Jalapeno Popper Dip

Who doesn’t like a little spice in their life? This Jalapeno Popper Dip promises to give you as much or as little heat as your teeny heart desires. That’s one of the perks of this recipe; you can make it to meet your needs!

Dips are huge crowd pleasers and one of my go-to appetizers. I have served this particular appetizer at a few Super Bowl parties and just recently at my husband’s birthday party.  The flavors of a regular jalapeno popper are all present within this ooey gooey concoction. Bacon, cheese, green onions and jalapenos are mixed together for the filling and topped with a combination of melted butter, parmesan cheese and crackers. Yum!

Jalapeno Popper Dip is an appetizer I love adding to my menu when having a gathering because it’s something that I can make ahead of time. I make the entire dip from start to finish and then cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge overnight. The next day, about an hour before I want to put the dip in the oven, I pull the dip out so it can come to room temperature before baking it off. If you forget to pull it out of the refrigerator before placing it in the oven it’s not a big deal but expect it to take a little longer for the dip to heat through in the oven. Or don’t worry about it at all and make it the day of if you have time 🙂

The dip calls for 4 – 6 jalapenos and this is completely based off of your preference. The more jalapenos you use, the spicier your dip will be. If you want it even hotter you can leave the seeds in! More power to you if that’s what you choose. I’m more like a 4 – 5 jalapeno type of girl and even then I’m grabbing for water. My guests tend to like things more on the hotter side so I usually decide on 5 jalapenos with no seeds. Remember to wash your hands immediately after handling the jalapenos and never, ever touch your eyes…OUCH!

The Jalapeno Popper Dip calls for two 8 ounce packages of cream cheese softened. The softer the cream cheese the easier it’s going to be for you to stir and incorporate all the ingredients in your dip. I recommend leaving the cream cheese on the counter for no less than an hour. If I know I’m going to be making the dip the following morning, I will actually pull out the cream cheese the night before. Some people might freak out about that but I do it ALL THE TIME and have had no issues. Although I might have jinxed myself now…

I also wanted to share that I tend to use the precooked bacon that just needs to be microwaved in recipes like this. The recipe doesn’t ask to reserve any of the bacon grease for anything, nor does it call for me to make an entire package of bacon. I only need a few slices of bacon so it just makes sense for me to microwave what I need at the time.

What you will need to make Jalapeno Popper Dip:

8 slices of bacon, two 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, 1 cup mayo, 4 – 6 jalapenos, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, ½ shredded mozzarella cheese, ¼ green onions, 1 cup crushed Ritz crackers, ½ cup parmesan cheese, ½ melted butter

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, crumble 8 slices of bacon.
3. Chop 4 to 6 jalapenos removing the seeds and add them to the bowl with your bacon. The more jalapenos you add, the spicier the dip will be. If you want it extremely hot keep the seeds.
4. Chop up ¼ cup of green onions and add them to the bowl.
5. Add two 8 ounce packages of cream cheese (softened), 1 cup of mayonnaise, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, and ½ shredded mozzarella cheese to the bowl and stir everything together.
6. Place dip inside an oven proof dish. I used a glass pie dish that I sprayed with Pam.
7. In another bowl, add one cup of crushed Ritz crackers, ½ parmesan cheese, and ½ cup of melted butter and mix for the topping.
8. Sprinkle the cracker mixture all over the top of the dip.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the dip is bubbling.

I like to serve this dip with pretzel or pita chips. I have noticed that some of my guests have dipped veggies in it as well so that’s also an option. Jalapeno Popper Dip is a party staple in my home and I promise you it will become the same for you! Enjoy.