Savory Ham Cheesecake
Taste of Home
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My mom was the best cook—everything she made was special. She served this elegant cheesecake on Sunday following a Saturday ham dinner. Now my family loves it, too!—Shannon Soper, West Bend, Wisconsin
SERVINGS: 24-30
CATEGORY: Appetizer
METHOD: Baked
TIME: Prep: 35 min. Bake: 1 hour + chilling
Ingredients:
- 3 cups oyster crackers, crushed
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- FILLING:
- 4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cups finely chopped fully cooked ham
- 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
- 1/3 cup snipped chives
- 1/4 cup minced fresh basil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- Assorted crackers
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, Parmesan cheese and butter. Set aside 1/4 cup for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture onto the bottom and 2 in. up the sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined (mixture will be thick). Add the ham, Swiss cheese, chives, basil, salt and pepper; beat just until combined. Pour into crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 60-70 minutes or until filling is almost set. Turn oven off. Leave cheesecake in oven with door ajar for 30 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan. Serve chilled or at room temperature with crackers. Yield: 24-30 servings.