Jalapeño Popper and Bacon Dip

Here 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!