Red, White, Blue, and Yummy too!

Someone recently told me that I make a lot of dishes with blueberries. It's true, I do. Not only are they delicious, juicy, and bursting with flavor, but they have a lot of health benefits too. They have so many great qualities, but their #1 feat is that they have the highest antioxidant capacity of all fresh fruit, helping your immunity and keeping you healthy.

Seeing as it is 4th of July, I thought I'd make something red, white, and blue, something very American: Blueberry Cheesecake. There's just something so comforting about a cool, creamy, tangy cheesecake. We can thank the Greeks for that delicious invention, a treat that they first started eating at the first Olympic Games in 776 BC, a treat that America didn't pick up on until the late 1800's. I guess we American's have a lot of time to make up for, and a lot of cheesecakes to bake. So get in the kitchen and start whipping up some cream cheese deliciousness!

Blueberry Cheesecake Bars:

1 stick of unsalted butter, melted

2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 11 or 12 graham crackers)

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon juice (or a little more)

1 (10 ounce) jar blueberry jam (if you don't want it as sweet, cook down some fresh blueberries and make your own blueberry stew)

1 cup (1 and 1/4 pint) fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Mix butter and graham cracker crumbs in a 9x13-inch baking pan. Make sure that all of the crumbs receive an even amount of butter. Press the mixture evenly and firmly into the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate the pan while you prepare the filling.

In a large mixing bowl beat the cream cheese (with an electric mixer on low to medium) just for about a minute until creamy. Add sugar, eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice and beat until all ingredients are blended and the batter is smooth and creamy.

Mix the jam around in the jar and then spread evenly over the crust. Pour blueberries over the jam and be sure to have an even layer. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the blueberries.

Bake for 30 minutes, until set, slightly puffed, and the edges are light brown(the cheesecake should not be browned on top). Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before covering and placing in the refrigerator to chill completely. Cut into whatever shape you like and place a sliced strawberry on the top of each piece to add some red to this dish. Happy 4th of July!

Suggestion: This cheesecake bar recipe can be made using whatever ingredients you fancy. Try experimenting with different jams and fruits; lemons, limes, strawberries, blackberries, whatever you like!