Jalapeno Popper Dip

I have so many jalapeno peppers in my garden right now.  This spring I planted one jalapeno plant, one cayenne pepper plant and one Anaheim pepper plant.  So far I've harvested maybe 3 Anaheim peppers, about 100 cayenne peppers and for the past few weeks I've had tons of jalapenos and there are a lot more to come.  After picking roughly a dozen late last week, I remembered seeing a recipe for jalapeno popper dip a while back and decided to make it to take to the first football tailgate this past weekend.

I am so glad that its football season.  Fall is my favorite time of year and the kickoff to college football means its finally time.  Of course, football season and tailgating also gives me an excuse to make lots of great appetizers and dips.  Some of last year's favorite snacks included Goat Cheese Spinach Dip, Oktoberfest Dip, Stuffed Mushrooms, and Cinnamon Roasted Almonds - I'm really going to have to make some of these recipes again soon just so I can update the pictures!

Back to the jalapeno popper dip though, you may have to adjust the number of peppers to get the right level of spiciness depending on how hot your peppers are - usually I think the homegrown variety are a little more potent than the ones you buy in the store. 

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Recipe adapted from Jaime Cooks: Endevours in Eating & Entertaining

2 8 oz packages cream cheese (I used 1/3 less fat Neufchatel cheese), at room temperature

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers, chopped

6 jalapeno peppers, seeded, ribbed and finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T cilantro, finely chopped

2 T lime juice

1 1/2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese

1 tsp Ancho chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and mayo.  Add bell peppers, jalapenos, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, and half of the chili powder and cumin.  Mix well to combine to a uniform mixture.  Spread dip into a baking pan (I used a 1 1/2 quart oval Corningware baking dish but you can use any similar sized baking dish), smoothing into an even layer.  Top with remaining shredded cheese, cover with bread crumbs and sprinkle with remaining chili powder and cumin.  Bake approximately 30 minutes until cheese is hot and bubbly and the breadcrumbs are golden brown.  Serve warm or at room temperature with tortilla chips.