Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars by Heather (from Jess's LSU vs. FL game)

Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars

2 cans (8 oz each) crescent dinner rolls

2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 Heat oven to 350°F.
2 Unroll 1 can dough. Place in bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. Stretch to cover bottom of dish, firmly pressing perforations to seal.
3 In medium bowl, beat cream cheese and 1 cup of the sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Spread over dough in baking dish.
4 Unroll second can of dough. Carefully place on top of cream cheese layer. Pinch seams together.
5 Pour melted butter evenly over top. Mix remaining 1/2 cup sugar with the cinnamon, and sprinkle evenly over butter.
6 Bake about 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool slightly, about 20 minutes. Refrigerate for easy cutting. Cover and refrigerate any remaining bars.

Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne from Our Best Bites

Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne
slightly adapted from this recipe by Martha Stewart

• 6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 pound penne rigate
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces each), halved horizontally
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
• 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 6 cups whole milk
• 10 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
• 1 1/2 cups shredded provolone* (6 ounces) you could also make that 1/2 mozzarella
• 1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 6 ounces)

*Note on Cheese:
Sometimes provolone cheese can be hard to find.  I don’t always encourage the use of pre-shredded bagged cheeses (because ‘ve found they usually contain additives and therefore don’t melt or taste as good), but in this recipe I’ve used a *good* quality one, like Sargento, and it’s turned out great.  Actually in this batch I used Sargento’s Provolone/Mozzarella mix.  You’ll find that with packaged cheese mixes, provolone is often mixed with other white cheeses and that’s totally fine.  Just try to find one that is mostly provolone, like a 50/50 mix.  The other easy option is to go to the deli department where you can buy sliced cheese.  Just ask for a 6 oz chunk and you can grate it yourself.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. If you’re going to freeze one, use a disposable foil pan.  In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta and set aside.
2. While pasta is boiling, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.  While chicken pan is still hot, toss the mushrooms in and saute until golden brown (3-4 minutes).  Use a little extra olive oil if needed.
3. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot (I just use the pot I cooked my pasta in), melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking constantly, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer.  Keep whisking frequently as sauce thickens, about 1 minute more. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. take the pan off the heat and and gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
4. Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes.  If freezing, place remaining parmesan cheese in a zip-top baggie.  If cooking, sprinkle on top.
5. Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Freezer instructions:
To freeze, prepare through step 4 and then let pasta cool.  Cover pan well with plastic wrap.  Place extra cheese in baggie (for topping) on top and then cover entire pan well with foil.  Freeze for up to 3 months.  To bake, preheat oven to 400.  Remove foil and plastic from pan and set cheese baggie aside.  Place foil back on pan and bake for about 1 1/2 hours.  Remove foil, stir pasta, and top with cheese.  Return pan to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until mixture is hot and bubbly throughout.

Turtle Cheesecake...sounds divine. Found at Skip To My Lou

Turtle Cheesecake
Crust
1 9-ounce package chocolate wafer cookies (chocolate graham crackers or chocolate animals crackers work well)
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
5 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons whipping cream
4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
Topping
1 cup caramel sauce (I gently boil a can of sweetened condensed milk covered completely in water in a covered stock pot for about 3 hours, cool slightly, open and pour onto cheesecake)
1/2 cup (about) chopped toasted pecans
chocolate ganache (melt about 4 oz chocolate chips with 2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream)
For Crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Finely grind cookies in processor. Blend in butter. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of 9-inch-diameter spring-form pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Double wrap outside of spring-form pan with foil.
For Filling:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in vanilla extract.
Bring cream to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Reduce heat to low. Add chocolate and stir until mixture is melted and smooth. (This can be done in the microwave) Remove from heat.
Pour cream cheese mixture into crust. Spoon chocolate mixture over by tablespoons, spacing evenly. Using tip of knife, swirl chocolate mixture into filling. If you feel chocolate mixture is too thick just stir in a bit of the cheese mixture. Place cheesecake in a pan filled with water so it comes about 1/3 up the side of the cheese cake pan and bake until sides are set and center moves slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hour 5 minutes. (Cake may crack.) Cool in pan on rack. Chill overnight.
Using small knife, cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Release pan sides. Drizzle caramel and chocolate ganache over top of cake. Garnish with pecans.

pumpkin oreo mini cheesecakes

found this recipe at Inside BruCrew.
planning on trying for all the halloween fun on Friday.


