There are sweet cheesecakes for dessert and savory cheesecakes for appetizers and first courses. Here are one of each for Cinco de Mayo, each with south-of-the-border flair. Both recipes come from TasteOfHome.com.

First up is the Nacho Cheesecake. The Dulce De Leche Cheesecake is below.

> The History Of Cheesecake
 
 
RECIPE #1: NACHO CHEESECAKE: AN APPETIZER OR
FIRST COURSE

This recipe can be served in individual slices and eaten with a fork, or can be a cocktail hour centerpiece served with crackers and/or tortilla chips.

Ingredients

Nacho cheesecake, a Mexican spin on the appetizer cheesecake (photo © Taste Of Home).

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE crushed tortilla chips and butter; press onto the bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan.

2. BEAT the cream cheese, mayonnaise, taco seasoning and flour in a large bowl until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in the chicken, cheese blend and onions. Pour over crust. Place pan on a baking sheet.

3. BAKE at 325°F for 60-70 minutes or until center is almost set. Gently spread sour cream over the top; bake 10 minutes longer or until set.

4. COOL on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

5. REMOVE sides of pan just before serving. Garnish with corn, avocado, tomato and olives. Serve with salsa and crackers if desired. Yield: 24 servings.

 
> Check Out 5 More Appetizer Cheesecake Recipes, From Blue Cheese To Salmon
 
 
Now onto dessert! In addition to dulce de leche caramel, this Mexican-accented cheesecake has chili powder mixed into the chocolate swirl.

 
RECIPE #2: DULCE DE LECHE CHEESECAKE

Ingredients For The Crust

Dulce de leche cheesecake, a Mexican spin on the creamy dessert (photo Taste Of Home).

1. PLACE a greased 9-inch springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 inches square). Securely wrap foil around pan. (If you have a leakproof springform pan, you can omit this step.)

2. COMBINE the cookie crumbs, walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and butter in a large bowl. Press onto the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of the prepared pan.

3. BEAT cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in the milk, flour and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour into crust.

4. POUR dulce de leche into a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at 50% power until softened. Drop dulce de leche by tablespoonfuls over batter; cut through batter with a knife to swirl.

5. PLACE the springform pan in a large baking pan; create a water bath (bain-marie) by adding 1 inch of hot water into the larger pan. Bake at 350°F for 60-70 minutes or until the center is just set and top appears dull.

6. REMOVR springform pan from the water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of the pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer.

7. MELT chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl; stir until smooth. Stir in chili powder. Spread over cheesecake.

8. REFRIGERATE overnight. Remove sides of pan. Yield: 16 servings.
 
 
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