So today’s recipe is the last item in the Breakstone’s Triple-Churned Challenge! Just in case you’re joining us now, we’re competing against two other gorgeous, wonderful food bloggers for the best menu featuring Breakstone’s Triple-Churned sour cream. So far, we’ve showcased our fabulous brunch menu featuring Fresh Fruit Bruschetta and Baked Breakfast Taquitos with Lime-Chipotle Dip. Which means we need to top it off with a dessert, right? Um, of course! We just need you to vote (and please keep voting every day!) for Our Best Bites’ menu on the Breakstone’s website. Not only will you help us out, but each time you vote, you’ll be entered to win a $300 gift card. Can’t beat that!
I love the idea of cheesecake bars because they’re so non-committal—you can just take a small piece if you’re watching calories or if you’re super stuffed from your bruschetta and taquitos. Or you can have more than one; that’s cool, too. Plus, bars are great finger food and I say if it’s one less dish to wash, then your party just got a little more fun.
I made the crust easy by using a package of pecan shortbread cookies like Keebler Pecan Sandies. Take 6 cookies (or ¼ of the package) out and set them aside. Process the rest in a food processor until they’re all crumbs. No food processor? No problem! Just place them in a Ziploc bag, seal it up, and crush the cookies with a rolling pin.
Mix the cookie crumbs with 1 ½ Tbsp. of melted butter and lightly press into a 9×13 baking dish and set it aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla, almond
extract, and Breakstone’s sour cream. You may be concerned that there is more sour cream than cream cheese in this recipe. Don’t be. Lots of sour cream has never led anywhere except gastronomical happiness (and larger dress sizes, but not if it leads to an extra trip to the gym first). Plus, this contest is sponsored by Breakstone’s sour cream, so we’re giving them a little (okay, a lot) of love here. Oh, and speaking of trips to the gym, don’t use light anything here. Trust me, it won’t end well. Just go spend a little extra time imagining Jillian Michaels is yelling in your face and you and the upcoming swimsuit season will be cool.
Anyway, beat the sour cream mixture on high for 4-5 minutes or until it’s completely smooth and fluffy.
Pour ½ of the batter onto the reserved crust. Spread ¾ c. strawberry sauce or strawberry jam (you can also use canned strawberry pie filling, but it won’t be quite as awesome) over the cheesecake batter in the pan. 
Spread the remaining cheesecake batter over the strawberry layer and then spread another ½ c. of sauce over the top layer of cheesecake batter. Being careful not to cut into the bottom crust, gently swirl the cheesecake batter and strawberry topping. 
Don’t worry about making it perfect—remember those 6 reserved cookies? Those are going to hide any ugliness.
Pop that baby into the preheated oven and bake for 25-35 minutes or until the center is jiggly but not liquid and the crust is very lightly golden brown around the edges. While the squares are baking, crush the remaining cookies. During the last 10 minutes of baking, sprinkle the crushed cookies over the cheesecake squares. 
Remove from oven and allow to cool at room temperature and then chill for at least 8 hours before cutting into squares.
If desired, top squares with additional strawberry sauce.
Strawberry Cheesecake Squares
Recipe by Our Best Bites
Ingredients:
1 package Pecan Sandies Cookies, divided
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter, melted
11 oz. cream cheese (1 8-oz. package + 3 oz. of another package, not low-fat), softened
2 eggs
2/3 c. sugar
pinch salt
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 c. Breakstone’s Sour Cream
1 1/4 c. strawberry sauce or strawberry jam, divided (recipe below; you can also use jarred strawberry topping or canned strawberry pie filling)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375.
Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a food processor, process 3/4 of the Pecan Sandies (reserve 6). Mix with melted butter and lightly press onto the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine cream cheese eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla, almond extract, and sour cream. Beat on high for 4-5 minutes. Spread half of the cheesecake batter onto the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Pour 3/4 c. of the strawberry sauce over the batter, spreading gently to cover the surface (it doesn’t have to be perfect). Spread remaining cheesecake batter over the strawberry layer and then spoon remaining 1/2 c. of strawberry sauce over the batter. Being careful not to cut into the surface of the cookie crust, swirl the strawberry mixture with a butter knife.
