Shelly's Recipe

SAVORY SEAFOOD CHEESECAKE

Category: Appetizer

1/2 cup thin wheat crackers; finely crushed
2 tbsp butter; melted
1 small onion; halved
2 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese; softened
2 (6.5 oz) can minced clams, shrimp or crabmeat; drained
2 Eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup cheddar cheese; shredded
1 tbsp dried dill weed; crushed
1/4 tsp salt and hot pepper sauce

Preheat oven to 300. In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and butter; set aside. Butter a 1.1/2-qt. dish or ovenproof mixing bowl; line the bottom with a circle of wax paper; butter wax paper; set aside.

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, finely chop onion. Add cream cheese, clams, eggs, sour cream, cheddar cheese, dill, salt and hot pepper sauce; process until smooth, about 45 seconds. Pour into prepared dish; sprinkle with reserved crumbs. Place dish in roasting pan. Transfer to oven; fill roasting pan with boiling water to a depth of 2 inches. Bake until a knife inserted in cheesecake 1 inch from center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Turn off oven; let cheesecake remain in oven for 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temp, about 1 hr. Cover and refrigerate until cold, 4 hrs. or overnight.

To unmold, run a metal spatula or long knife along edge of pan; invert onto serving plate; remove wax paper; garnish with lemon slices and dill sprigs, if desired.