Santa Fe Cheesecake

By MarieR

Taste of the South Magazine 2007.NOTES : Make day before, refrigerate. Set out to room temperature to serve. A lot of ingredients but it's so good it's worth the time and effort. I bought a 6-inch spring form pan just to make a smaller size.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 small white onions, chopped
• 3 packages (8-ounces each; 24- ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cans (10-ounces each) diced tomatoes and green chilies, drained (Ro-Tel)
• 2 cups (6-ounces) cheddar, shredded
• 1/3 cup *whole-kernel corn
• 2 tablespoons dry ranch dressing mix
• 1 package (1.25-ounce) taco seasoning mix
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• Garnish: sour cream, shredded Cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, and chopped green bell peppers.
• Tortilla chips for dipping
• I used whole-kernel canned corn, drained.

Details

Servings 24

Preparation

Step 1

Preparation: 15 minutes; Cook: 7 minutes; Bake: 35 minutes
In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions; cook for 5
to 7 minutes, or until tender. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly grease an 8-inch springform pan.
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer
until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until
combined. Add diced tomatoes and green chilies, cheese, corn, taco
seasoning mix, ranch dressing mix, and pepper, beating until well
combined. Add cooked onions, stirring to combine. Pour mixture into
prepared pan.
Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° and bake for an
additional 15 minutes. Serve hot or cold. Garnish with sour cream, Cheddar
cheese, tomatoes, and bell peppers, if desired.
Serve with tortilla chips. I liked crackers better.
Yield: "1 8-inch cheesecake"