By December 2036. A slower month than usual because the season is done and the house is quiet in the way December gets when the kids aren't all home yet. Sofia is coming for Christmas. Elena is coming. Marco has his team's winter conditioning to oversee but he'll be here by the twenty-second. Diego and Keisha and Maya are nearby — they've been coming on Sundays and the kitchen gets loud and full on those afternoons in a way that still surprises me with its rightness.
I had lunch with Coach Williams on the second. He looked rested, as he always looks now, and we talked for two hours over green chile cheeseburgers at a diner he likes near the school. He asked about the season. I told him about Caleb Park. He said: sounds like a Trevon Ashford type. I said: similar in some ways, different in others. Caleb is quieter. Less spectacular, more reliable. Williams said: those are the ones who come back to visit you. The spectacular ones tend to move toward whatever is biggest. The reliable ones remember where they learned to be reliable. I said I thought that was probably right.
I told him I'd been making succession notes. He didn't look surprised. He asked if I'd identified someone. I said I was thinking. He said: don't think too long. He said: I thought too long. I asked what happened. He said: nothing dramatic. Just that when I finally went, the program needed six months to settle because I'd left it too dependent on my presence. I nodded. He said: leave it while it's healthy and it stays healthy. I'm filing that. I'm taking it seriously.
That lunch with Coach Williams has stayed with me — two hours, good food, the kind of conversation that doesn’t announce itself as important until you’re driving home. When the Sundays come around now and Diego and Keisha and Maya fill up the kitchen, I want something on the table that feels deliberate, something savory and worth slowing down for. This Baby Swiss Appetizer Cheesecake has become exactly that — not a centerpiece, just a quiet, confident presence, the kind of thing reliable people bring to reliable gatherings.
Baby Swiss Appetizer Cheesecake
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 1 hr (plus cooling) | Servings: 16
Ingredients
- 1 cup buttery round cracker crumbs (about 25 crackers)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Baby Swiss cheese
- 1/4 cup finely diced roasted red pepper
- 2 tablespoons sliced green onions, plus more for garnish
- Crackers or sliced baguette, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the crust. Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine cracker crumbs and melted butter in a small bowl and mix until evenly moistened. Press firmly into the bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 8 minutes, then set aside to cool slightly.
- Make the filling. Beat cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in sour cream, flour, white pepper, and garlic powder until fully combined.
- Fold in mix-ins. Stir in the shredded Baby Swiss, roasted red pepper, and green onions until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Bake. Pour filling over the prepared crust and spread evenly. Bake at 325°F for 35—40 minutes, or until the center is just set and the edges are lightly golden. The center may have a slight jiggle — that’s fine.
- Cool completely. Remove from the oven and run a thin knife around the edge of the pan to loosen. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight before serving.
- Garnish and serve. Carefully remove the springform ring. Top with additional sliced green onions. Serve chilled or at room temperature alongside crackers or sliced baguette.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 195 | Protein: 7g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 7g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 220mg