Southwest Cheesecake

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

1. Cream cheese + cheesetop 4% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together473 recipes

   Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

2. Pepper + tomatotop 7% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together17,923 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

3. Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together41,516 recipes

   Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).

4. Onion + tomatotop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together20,633 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

5. Butter + cream cheesetop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together2,747 recipes

   Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Cream cheese

Provides the rich, creamy body that sets into the cheesecake filling.

Eggs

Bind the filling and set it into a firm, sliceable texture as it bakes.

Sour cream

Adds tanginess and a smooth, moist texture to the top layer.

Butter or margarine

Binds the crushed chips into a crust and adds richness.

Shredded colby/monterey jack cheese

Melts into the filling, adding savory flavor and extra creaminess.

Tortilla chips

Form the crumb base of the crust, adding corn flavor and a crisp texture.

The step that matters

Swap the tomato

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, cream cheese, egg, cheese, cream, pepper, onion):

1. Potatofits better
2. Chivefits better
3. Spinachfits better
4. Tomatothe original

Fit is the average pairing score against butter, cream cheese, egg, cheese, cream, pepper, onion. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.