesecake recipe that calls for bleu and feta and we love it, but this looks like such a refreshing change. I can’t wait to give it a try. By the way, you have such an adorable dog. Love that face!
Karen, I’d love that recipe for that blue and feta cheesecake. This is the first recipe I’ve seen that wasn’t a dessert cake. Yes, little Chili is adorable. He’s my baby.
What a unique recipe Lea Ann! I’m sure it must be devoured at your wine tastings to everyone’s delight.
Thanks Toni. There was a little sliver left over.
MMMMM . . . I am having a party in a couple of weeks with a Mexican ish-esque menu . . . this is going in the pile of recipes. Wonderful! Love the photos, too. Those olive oil drenched tomatoes with ciabatta look so delicious – I would have camped out in front of that one. And little Chili is looking pray-shus as always!
As I said, those sun-dried tomatoes were UNbelievable! They came from a restaurant, and I’d love to get the recipe. I think just lots of Italian flavors. But the bread was moist … chewy crust. Loved it. That little Chili is a pray-shus little guy.
Absolutely a great idea Lea Ann and a wonderful way to use a the pan you normally stock for cheese cake.Wish we were there.
Sam
Thanks Sam. Wish you were here too! I’d break out a really good bottle of wine.
What a wonderful appetizer for spring and summer! Love all of those southwest flavors. So pretty too!
Thanks Susan. Like I said, I’m already plotting on how to spice it up a bit. Maybe some chipotle peppers next time. Which would also add some color.
That looks like a fun cheesecake. I could sure see making this the next time we need to bring an appetizer to party.
Yum! Everything looks so good! Cute puppy too!
Thanks Jane. That’s my little Chili.
Jaw on floor….I am so blown away by this. I want to pour chili on it too, does that make me a heathen?
I want to pour chili on it too. Signed your fellow heathen.
What a party! I love your Chili Cheescake…what a super appetizer. Definitely going to save that recipe. And Teri had some yummy eats on that table as well. The sun dried tomatoes looked delish and the platter was loaded with goodies.
Had to smile at the Cheetos!
Those Cheetos are a tradition, and it’s so funny how they pair with any wine we serve.
Fabulous blog you have here. Love this recipe, I’m a new subscriber.
Thanks Lanni.
I definitely need more savory cheesecake in my life! This looks amazing!
Also, I need to respond to your emails! I don’t know what is up with that PR rep. I’ll try emailing her once again and see if I can elicit a response!
Thanks Joanne! You must try this one. Have plenty of tortilla chips on hand. It’s addicting.
Savory cheesecake…. how could you go wrong???
Looks like you had a great night.. good food.. good wine.. good company.. nothing better!
That’s exactly what we had, good food, wine and company. I love our wine nights.
Now that is something I hadn’t seen before; savory cheesecake! But what a brilliant idea too and the rest of the meal looks pretty amazing too!
Me either. It caught my attention and just had to be made! And devoured! Thanks for stopping by Simone
Oh my gosh, that cheesecake looks fantastic, Lea Ann. The entire menu is mouthwatering. This will be on my menu at my next family get together.
Thanks Cathy.
This sounds like a terrific appetizer. I’m going to have to look for the fire roasted chilies…I’m sure they add to the overall flavor.
Ortega brand was what I bought at Safeway. They were much more flavorful than the plain.
What a cool idea! Looks like a great party all around. Now pass the Cheetos!
I’ll arm wrestle you for them! Love my Cheetos.
This cheesecake looks incredible!
We’d love to share this recipe and one of your photos on a blog I help manage for Purple Cowboy Wines (purplecowboy.com). Could we use one of the cheesecake photos with your permission? We would link directly back to this post and include your website in the post.
Thanks for your help Lea Ann!
You most certainly can! Thanks for stopping by.