Ingredients:
For the crust:
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup sugar
- 5 Tbsp. butter
- ⅛ tsp. salt
For the filling:
- 2 cups cream cheese, softened
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
For the topping:
- Whipped cream
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
Directions:
- Select your rectangular pie pan. Our favorite is a 9″ x 11″ baking dish.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Stir all the crust ingredients together until combined.
- Press them into the bottom and sides of the pie pan. Make a thicker layer on the bottom than on the sides.
- Mix all the filling ingredients together, starting with the cream cheese and sugar, then adding in the eggs and vanilla when the former is smooth. If you’re mixing by hand, make sure you don’t over mix. If you’re using an automatic mixer, set it at a low or medium-low speed.
- Pour the filling into the crust.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then check it. If the crust isn’t done, add another 10 minutes. Be careful not to scorch your crust!
- Let the cheesecake cool.
- Once chilled, spread the whipped cream across the top and decorate the top of the cheesecake like an American flag! Halve the strawberries and lay them out like the stripes, then put the blueberries in a square in the top left as the stars. The white whipped cream underneath will make it red, white, and blue!
Recipe adapted from AllRecipes.com and shared from the Guidance Advisors Newsletter.