Jalapeño Popper and Bacon Dip
670 days ago
Skip to recipeHere at Cutco we pride ourselves on the variety of appetizers we’ve been able to create over the years. It’s kind of a passion for all of us, perhaps because as a team, we like to share our food creations and appetizers are some of the easiest dishes to share. We also like to try different variations of traditional appetizers, mixing it up into something unexpected.
Our latest mixing-it-up experiment is Jalapeño Popper and Bacon Dip, a twist on the traditional jalapeño poppers we all love to bring to gatherings. What I like about this dip is, rather than having to hollow out a number of jalapeños and fill them individually, it’s a simpler process of deseeding the peppers, mincing them and combining all of the ingredients into one dish. All the flavor of the original version, just quick and easy to make.
Prepping the Ingredients
Cook the bacon until crisp and place the strips on a plate covered with paper towels to soak up the excess grease. Once cooled, chop the bacon using a 7-5/8″ Petite Chef knife.
Using a 4″ Gourmet Paring Knife, cut off the tops of the jalapeños, cut them in half lengthwise and then deseed each half. Cut the halves into thin strips, turn the strips and cut them crosswise into a very small dice.
Note: Handle the jalapeños with care as the heat from the peppers can transfer from your hands to your eyes, lips, etc. For additional tips on cutting jalapeños, check out our easy tutorial.
Making the Dip
Once the bacon is cooked, leave approximately one to two tablespoons of the drippings in the skillet. Place the skillet over medium heat and add the garlic and most of the jalapeños and cook until softened. Remove from heat and add the cream cheese, mayonnaise, yogurt, Worcestershire sauce and black pepper. Using a Mix-Stir, whisk the ingredients until combined. Stir in two-thirds of the chopped bacon and half of each of the cheeses.
Smooth the dip in the skillet and top with the remaining cheeses and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
Bake at 375 F for 12 to 15 minutes or until the sides start to bubble, the cheeses are melted and the breadcrumbs are browned. Remove from the oven and top with remaining bacon and jalapeño pieces. Serve warm with tortilla chips or toasted baguette slices.
What makes this dip even better is that everything is prepared in the skillet and the dip is served directly from the skillet, so there is little clean up. Jalapeño Popper and Bacon Dip is easy to make and delicious to eat – enjoy!
Ingredients
- 10 strips of cooked bacon, chopped and divided
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 4-6 fresh jalapeños, minced and divided
- 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup full fat Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 cup Mexican cheese blend, divided
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- Tortilla chips or toasted baguette slices, for serving
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Heat a medium-sized skillet (that can be placed in an oven) over medium heat, add the bacon and cook until crispy. Remove the skillet from the heat and place the bacon on a plate lined with a paper towel. Once cooled, chop into small pieces.
- Remove most of the bacon grease, leaving approximately 1 to 2 tablespoons.
- Place the skillet over medium heat and add the garlic and most of the jalapeños (the remaining jalapeños will be used to top the dip). Cook until softened. Remove from the heat and add the cream cheese, mayonnaise, yogurt, Worcestershire sauce and black pepper. Whisk ingredients together. Stir in approximately two-thirds of the cooked bacon.
- Stir in half of each of the cheeses.
- Sprinkle the remaining half of both cheeses over the dip, followed by the breadcrumbs.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the edges begin to bubble, the cheese is melted and the breadcrumbs are browning.
- Top with the remaining bacon and jalapeño pieces.
- Serve warm with tortillas or toasted baguette slices.