Black-and-White Cheesecake Bars

SECRET INGREDIENT: sweetened condensed milk

Cheesecake bars with two layers can be time-consuming to make. But thanks to the convenience of sweetened condensed milk, these bars take only 15 minutes of kitchen time.

IngredientsNumber of servings: Makes 4 dozen

• 2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs, divided
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

How to make it  45 minutes

• 1

  In a double-boiler or microwave, melt the chocolate chips and butter or margarine, stirring occasionally.
• 2

  Set aside 1/4 cup of the cracker crumbs. Stir the remaining cracker crumbs into the chocolate mixture.
• 3

  Press the chocolate mixture into an ungreased 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
• 4

  Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in the milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour over the crust and sprinkle with the reserved crumbs.
• 5

  Bake until lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool.
• 6

  Refrigerate until completely chilled, about 3 hours. Cut into bars and store in the refrigerator.