PUMPKIN OREO CHEESECAKE

2-8 oz pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. canned pumpkin
oreos
whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350* Place cupcake liners in a muffin pan. Beat the cream cheese until creamy. Add the sugar and cream again. Add the eggs one at a time beating after each one. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat again. Place one whole oreo in the bottom of the cupcake liners and fill up the liner 3/4 full with the cheesecake batter. Push another whole oreo into the top of the batter. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Cool in pan for 15-20 min before removing and placing on a wire rack to finish cooling. Keep refrigerated. Top with whipped cream and oreo sprinkles before serving. Makes 24.

or might make some of these: 

  from a little lovely.

Mini Cheesecakes

Next thing to try...maybe for the upcoming MNI on Saturday. Love the TomKat Studio and this recipe and picture came right off her post and onto mine...cause remember, this recipe blog is more just for me then you :)


Mini Cheesecakes
12 Vanilla Wafers
1 tsp Vanilla
2 8oz packages cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
Line muffin tin with foil liners.
Place one vanilla wafer in each liner.
Mix cream cheese, vanilla & sugar on medium speed until well blended.
Add eggs. Mix well.
Pour over wafers, filling 3/4 full.
Bake 25 minutes at 325 degrees.

Remove from pan when cool. Chill.
Top with fruit, preserves, nuts or chocolate.
Be creative! (the recipe actually said this)

Candy Cane Swirl Cheesecake...or what will be entering my belly on 12/25

UPDATED:

We has this for Christmas. It was really good. I used choc. instead of peppermint b/c I am not a peppermint fan...that meant it just tasted like a choc. swirl cheesecake. If I make it again (the cheesecake had a good flavor and was easy to make) I will use a caramel kiss or something.

Found this recipe today and I can't wait to try it.
However, I will substitute the candy cane kisses with either cherry ones, chocolate ones, or caramel ones...

Candy Cane Swirl Cheesecake

Ingredients for Cookie Crumb Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs (about 45 cookies) – This is a great place to get kids involved. Put the cookies into a large zip top bag and let the whack it or smoosh it or roll over it with a rolling pin. They’ll love it.
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Ingredients for Candy Swirl Cheesecake Filling:

• 3 packages (8 ounces each) of cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 42 Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses (that’s a whole 8 ounce bag, give or take a couple of Kisses)
• 1 tablespoon milk
• Sweetened whipped cream

Instructions for Cookie Crumb Crust:

1. Heat oven to 350.
2. Stir together cookie crumbs and sugar. Blend in melted butter.
3. Press crust mixture into bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
4. Bake 8 minutes; cool.

Instructions for Candy Swirl Cheesecake:

1. It’s important that you don’t overbeat the cheesecake batter. If you do, it will raise too much in the oven and then become totally hideous when it falls. It will still taste good, certainly, but it will be much less impressive to serve.
2. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, completely incorporating each before adding another.
3. Set aside 1/4 cup butter; pour remaining batter into crust.
4. Unwrap Kisses. Place 30 candies and milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 50% power for one minute, stir. If necessary, microwave in 15 second increments at 50% power until candies are melted and mixture is well blended when stirred.
5. Gradually blend reserved cheesecake batter with melted candies. Drop mixture by tablespoonfuls on top of plain cheesecake batter in crust. Gently swirl with knife for a marbled effect.
6. Bake 45 to 50 minutes until center is almost set. Remove from oven to wire rack. Separate pan from edges using a scraper or knife, but allow cheesecake to rest in pan until completely cool.
7. When cheesecake is cool, remove sides of pan. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.
8. Garnish with whipped cream and remaining Kisses.
9. Refrigerate leftovers.