Savory Blue Cheese Cheesecake

This post was first published on Pressure Cooking Today, where I contribute.

Cheesecake for dinner, anyone?  I’m handing the computer keys over to my foodie sister Marci today – to share with us one of her favorite electric pressure cooker recipes.  She likes to whip up this savory blue cheese cheesecake for dinner and pairs it with a strawberry spinach salad and drizzles it with a sweet balsamic vinaigrette.

Hey everybody!  This is Marci, and I’m thrilled to be able to share my recipes and food ideas on TIDBITS.  Cami is the decorator and crafter in our family, and I cook.  Together, we make the perfect homemaker 😉

For my first guest post here on TIDBITS, I’m bringing it big with a cheesecake!  Dessert cheesecakes have been a huge hit in the pressure cooking world, but today I’m taking it down a savory road with this AMAZING Blue Cheese Cheesecake over a Strawberry Spinach Salad, drizzled with a sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette!    

Now, before I go any further, let us pause for a moment and talk about blue cheese.  Blue cheese falls into a category I like to call “Risky Foods.”  You know those certain foods that you present a bit hesitantly to people because it’s either a love it or hate it kind of food?  Think cilantro, seafood, spicy food, tofu, pineapple on pizza (looking at you hubby), green food (my kids greatest fear), sushi, etc, etc.  I can’t even put a number on how many times people have tried to convince me that this recipe or that recipe is gonna convince me that I actually do love seafood.  I’ve tried it, I still find it stinky and disturbing, and for now, I’m staying in my stubborn ways!  

So although I’m not budging on seafood quite yet, I am here to tell all you blue cheese haters out there to not be like me, because I am about to change your stinky, moldy cheese minds forever!  

With a warm, creamy, flavor explosion of cheesecake, blue cheese, buttery pecan crust, sweet strawberries, and balsamic vinegar!  It’s heaven, and it’s already proven to change minds in my own circle of blue cheese hating family and friends.

Now to all you blue cheese lovers out there, the ones that look at restaurant menus and see only blue cheese salad dressing, blue cheese burgers, and buffalo blue cheese whatever: you are going to love this!  

It’ll be a whole new spin on our funky smelling friend that you will make again and again to impress all the lovers and haters in your lives.  

I hope you’ll branch out and give this a try!

Printable recipe provided below for your convenience.

Savory Blue Cheese Cheesecake

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Cheesecake for dinner, anyone? Try this savory blue cheese cheesecake with a strawberry spinach salad and drizzled with a sweet balsamic vinaigrette.

• Author: tidbits-cami.com
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• For the Cheesecake:
• ¾ cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
• ¾ chopped Pecans
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 8 oz whipped cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4 oz crumbled blue cheese, at room temperature (I prefer the more mild varieties like Gorgonzola and Danish Blue)
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 1 clove of minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon of fresh rosemary
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• For the Salad:
• Spinach
• Sliced Strawberries
• Pecans
• For the Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette:
• 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 ½ Tablespoons honey
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the bread crumb and pecans until the nuts are finely chopped. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Pour in panko and pecan mixture and stir until lightly browned and fragrant. Press the mixture onto the bottom and halfway up the sides of a lightly greased 7-inch springform pan. Place in freezer for at least 30 minutes. (This step can also be done a few days in advance if needed).
2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and eggs until very smooth. And crumbled blue cheese, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper and combine well. Scrape cheese mixture into the crust, being careful that the blue cheese crumbles get distributed throughout the mixture.
3. Pour 1 cup of water into the pressure cooker and place the trivet in the bottom. Place the filled pan on top of the trivet.
4. Lock the lid in place. Cook the cheesecake at High Pressure for 15-20 minutes. 15 minutes will give you a creamier texture where the center may ooze a bit when you cut it open (which I love!) and 20 minutes will be a firmer slice but still very creamy and delicious. When the beep sounds, turn off the pressure cooker and allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. At this point you can release the rest of the pressure and remove the lid.
5. Place the pan on a wire rack, blot any excess water from the top of the cheesecake with a paper towel and cool for 10 minutes.
6. While the cheesecake is cooling, make the balsamic vinaigrette by combining all the ingredients in a jar with tight fitting lid and shake vigorously until smooth. This could also be done in a blender which works well if you double it (which you certainly wouldn’t regret).
7. Slide a knife around the side of the cheesecake and slowly remove the outer covering of the spring form pan being sure to pause if any of the cake is sticking to the pan and run a knife around those areas.
8. Place spinach on a plate, sprinkle with sliced strawberries and whole pecans. Place a slice of warm blue cheese cheesecake next to the spinach and drizzle all of it with the vinaigrette. The cheesecake is also wonderful eaten cold in the same manner.