Jalapeno Popper Dip

57 Comments
April 04, 2024
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So…I kind of had something else planned for this post. It was slightly experimental…slightly disastrous picture-wise and didn’t taste as good as I remembered it. I was racking my brain for manly appetizers and was about to resign myself to bruschetta with “Who Dat?” toothpick banners (let’s not mock here) when, out of the blue, I remembered this easy, spicy, cheesy, completely addictive (and banner-free) dip or spread.

You’re definitely not going to be wasting your entire day in the kitchen getting this stuff ready. Probably the most time-consuming task is slicing the bread. The other thing is that it’s CHEAP! You probably already have half of the stuff on hand and the rest of it is unlikely to cost you more than a couple of bucks.

mix up some softened cream cheese, parmesan cheese, mayo, and garlic

Once it’s stirred, add in some green chilies and jalapenos

A completely optional addition is crumbled bacon, which gives it that bacon-wrapped-jalapeno-popper taste.

If you do decide to use bacon, just save a few tablespoons to sprinkle on top, and stir the rest in.

That’s it!  Spread in a baking dish and bake.

The ingredients might sound weird, and the mixture might not knock your socks off before you’ve cooked it, but once it’s hot and bubbly and cheesey, I’d love to see you try and stop eating it once you’ve started…

(shown above without bacon)

 

Jalapeno Popper Dip
Recipe adapted from Allrecipes by Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened (light works great)
1 c. mayonnaise (light also works here, but DON’T use Miracle Whip!)
1 c. Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
1 4-oz. can fire roasted green chilies
1/2-1 4-oz. can diced jalapeno peppers*, drained
optional: 8oz bacon, cooked and crumbled
1-2 sourdough baguettes, sliced, a bag of tortilla chips, and/or crackers
*1/2 can is mild with a little bite, a whole can is definitely on the spicy side, but if you’ve got taste buds of steel, you might prefer a 7-oz. can. 4 ounces definitely pushes the limit for my husband and I and our kids won’t touch it.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350. If using bacon, reserve 2-3 Tbs and sprinkle on top of dip before baking.  Combine cream cheese, mayo, parmesan, and garlic and stir until smooth.  Add jalapenos and green chilies.  If using bacon, stir in remaining bacon.  Spread dip into a 9″ pie plate or a small baking dish.  Sprinkle with remaining bacon if using.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until dip is bubbly and golden brown.

Sara Wells
Meet The Author

Sara Wells

Sara Wells co-founded Our Best Bites in 2008. She is the author of three Bestselling Cook Books, Best Bites: 150 Family Favorite Recipes, Savoring the Seasons with Our Best Bites, and 400 Calories or Less from Our Best Bites. Sara’s work has been featured in many local and national news outlets and publications such as Parenting Magazine, Better Homes & Gardens, Fine Cooking, The Rachel Ray Show and the New York Times.

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Questions & Reviews

  2. Katie–if you don't use mayo, you'll need something else. If you prefer Miracle Whip, try that. If you don't like mayo or Miracle Whip, you might want to try sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.

    Hope that helps! 🙂

    Reply

  4. I made this for a New Year's Eve get together and the leftovers were such a hit with my family they had me make an entire new batch the next day.
    Thanks!

    Reply

  5. Stef–This is the million dollar question! 🙂 I honestly don't know, especially after it's been cooked. The cream cheese says on the packaging not to freeze it, but I'm thinking the mayo probably stabilizes the cream cheese. However, after the cheese has been melted in the dip, it may not reheat particularly well. I'll have to try it so I can have a definitive answer because this is a question we get a LOT! 🙂

    Reply

    1. Do not freeze AFTER cooking…not good! However, my husband and I have found that we will split a batch before making it and freeze one half of it and just eat the other half. PLENTY for us. Freezes well and bakes just fine. Can either throw in over frozen or let it thaw some.

      Reply

  6. Are you able to freeze this after it's cooked? I made some last night and it was great, but there is a lot left over and I don't want to throw it away (or eat it all)!
    Thanks!

    Reply

  7. Andujar family–Yep, this travels really well! You could even leave it unbaked and then cook it when you arrive at your location.

    Hope that helps!

    Reply

  8. Does this travel well? I have to drive 45 min to my in laws. Will this taste good?

    Reply

  9. I am sold on your blog after trying this recipe out. It was the hit of the SuperBowl Party. Thank you

    Reply

  10. I am sold on your blog after trying this recipe out. It was the hit of the SuperBowl Party. Thank you

    Reply

  11. Told my husband about this recipe and he insisted on making it yesterday for the Super Bowl. It was so good with tortilla chips that were fresh out of the frier. It made a lot but we polished it off with a few friends. This will be made for many, many get togethers in our future. Thank you!

    Reply

  12. We made this, your stuffed pizza rolls, and the terriyaki skewers yesterday. They were all a big hit!

    Reply

  13. I made this yesterday for the Super Bowl and it was soooooo yummy! I seriously could have eaten the entire thing myself. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  14. I made this for my (small) Superbowl party and it was a big hit. I loved it, too, for its ease and tastiness.

    I used all the lite ingredients and it was perfectly creamy. I also doubled the green chilis (because I'm married to a New Mexican, and it's necessary for people from NM to consume VAST quantities of green chili) and it turned out just fine and very flavorful.

    Reply

  15. I made this dip on Saturday and it was a huge hit! We had tortilla chips with it – yum!

    Reply

  16. Made this today for a Super Bowl party. It was delicious!!! I did add a good handful of mozzarella and some extra grated Parmesan on top.

    Still, excellent recipe, and it really did taste like a jalapeno popper.

    Reply

  17. I've been making this for years. People LOVE it! Served it with lots of stuff, but Ritz Crackers are always the favorite!

    Reply

  18. I just made this for my husband, neighbor and myself and oh my is it good! I have not been let down by any of your recipes! 4 for 4 so far and looking forward to trying more! Thanks so much.

    Reply

  23. My mom makes a dip similar to this but with artichoke instead of jalapenos. It's totally addictive. I could eat the whole pan. We'll have to try this version next time!

    Reply

  24. Sounds great Kate! I will be making this to watch(more like space out sitting next to my husband)the Saints!

    Reply

  27. I've totally had visions of making this very thing, but never have. It looks and sounds awesome!

    Reply

  28. Wow, this is the first time I have checked out your site, and I love it! Awesome ideas and great pictures! If you have time, would love it if you could check out mine. A long way from yours though… Happy Eating!!

    Reply

  30. Oh my goodness. If my daughter was not sick today I would be on my way to the grocery store to pick up these ingredients. This dip looks so good and I just made bread yesterday so I will certainly be trying this this weekend. Thanks for the recipe

    Reply