Jalapeño Popper Dip

I’ve loved jalapeño poppers ever since I worked at Stacker Cafe back in my hometown of Cornell, Wis. They were my most favorite appetizer on the menu. Sadly, as I would come to find out, not every restaurant serves them. One day, after all these years, I found a recipe for jalapeño popper dip floating around Facebook; I almost ran out and bought all the ingredients immediately. Instead, I waited for the following weekend to make it for a cookout (which never ended up happening). Nevertheless, it was absolutely amazing … and, surprisingly, tasted just like biting into a jalapeno popper. If you like spicy, I would recommend following the recipe below. I used less jalapeños and chiles for the first go-around since I wasn’t sure how the extra spiciness would go over. 

2 - 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup shredded Pepperjack cheese

1 - 4-oz. can diced green chilies

1 - 7-3/4-oz. can sliced jalapeño peppers, chopped

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup Panko Japanese bread crumbs

Tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, stir together the first five ingredients until blended; spread into an un-greased 9 or 9-1/2-inch pie pan. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese; top with bread crumbs. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve with chips.