Savory Cheese Cake by Chef Susan Ytterberg
Featured in Edible Orlando Magazine Instagram Cover Page August 2020
Recipe credit for original recipe: Instant Pot Miracle, From Gourmet to Everyday, 175 Must have Recipes
I am honored to be featured in Edible Orlando Magazine, August 2020 for my rewrite of the recipe for Savory Cheese Cake! If you’re looking for a new way to entertain and are tired of the usual cheese plates or cheese boards, then this Savory Cheesecake may be your new, “go-to” appetizer. This showstopper is not only gorgeous, it is easy to make and will wow your guests! It’s also neat, and will not be left with little scraps of cheese rind and blobs of cheese left after serving the usual cheese plate- trust me!
This savory cheesecake is delectable, light, spreadable and downright addictive! Serve with flatbread or dried fruit crackers. Place a slice on each plate and garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme, rosemary or florets from your basil or chive plants outside in your garden!
Savory Cheese Cake
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
- 1 Instant Pot Wire Rack with Handles
- 1 7” non-stick springform pan for Instant Pot
- Parchment paper for interior bottom of springform pan.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Water - for Instant Pot Interior bowl
Crust
- 1 ½ cups Ritz crackers
- 1 cup pecans
- 6 tbsp melted, salted butter
Savory Cheese Cake filling
- 16 oz softened, room temp cream cheese
- 8 oz room temp, crumbled blue cheese
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 eggs - add one at a time to mixture until just blended
- 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme crushed
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
Instructions
- Set up Instant Pot- pour the 2 cups of water into interior pot bowl
- Cut a piece of parchment paper into a circle using the base of your springform pan as the tracing guide. Spray again lightly with spray oil. Next place a paper towel under base of pan and a piece of foil enclosing the paper towel. Wrap goil up and around exterior base of pan, this well protect the pan from water.
- Combine your crust ingredients in a food processor until fully crushed and blended. Press crust mixture firmly into bottom and up sides- about 1 ½” in the springform pan.
- Beat together your cheesecake ingredients until smooth and creamy. Pour into prepared springform pan. The mixture will come close to the top of the pan.
- Place springform pan on wire rack and with the handles, slowly lower the rack holding the pan into the Instant Pot.
- Secure the lid on the Instant Pot, ensuring the pressure valve in the, “closed” position
- Select the “Manual” setting and cook at high pressure for 40 minutes. When cooking is complete, allow a full, natural release to depressurize
- When the lid has released naturally, carefully lift the wire rack handles and remove savory cheesecake from instant Pot. Place on counter with it still sitting on rack and the base still wrapped in foil and allow to cool for 1 hour. (Do not release spring on springform pan until the day you are ready to serve and it is completely chilled.) Place in fridge, cover top with foil and allow to completely cool overnight.
- To serve, release from springform pan and place savory cheesecake on decorative plate and garnish with sprig of herbs or fresh, edible flowers. Place a 1” slice on each guest’s appetizer plate with 4 or 5 crackers and serve with a small butter knife.
