Not just for dessert, cheesecake exists. Try it for brunch or breakfast and serve it warm or cold. Excellent for portion management and a delicious “grab-and-go breakfast” on busy weekdays. If desired, garnish with additional bacon crumbles and parsley.
| Prep Time: | 20 mins |
| Cook Time: | 30 mins |
| Additional Time: | 10 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr |
| Servings: | 24 |
| Yield: | 24 mini cheesecakes |
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- ½ cup dry Italian-seasoned bread crumbs (such as Progresso®)
- ⅓ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 3 (8 ounce) packages reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups shredded Gruyere cheese
- ½ cup fat-free half-and-half
- ⅓ cup diced ham
- 4 slices crisp cooked bacon, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
- 3 green onions, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray 24 muffin tin cups with cooking spray or use paper liners.
- Mix bread crumbs, Pecorino Romano cheese, and melted butter together in a small bowl. Spoon about 1 teaspoon mixture into each of the prepared muffin cups, pressing down.
- Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time until combined. Stir in Gruyere cheese, half-and-half, ham, bacon, bell pepper, green onions, salt, and pepper. Pour about 1/4 cup of the mixture into each muffin cup, filling each about 3/4 full.
- Bake in the preheated oven until cheesecakes are firm to the touch and lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in muffin tins for 10 minutes.
- If you don’t have Romano cheese, Parmesan cheese may be substituted. Swiss cheese may be substituted for Gruyere.
- You can use regular cream cheese instead of Neufchatel, and regular half-and-half or whole milk instead of fat-free half-and-half, if desired.
- Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 166 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 3 g |
| Cholesterol | 71 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Protein | 8 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Sodium | 301 mg |
| Sugars | 1 g |
| Fat | 14 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
I love this recipe, and it even tastes good cold the next day.
This was! a big hit for brunch and everybody begged to take the rest home with them!
fun to make, amazing flavour even as just the batter and could make a great dip too. I’m not a salt person so didn’t any more and will try to make this with less salty cheese etc. and needs more in a way to not let the cheesecake flop. water try underneath. will be making this again 😉
switched out the Swiss for Sharp Cheddar, used 1/4 cp precooked crumbled bacon, and 3 Tablespoons minced red pepper.