Jalapeño Popper Dip

Directions

• 1

  Preheat oven to 375°F.
• 2

  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil paper and set aside.
• 3

  Using a small paring knife, cut the stems off the jalapeños and remove all the seeds. Transfer the jalapeños to a bowl and drizzle them with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and spread them out onto the baking sheet.
• 4

  On that same baking sheet, add the strips of bacon and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until bacon is slightly crispy. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Do not turn oven off.
• 5

  In a large bowl, combine the sour cream, cream cheese, Dijon mustard and smoked paprika. Stir well to combine. Add in 1 cup of pepper jack, 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup of green onions, stir well and set aside.
• 6

  Finely chop the jalapeños, reserving 1/4 cup for topping. Add all the remaining jalapeño to the cheese mixture.
• 7

  Transfer the bacon to cutting board and remove excess grease with paper towels. Chop finely, reserving 1/4 cup for topping. Add remaining bacon to the cheese mixture.
• 8

  Transfer popper dip to a 9-inch pie plate, or other baking dish, and spread out evenly. Top with remaining pepper jack cheese, crushed tortilla chips, green onions and jalapeños. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. During the last two minutes of baking time, bake under the broiler to brown the cheese slightly.
• 9

  Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.