How to make savory cheesecake:

1. Make sure all of your filling ingredients are at room temperature. If you try to blend cold cream cheese into other ingredients, you’re likely to end up with unincorporated clumps and specks, so remember to get everything out at least 30 minutes ahead of time so it can soften and warm up a bit. (Conversely, if you’re using cooked meat or onions in your cheesecake, let them cool down so they don’t melt the precious cheeses on contact.)

2. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Mix your crumbs (and/or nuts, seeds, and grated cheese) with your melted butter until combined. Start with 4 tablespoons of the butter, and if the mixture doesn’t hold together when you press it between finger and thumb, add more butter as needed and stir to incorporate. Press evenly and firmly into the bottom and about 1 1/2-inches up the sides of your springform pan. Bake for 5-8 minutes, or until set, and allow to cool.

4. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or using a large bowl and handheld electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Then beat in the sour cream, and then the eggs, until everything is smooth and incorporated. Stir in all your seasonings to taste, then any mix-ins, and your additional grated or crumbled cheese (you can go a little over a cup of additional cheese if you’re feeling it) just until combined. If you’re using particularly soft cheeses, you can add around 2 tablespoons of flour to help stabilize the filling, but that’s also what the eggs are there for.

6. Pour the batter into the cooled crust and bake for 45-60 minutes, until the edges are fairly firm, the top is browned and set, but the center is still slightly wiggly (yet not too jiggly) when you shake the pan.

7. Turn off the oven, crack the door, and allow the cheesecake to sit for about another hour, then remove to a cooling rack. Run a knife around the inner edges of the pan to loosen the cheesecake. You can serve it while still warm, cooled to room temperature, or chilled (in which case, once it’s cooled to room temp, wrap it in plastic and transfer it to the fridge until needed, up to 24 hours).