Listen, nothing beats sitting down at the local watering hole and sharing a bunch of jalapeño poppers. Unless of course you wanted to enjoy the same flavors without leaving the house and without frying anything. That definitely sounds better, just like how Jalapeño Popper Dip sounds like an amazing time. The dip is like the creamy, tangy, cooling filling of a popper, with the spicy pepper mixed in and some bacon added for that crunch and fried succulence. A little herb flavor here and there and the right kind of cracker and voila! Jalapeño Popper Dip brings the victory to game day and the party to your get-together!
Ingredients
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeños, finely chopped
- 2 large fresh jalapeños, finely chopped, divided
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
- 6 ounces Pepper Jack cheese, shredded, divided
- corn tortilla chips, optional, to taste, for serving
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease a 1 1/2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. You can also use a medium cast-iron skillet.
Step 3 –Place a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Step 4 –Add the bacon to the nonstick skillet and cook, stirring often, until it is crisp, about 6 minutes.
Step 5 –Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate.
Step 6 –Stir the cream cheese, the mayo, the sour cream, the pickled jalapeños, 1/3 cup of the fresh jalapeños, 3 tablespoons of the cilantro, the garlic powder, the onion powder, and the chili powder together in a large bowl.
Step 7 –Fold 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, 1 cup of the Pepper Jack cheese, and 1/3 cup of the cooked bacon into the cream cheese mixture.
Step 8 –Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
Step 9 –Sprinkle the mixture evenly with the remaining cheddar cheese, the remaining Pepper Jack cheese, the remaining cooked bacon, and the remaining fresh jalapeños.
Step 10 –Bake until the dip is bubbly and golden, about 20 minutes.
Step 11 –Sprinkle the dip with the remaining cilantro and serve it hot with the tortilla chips.