Bake at 375 for 25-35 minutes or until center is jiggly but not liquid. While baking, process remaining 6 cookies. During the last 10 minutes of baking, sprinkle the cookies on top of the cheesecake. Chill for at least 8 hours and cut into squares. If desired, drizzle remaining strawberry sauce over the individual squares.
where is recipe for the strawberry sauce? love to make it first.
what have I du[licated? explain
where is recipe for the strawberry sauce? love to make it first.
I’d like to double this (and bake it in my enormous glass Pyrex) for a family dinner party on Easter Sunday. Have you tried that? What would you recommend for the baking time? I guess I can just watch it closely but it would be helpful to have your expert opinion! Thanks so much.
Holly, I honestly wouldn’t double it up in the same pan. When it gets that big, you’ll start having issues with the outsides getting cracked and overdone while the center is still gooey. Do you have 2 9×13 pans that you could use? Hope that helps!
Thanks for the advice! I do have two 9×13 pans. I’ll do that instead. Although…after seeing today’s post (Peanute Butter Cup Shortbread Bars), I’m now in a quandry. Which ones to make? My husband would just say both of them (of course he can eat what he wants and he looks fabulous!). Thanks again!
This cheesecake looks soooooo good!I am a vegetarian and don't use eggs. Is there a substitute for the eggs in this recipe?
SOOOO GOOD!!! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
These are amazing! LOVE, LOVE THEM!
I made this last night, had a taste just now…the flavor is great, the texture is more like a custard than cheesecake. I may have overcooked it? Still good and my family coming over for lunch should enjoy it.
I made these last night. Don't get me wrong, the flavor was amazing. But, I must have done something wrong. First thing, when I put my strawberry jam on the cheesecake mixture, it didn't sit upon it as beautifully as yours did – kind of sank! Second of all, it also didn't cut well. I am wondering if I should have cooked it longer. Regardless, it was out of this world!
this was the best cheesecake i ever made, i even through away all the other recipes i had
i just used Oreo biscuits instead of the Pecan Sandies Cookies and that gave it a chocolaty flavor.
I made these for book club last night and they were a huge hit! Thanks or another great recipe!
This looks like something I would love! AND I just bought the sandies for 50 cents a package! I'm totally making this…thanks!
They were very, very good! Thank you!
Impatiently waiting 8 hours. tap…tap… tap…
I didn't think cream cheese could be used in so many ways, just like any other cheeses. I love all the recipes and can't wait to try some of them. Nice photoes of the completed work.
Anne
http://www.dinnerwarecenter.com
Sounds wonderful!! I love strawberries!
Looks delicious!
Oh man, these look good! Of course, a lot of that I don't keep on hand… I'm not a huge pecan fan, so I never buy the cookies and I don't make much with cream cheese, so I don't usually keep that on hand because it tends to go bad before I get to it! Anyway, definitely worth adding to the list for the next grocery store run! 🙂 Good luck with the contest!
I have lots of strawberries here and I love to make this recipe for this weekend! I am so excited!
dining furniture
I'm excited to see this recipe! I made the strawberry freezer jam the other day and I think my strawberries were too juicy or something, because the jam didn't set up as much as it should have (but it's still delicious and I can live with delicious, drippy jam)… but this gives me something else to do with it! How fun! =) I think I may have the ingredients needed for this already on hand… will have to try it soon! =)
You have done it again…. I say that all the time here! I have been votoing for my most favorite favorite blog… OBB of course!
Happy Day!
Oh my! These seem too good to be true! I must try these!
These look fab!!
Yummy! This looks so good!
I made something exactly like this after thanksgiving, using left over cranberry sauce. Divinely awesome!
Can't wait to try a strawberry version.
This looks super-fantastic-yum-a-licious!
Now…do you think you could leave off the crumbs on top and either swirl in or squirt some chocolate on top?
Will have to try making this with the little ones…
I LOVE cheesecake! And I love strawberries! This looks absolutely delicious.
Just stumbled across your website and i LOVE it! can't wait to read up and try some of your recipes!:)
I have just inherited lots of strawberries! When my grandmother (God love her) learns you or the kids like something, she will buy a ton of it until you tell her 'thanks MaMaw, but I am drowning in the stuff!'. I have planned to make strawberry freezer jam and now I am doing this too! PERFECT!!!!!
This looks devine and scrumpticious.