Preheat oven to 350°.

Reserve 3/4 cup of the apple filling and set aside. Spoon remaining filling into the crust and spread evenly.

In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add the eggs and beat for another 1-2 minutes. Pour the mixture over the apple pie filling in the crust.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center of the cheesecake is completely set. Set the cheesecake on a wire rack and cool to room temperature.

I like to chop up the reserved apple pie filling for the topping, but you can leave the apple slices intact if you prefer. In a small saucepan, mix the reserved pie filling and caramel topping together and heat for about a minute over medium heat. Let the mixture cool for 2-3 minutes and then spread on top of the cheesecake.

If desired, sprinkle chopped pecans on the top. My kids don't like nuts, so we usually leave them off. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Slice and serve and top each slice with whipped cream.