Swiss Cheesecake

Swiss Cheesecake isn't your typical cheesecake but a delicious, savory appetizer that is lightened up a bit, but still loaded with flavor.  I downsized the ingredients to a 6-inch size springform pan which gave me about 12-15 servings, perfect for a small group.

Our household will jump all over anything cheesy.

Swiss Cheesecake
2/3 cup finely crushed wheat crackers (I used Wheat Thins)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1 1/3 cups reduced fat plain yogurt
1 egg
dash of dried basil, crushed
pinch of dried rosemary, also crushed
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced fat Swiss cheese
Assorted crackers or vegetables

In a food processor, process wheat crackers until crushed; stir in melted butter.  Press in the bottom of a 6-inch springform pan and set aside.

Place cream cheese in a mixing bowl and mix at medium speed until smooth.  Add the yogurt, egg, basil and rosemary (using your own interpretation of "dash" and "pinch") and continue mixing until well blended.

Stir in Swiss cheese.  Pour onto prepared crust.  Place pan on a baking sheet and into a 350-degree oven.  Bake 45-50 minutes until almost set - only the very center will still appear soft.  Cheesecake will set completely as it cools.

Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge to loosen the cheesecake and cool for another hour.  Refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving.  Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary and serve with crackers or vegetables of choice.

  
This recipe clipping looks to be several years old and appears to have been cut from a catalog - or at least there are drapery and rug selections shown on the reverse side.  I don't believe I ordered either but I kept the recipe ... 

glad I did!




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More Traditions ... with Cranberry Salad

Yes, I'm still catching up from Christmas posts ...    

This is another school cafeteria recipe.  Mother worked at my elementary school cafeteria when I was a student there and she brought this recipe home and adapted it to family size.  This was before the days of food processors in every kitchen.  She had a hand-cranked heavy silver food grinder that clamped onto a biscuit board which pulled out from under the cabinet top.  After the grinding was completed, she would feed a slice of white sandwich bread through to clean out the grinding wheels.

Thank goodness for a food processor!  It makes this easy salad even quicker and easier.

Cranberry Salad
1/2 pound raw cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups small marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Process cranberries into small chunks.  Mix with the next four ingredients.  Set aside for 15 minutes.

Whip cream and fold into cranberry mixture.  Refrigerate for two hours or overnight before serving.

And her note says ... "I double this for Christmas", so I did the same.

It's just the perfect combination of tart and sweet and fluff!

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