Cheesecake Bars with Cranberry Swirls

Easy cheesecake bars, the crust is quickly made with a yellow cake mix and the cranberry swirls are made with canned cranberry sauce.

Recipe Ingredients:

Crust:
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 (10-ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce

Cooking Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, butter and egg and beat at low speed until crumbly. Add pecans and mix well. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 13x9x2-inch pan.
2. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 5 minutes just until crust is set.
3. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and egg until smooth.
4. In a separate bowl, blend together cranberry sauce and nutmeg. Pour cream cheese mixture over crust.
5. Spoon cranberry sauce in 3 rows lengthwise in pan. Run a knife through the cranberry sauce and cream cheese mixture to form swirls.
6. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30 minutes, or until cream cheese mixture is set.
7. Cool and cut into bars.

Makes 24 bars.

Recipe provided courtesy of Iowa Egg Council.