Red White and Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

Steps

1. Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, allowing some of the foil to hang over the sides. Set aside.

2. To prepare the crust, break the graham cracker sheets into a food processor or blender. Process until the crackers are fine crumbs, then add the powdered sugar and pulse once more to combine. Drizzle in the melted butter, then pulse until the crumbs are evenly moistened.

3. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the foil-lined pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool as you prepare the filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

4. For the filling, beat the softened cream cheese for one full minute, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl. Then, beat in the sugar for 3 additional minutes, until smooth and creamy. Add the yogurt, then the eggs, one at a time, fully combining between each and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Mix in the vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

5. Once the crust has cooled, pour half of the cheesecake filling over the crust and smooth. Dollop the pie filling over the crust and swirl lightly with a knife (the cheesecake base will not be completely covered). Top with the remaining cheesecake batter.

6. Bake the bars in a 325 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the filling is mostly set but still soft and barely jiggles in the center when the pan is wiggled. Remove the bars from the oven and let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Refrigerate until completely cooled, at least 3 hours.

7. Just before serving, lift the cheesecake out of the pan using the foil. Top with sliced strawberries. Cut into squares and enjoy.