Calling all Football fans that want a hearty and cheesy dip for the game this Sunday! The super bowl is one of those rare “holidays” that eating cheesy, fried, bad for you delicious food is not only okay… but encouraged. And yes, I did just call Super Bowl Sunday a holiday. Do you disagree?! It’s only one of the biggest days of the year in the US, so calling it a holiday sounds accurate. To me football means beer, burgers, bbq and dips. It’s a day to indulge in all those “stick to your ribs” foods and beverages. And I am totally here for it. There’s nothing I love more than simple-easy-to-make food that satisfies all your cravings.
I first made this dip back in college. I was probably 20 years old and dating Clay (my now husband) at the time…and a bunch of my girls friends and I decided to bring a few dips over to the boys house for the super bowl. Someone found this popper dip on Pinterest and it sounded like a great idea. Bacon and cheese… what’s not to love?! It was the first dip to get eaten and it’s almost become tradition that I make it every year for this special day of sports. Over the years I’ve altered it a bit and made it my own. Now it’s like muscle memory when putting it together. It’s so easy, so simple and so delicious. It’s definitely a dip you need to have on the table this Sunday for the game!
SPICY JALAPEÑO BACON POPPER DIP
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Yields: 2 small cast iron dishes
INGREDIENTS:
- 6 strips thick cut bacon, cut into small squares
- 1/2 large white onion, small dice
- 3 jalapeños, small dice (seed and stem pepper if prefer a more mild dip)
- 1 1/4 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 3/4 cup Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
- 2 cups extra sharp cheddar (orange), shredded
- 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup mayonnaise, like Hellmann’s
- 4 scallions, small dice
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
For cracker topping: combine all ingredients below, in a bowl, and mix.
- 1 sleeve ritz crackers, smashed to crumbs
- 3 tbsp butter, melted
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat a large pan to medium high heat. Add in bacon and cook till crispy and golden, about 8 minutes. Remove from pan and drain on pepper towels. Drain most of the bacon grease while keeping about 1-2 tbsp in the pan.
- Immediately add in the onion and jalapeño to the bacon drippings. Cook until tender on medium heat, about 8 minutes. Remove the onion and pepper from the pan and drain on paper towels.
- In a large bowl combine white cheddar, Monterrey jack, extra sharp cheddar, cream cheese, mayo, scallions, pepper, cooked bacon, cooked onion and jalapeño. Stir to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to 2 small baking dishes, or one large dish. (I used 2 personal sized cat iron skillets).
- Sprinkle the top with the ritz cracker topping. Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until bubbling around the edges and cracker topping is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and serve hot with crackers or chips.