Alligator Sausage and Shrimp Cheesecake

In honor of the Saints making it to the Superbowl, here is a recipe for one of my favorite things from my days in New Orleans. Jacques-Imo's Alligator Sausage and Shrimp Cheesecake. Jack gave me a copy of the recipe one night when I asked him how he made it during one of those three-hour waits for a table which you passed drinking a six pack or whole bottle of wine per person. Since alligator sausage isn't easy to come by, you can easily substitute any sausage or, if you want to make a veggie version, you can pick your own vegetables to substitute. I'm substituting portabellas for the one I'm making tonight (just make sure you cook all the liquid out of them -- you don't want to end up with a pile of goop). You'll need a 10" spring form pan and a 2-inch hotel pan large enough for that to fit inside of to make this recipe. There's a sauce that goes with it that is made up of creole mustard, tomato sauce, sour cream and regular cream, but I don't have the proportions for that...anyway, enjoy!:

1 1/3 cups bread crumbs
2/3 cup parmesan cheese
4 ounces butter, melted
1 1/2 lbs. cream cheese, softened
4 eggs
2/3 cup cream
1/3 cup smoked gouda
1 onion, diced
1 1/2 green peppers, diced
1 yellow or red bell pepper, diced
1/2 lb. sausage
1/3 can green chili pepper, diced
1/2 lb. shrimp, diced
1 pinch salt
1/2 tbs. Paul Prudhomme's Fajita Magic
1/2 tbs. chipotle powder

Mix bread crums and parm, add butter and press into a 10-inch spring form pan, bake 10 minutes in a 400 degree oven

Whisk cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs, whisk, add cream and gouda

Saute veggies with spices until soft. Add shrimp and cook until just done. Add sausage and chilis. Fold into cream cheese mixture.

Wrap foil around pan to prevent leakge and fill pan with mix.

Bake in water bath (a 2-inch hotel pan filled 1/3 with water) in a 450 degree oven for 1.5 to 2 hours.

Remove when an inserted knife is clean and the filling is set. Cool to cut.

Remove from spring mold and cut into 12 pieces.