Jalapeño Popper Dip

DSC_0199A cheesy, gooey dip with a crispy, buttery crust that tastes like a jalapeño popper?  Yes please!  I made this for a holiday party, and everyone loved it!  Not only is it delicious, but you can make it as spicy as you want by adjusting the amount of jalapeño you use.  I used four jalapeños, and you could taste the flavor of the peppers, but it wasn’t spicy.  If you really want to go for it, you can leave the seeds and ribs.  This is a convenient dip to take to any party because you can mix it up ahead of time and then just add the topping and bake it when you are ready to leave or even when you get to your destination.

I know what you’re thinking.  But Cara, you say you try to cook healthy, and surely this dip must be terrible for you.  Well, it could be worse.  I think I’ve managed to lighten it up pretty well, and it still tastes amazing.  For sure no one can tell it’s a lighter version.  For the cream cheese, I used one block of fat free and one block of 1/3 less fat.  For the topping, I used whole wheat crackers.  I also replaced half of the mayo with Greek yogurt, and the mayo that I did use was lite.  There is still bacon and butter in it, but I guess you can’t win them all, right?

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I served this with whole grain and blue corn tortilla chips, which was just delicious.  It would also be good with crackers or corn chips if you prefer.  This would be perfect for a New Year’s Eve party, so give it a try!

Jalapeño Popper Dip

Adapted from Simply Gourmet

  • 8 slices of bacon, diced and cooked crispy
  • 2 8-oz packages of softened cream cheese (I used one fat free and one 1/3 less fat)
  • 1/2 cup of light mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup of plain nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 4 jalapeños, seeds and ribs removed and finely chopped (increase jalapeños for more spice)
  • 1 cup of reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup of reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup diced green onion
  • 1 cup of crushed crackers (I used whole wheat Ritz)
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1/3 stick of butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.

DSC_0181Combine the bacon, cream cheese, mayo, yogurt, jalapeños, shredded cheese, and green onion into a large bowl.  Mix well and transfer to a baking dish.  I used a 9 inch glass pie plate and it was filled to the top.  If you’re not going to bake it right away, refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake and serve.  When you’re ready to bake the dip, combine the crackers, parmesan, and butter and spread in an even layer on top of the dip.  Bake for  20-30 minutes or until hot and the cracker topping is slightly browned.  Serve with tortilla chips, corn chips, or crackers.

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Enjoy!

 

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