Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars

Nov 04, 2019

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Dairy MAX, your local dairy council. All opinions are 100% mine.

A 3 Course dinner fit for any get together with friends and family. Start off with the best White Queso Dip followed by White Chicken Enchiladas and then topped off with Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars. A Mexican feast everyone will love!

The holidays are approaching and that means lots of parties, get togethers and dinners with friends and family. Today I am partnering with Dairy MAX; a non-profit dairy council representing dairy farm families across Colorado, southwest Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, western Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming. I am here to bring you an epic 3 course dinner, that is centered around dairy, that will be perfect for all your dinner parties!

The first course is a white queso dip that is made with white American cheese, jalapenos and plenty of spices. The perfect snack for when guests arrive. The main course is chicken enchiladas that are in a creamy sour cream and green chili sauce. And finally sopapilla cheesecake bars for dessert. A Mexican dinner everyone will love!

Did you know that Americans over 9 years of age should enjoy 3 daily servings of dairy? In general, a serving of dairy is equivalent to 1 cup of milk or yogurt, and 1.5-2 ounces of cheese. Between all 3 courses of this dinner, we have the dairy covered. Not only is it delicious, it has superfood nutrition powers that do the body good.

Dairy has always been a big part of my family’s diet. It can be cheese for a snack, a glass of milk with dinner, and yogurt for breakfast. It is easy to fit into any part of your day. Studies show that when you eat dairy as part of a healthy eating pattern and overall quality diet, you may reduce the risk of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes. That is huge, and definitely something that I take seriously.

For this dairy centered dinner we are going to start with the best White Queso Dip. It is super simple to make and great for any occasion. My family loves it for game day as well.

Let’s start with the ingredients:

1 pound white American cheese, cut into cubes
1 Tablespoon butter
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

To make the dip melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Then you add in the jalapeno and sauté for a couple minutes until it is tender. Next you pour in the milk and add the cornstarch. You want to mix until it is bubbling, this is what is going to make your sauce nice and thick! Add in your cheese and then just stir until it is melty and nice and smooth. Finally you mix in all your seasonings. Then you just need the chips! You can serve in a bowl if everyone is going to eat it right away. Or you can put in a crock pot over warm to keep it nice and smooth. Sometimes I garnish with a few diced tomatoes and cilantro on top, but that is optional. The important part is you have enough chips, because people are going to go crazy for this dip!

For the main course we are making White Chicken Enchiladas. I love the sour cream in this sauce because it not only makes it super creamy but it tastes amazing. It is a simple white sauce that gets poured over the top and then topped with cheese. Really easy to make and a show stopper when you bring it to the table.

Here is the breakdown:

12 corn tortillas (warmed in wet paper towel)
2 cups shredded chicken tossed with 2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
2 cups cheddar cheese, divided
4 oz can diced green chilies
4 oz cream cheese

White Sauce

3 Tablespoon butter

3 Tablespoon flour

2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream

4 oz can diced green chilies

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by mixing your shredded chicken with 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, cream cheese and green chilies Once that is all mixed together you will fill the tortillas and roll them up. You want to place them seam side down into your baking dish.

Next up is the sauce. In sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes, you want to stir constantly. Slowly whisk in chicken broth and ring to boil. Let it cook for a few minutes until it thickens slightly. You want to keep stirring so the sauce doesn’t burn. Then you remove the pan from the heat and stir in sour cream, chilies, salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes until hot and bubbly. Let the enchiladas sit for a couple minutes before serving. This makes it so much easier to serve them!

And to cap off this delicious dinner we can’t forget dessert! A Mexican feast wouldn’t be complete without sopapillas! But I turned sopapillas into cheesecake bars. How fun and tasty is that?! Super creamy cheesecake in between flaky layers that are coated in cinnamon and sugar. Decadent and perfect for this tasty dinner.

The cheesecake bars use crescent rolls to get the flaky layers. That also means they are super easy to make and you can assemble them in just minutes! The cheesecake layer is cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract. Super simple, but so good!

If you are looking to host a dinner party this season, you can not only do it easily, but feel good about what you are serving. This meal has dairy in every course, so you know you are helping to build stronger bones and healthier bodies with a powerful package of nutrients.

There are so many delicious ways to incorporate dairy into every part of your day. For more #DairyAmazing recipes, visit DairyDiscoveryZone.com/recipes.

Yield: 24

Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars

Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars - top off a Mexican feast with these flaky, creamy, and delicious cheesecake bars. Coated in cinnamon and sugar and such a fun treat.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

2 packages crescent rolls
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, melted

Topping

3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Set aside.
In a bowl combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping. Mix well. Set aside.
Unroll 1 package crescent rolls and press into the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking dish.
Sprinkle about half of the cinnamon mixture over the base.
Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over the base.
Top with the remaining package of crescent rolls.
Pour butter over the top and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon mixture.
Bake for 35-45 minutes until the top is golden and set.
Let cool completely before serving.

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 105 Total Fat 5g Saturated Fat 3g Trans Fat 0g Unsaturated Fat 1g Cholesterol 13mg Sodium 44mg Carbohydrates 16g Net Carbohydrates 0g Fiber 0g Sugar 15g Sugar Alcohols 0g Protein 0g

Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.

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