Apple, Blue Cheese, and Bacon Cheesecake

Great for parties! This is a rich, wonderful offering for your guests that they will really, unabashedly, appreciate. Be prepared for the request for the recipe...

• Ready In: 7 hrs 15 mins
• Serves: 16

Ingredients

•  vegetable oil cooking spray
• 1⁄2 cup  freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1⁄2 lb bacon
• 1  medium onion, chopped
• 2  green onions, chopped
• 2  sharp apples, peeled,cored,and diced (Granny Smith)
• 2  cloves garlic, finely minced
•  salt
•  pepper
• 2  lbs cream cheese, at room temp
• 2  tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1⁄4 cup  whiskey
• 12  ounces  good blue cheese or 12  ounces gorgonzola, crumbled
• 5  eggs

Directions

1. Right before you're ready to go to bed, preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
2. Then, spray oil inside a 9-inch spring-form pan (or a 2-quart soufflé dish), and dust the bottom and sides with 3 tablespoons of the Parmesan; set aside.
3. In a skillet, cook the bacon until it is crisp; remove, drain, crumble, and reserve (discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat).
4. Add the onion to the bacon drippings in the pan and cook over medium heat until soft, about 2 min.
5. Add the apples and continue cooking until the onion is very tender and the apple has lost its raw look, about 2 to 3 more minutes; remove from heat, add the garlic, green onion, salt and pepper, and set aside.
6. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft; mix in the vinegar, whiskey, blue cheese, remaining Parmesan, and eggs.
7. Add salt, pepper, the reserved bacon, and reserved apple mixture and mix well.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place in the oven.
9. Clean up and go to bed... when you awake 7 to 9 hours later, the cake will appear set, the top will have barely colored, and the surface will be flawless.
10. Remove to a rack and cool in the pan for an hour, until the pan is cool enough to handle; cover with a sheet of plastic wrap and an inverted plate.
11. Holding the plate tight to the pan, invert both; remove the pan and refrigerate the cake upside down for at least 1 hour (if necessary, the cake can stay refrigerated in this way all day).
12. Invert a serving plate over the cheesecake and invert the whole thing.
13. Remove the top plate and the paper; cover and refrigerate.
14. Cut with a long sharp knife dipped in warm water to prevent sticking. Serve with crisp toasts and/or freshly wedged apples - makes 16 servings.
15. Posted by PegW at Gail's Recipe Swap.