Vanilla Bean White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake

Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Yield: Serve 8-12

Ingredients

Crust:
• 1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
Cheesecake:
• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• vanilla bean seeds, scraped from one pod
White Chocolate Mousse:
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 ounces white chocolate baking squares, melted
Sweetened Whipped Cream:
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• vanilla bean seeds, scraped from one pod

Directions

1. For the crust, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix; then stir in the melted butter. Press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom and just barely up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan (could also use a 10-inch pan although all the layers will be slightly thinner). Bake the crust for 8 minutes. Remove and let cool completely. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. 
2. For the cheesecake layer, in a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese with an electric handheld mixer (or stand mixer) until soft and creamy. Add the sour cream, cornstarch, sugar and vanilla and mix until smooth. Mix in the vanilla bean seeds until evenly mixed. Don't overmix or the cheesecake will have a tendency to crack while baking.
3. Spread the cheesecake over the cooled crust and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. 
4. For the white chocolate mousse, in a medium bowl, beat the cream and vanilla with an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer) until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and mix until combined and the peaks are slightly stiffer. In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the white chocolate and mix until smooth and creamy. Fold in the whipped cream, taking care not to deflate the whipped cream, and mix gently with a rubber spatula, lifting and turning the cream, until the mousse is combined and creamy. 
5. Spread the white chocolate mousse over the cooled cheesecake. 
6. For the sweetened whipped cream, beat the whipping cream and powdered sugar together until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla bean seeds and mix until slightly stiffer peaks form and the vanilla bean seeds are mixed in. 
7. Spread the whipped cream evenly over the white chocolate mousse. Refrigerate at least 1-2 hours before serving (or up to overnight).

Beef Enchiladas (Brown Eyed Baker)

yield: 4 to 6 servings

prep time: 30 minutes

cook time: 2 hours

total time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Wonderfully cheesy, saucy, and mildly spicy beef enchiladas.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1¼ pounds boneless chuck steaks, trimmed of fat
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 yellow onions, finely chopped
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
½ cup water
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded, divided
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup chopped canned pickled jalapeños
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, stir together the garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, sugar and salt. 

2. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sprinkle the meat with salt and cook until browned on both sides, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the meat to a plate. 

3. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions to the pot and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic mixture and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce and water and bring to a boil. Return the meat and any accumulated juices to the pot, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the meat is tender and can be broken apart easily, about 1½ hours.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

5. Strain the beef mixture over a medium bowl. Transfer the meat and any other solids to a separate medium bowl and break the beef into small pieces. Mix together with half of the shredded cheeses, the cilantro and the jalapeños. 

6. Spread ¾ cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Microwave the tortillas according to package directions to soften. Spread about ⅓ cup of the beef mixture down the center of each tortilla, roll up tightly, and place in the baking dish seam-side down. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the enchiladas and spread to ensure that all of the ends are covered in sauce. 

7. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top of the enchiladas, cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese browns slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Make-Ahead: The beef filling and sauce can be prepared through step #5 and refrigerated in separate containers for up to 2 days. Prepare the rest of the recipe as directed, increasing the covered baking time by 5 minutes.

White Chocolate Cake Mix Bars (Picky Palate)

Gooey White Chocolate Fluffernutter Cake Bars

1 box Yellow Cake Mix

1 large egg

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup marshmallow creme

14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

12 ounce bag white chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a 9×13 inch baking dish with foil and spray with cooking spray.

1. Place cake mix, egg, and butter into a large bowl. Mix until well combined, will be the consistency of thick cookie dough. I used my hands towards the ends. Press dough into prepared baking pan.

2. Place peanut butter, marshmallow creme and condensed milk into a large bowl and mix until well combined. Pour over crust then top with white chips. Bake for 23-25 minutes, until cooked through. Center will seem somewhat jiggly, but will set up while cools.

3. Let cool completely, cut into squares and serve.

Makes 12 bars