Jalapeño Popper Dip

A friend of mine grows all sorts of herbs, spices, and vegetables at home and often comes bearing gifts since she knows I love to cook. Last week she brought me a bag of jalapeños so I decided to make a spicy dip over the weekend. I recommend using reduced fat ingredients as you see necessary so the dip isn't too rich tasting, especially with the sour cream, cheeses, and mayonnaise.

Ingredients:

5 small/medium jalapeños, seeded & finely chopped

1 8 oz. block of cream cheese

4 strips of bacon, cooked & crumbled

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

 1 sprig of green onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup light mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

Topping:

1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp butter, melted

What To Do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Place block of cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl and soften in the micro for 30 seconds. 

3. Add sour cream, jalapeños, green onions, mayo, shredded cheese, and crumbled bacon to the cream cheese and mix well. 

4. Lightly grease a medium-sized baking dish with cooking spray and then spoon the cream cheese/jalapeño mixture into the dish while spreading evenly. 

5. For the topping, gently mix Panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese together with melted butter. Evenly spread over the top of the jalapeño dip.
6. Place in the oven and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the topping becomes golden brown.

Serve with chips or warm bread and enjoy!