Mini Cheesecake Heaven

So I have been making these individual cheesecakes since I was a kid. It's a recipe my mom got from a friend years ago, and I've been responsible for making it for family holidays for the last decade or so. Over the years I've done many things for the crust, but the cheesecake has stayed the same. This particular time, I went with a basic crust recipe from the back of a graham cracker box.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
• 2/3 cup margarine, melted
• 4 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese (can be a mix of either regular, low-fat, or fat free but don't use all fat-free cream cheese because the consistency will be off)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 6 large eggs
  
• Foil muffin cups (about 50-60)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. mix graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup sugar, and margarine together in a bowl and set aside (mixture should be slightly dough-like)
3. blend cream cheese, remainder of sugar, and eggs in a large bowl (should be a batter-like
consistency and mixture will not be fully smooth)
4. Take a spoonful of crust mixture and place at the bottom of muffin cups
5. Pour batter in cups until they are 2/3 full
6. Place cups in oven for about 15-20 minutes (or until cheesecake is firm and toothpick comes out clean when placed in the center of cup)
7. Remove from oven, let cool, and enjoy!














Note: I make this recipe for a lot of people, but the recipe can be halved to make about 20 cheesecakes if you are making it for a smaller party. You can substitute vanilla wafers at the bottom of cups for individual crusts if you want to make it easier. Be aware that the paper muffin cups do not work well with the homemade crust because they stick to the cup and are difficult to get out. You can also buy any type of pie filling to put on top of cheesecakes after they have cooled.