Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

We had our camping club potluck last weekend.  I had already committed to bringing a turkey and crock-pot dressing, but I decided that I needed to take a dessert.  A new dessert!  I had come across this recipe recently and it sounded really good.  One of my favorite cheesecake recipes calls for sweetened condensed milk and no sour cream.  This recipe incorporated the same ingredients.  The crust is primarily made up of a cake mix.  The original recipe called for a pound cake mix - but do you think we could find one at our local grocery?  No.  So I made it using a yellow cake mix and it turned out great.  These bars went over very well and real quite tasty.  I would recommend them as a great addition to any Thanksgiving dinner (or anytime)!


Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars (from Taste of Home)


Ingredients
1 (16 oz) pkg pound cake mix (or use a yellow cake mix like I did)
3 large eggs, DIVIDED
2 Tbsp butter, melted
4 tsp pumpkin pie spice, DIVIDED
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin (about 2 cups)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts


Directions
1) Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine cake mix, 1 egg, butter and 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice in large bowl until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Press into bottom of 15 X 10-inch jellyroll pan.
2) Beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy.  Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk; beat in remaining 2 eggs, pumpkin, remaining 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice and salt; mix well.  Pour over crust; sprinkle with nuts.
3) Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until set.  Cool.  Chill.  Cut into bars.
Yield: the recipe said 48 bars, I cut mine into 24 bars

The crust is pressed into the bottom of the jellyroll pan.

Ready to go int the oven.

Just out of the oven.

Plated and ready to eat!!!