Dips really make everything better, and this jalapeño popper dip recipe is right on target. It’s similar to the Buffalo chicken dip we did a couple months back. This time, our easy jalapeno popper dip — a spicy, cheesy Tex-Mex mix — finds a home in the middle of freakin’ delicious stuffed crust pizza dough. It’s the perfect appetizer for the big game, your next party or even your family’s Taco Tuesday. Also, I’d bet no one would blink if you served this jalapeno popper dip recipe as a main course for dinner.
I was able to get the ingredients for this delicious dip thanks to Kroger’s new online delivery service. It’s super convenient because professional drivers deliver everything in refrigerated trucks, the day after you order it. That means more time to make this cheesy dip or one of my favorite chicken wing or taco recipes to round out your meal!
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Why You’ll Love Jalapeño Popper Dip
Stuffed crust pizza with Spiceology’s Everything Bagel Blend meets a spicy, cheesy, bacon-y dip, and then the rest is easy appetizer history. It’s what everyone loves about jalapeño poppers, but in dip form, so it’s great to share and simple to prepare. You can make this recipe in an oven, pizza oven or directly on a hot grill.
For more appetizer ideas, check out Smoked Steak Queso Dip, Buffalo Chicken Fries and Birria Fries.
Jalapeño Popper Dip Ingredients
- Pizza Dough: Kroger makes things easy with premade refrigerated pizza dough, which we’ll stuff with sharp cheddar cheese and season with Everything Bagel Blend.
- Dip Mix: Our jalapeño popper dip comes together with shredded Monterey Jack cheese, crispy bacon bits, BBQ seasoning, diced red onions, diced fresh jalapeños, full fat cream cheese and sliced fresh jalapenos to garnish.
How to Quickly Soften Cream Cheese
Forgot to take the cream cheese out of the fridge in time? Because we’ve all been there. The easiest way to get softened cream cheese for a recipe like this jalapeño popper dip is to leave it at room temperature on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour. But, there are other ways to get it ready in a pinch. My favorite is to submerge the sealed cream cheese packet in a large bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes. You can also use the microwave, though it’s a bit riskier since you might melt the cheese. First, unwrap the cream cheese from its foil wrapper. Then, put it on a microwave-safe plate and microwave the block in 10-second bursts until you reach your desired softness.
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How to Make Jalapeño Popper Dip
This great dip is going to be the star of the party. Grab your skillet, fire up your grill or oven and we’ll get cooking.
The Pizza Dough
First, preheat your grill or oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for indirect cooking. Once you’ve done that, take your pizza dough and divide it into 3″x3″ segments. Then, add a cube of soft cheddar cheese to the dough and roll into a ball. Repeat this until you have 18-20 balls.
Then, grease your skillet and line the outside with the dough balls. Add your 2 packets of cream cheese to the middle of the skillet.
The Dip
Place your skillet in the smoker for 15 minutes, making sure to rotate it every 5 minutes for even cooking. After that, pull the skillet out of the smoker and combine cream cheese with 1/2 cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese, 1.5 tablespoons of chopped bacon bits, 1.5 tablespoons of BBQ seasoning, 1 tablespoon of diced red onions and 1 tablespoon of diced jalapeno peppers.
Once you’ve mixed that cheesy base together thoroughly, top the cream cheese mixture with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese, 1.5 tablespoons of chopped bacon bits, 1.5 tablespoons of BBQ seasoning, 1 tablespoon of diced red onions and 1 tablespoon of diced jalapeños.
The Seasoning
Mix together 1 tablespoon of melted butter, 1 fresh egg and 1 tablespoon of water. This is your egg wash, which will help the pizza dough bake up golden brown. Brush the top of the dough balls with the egg wash, then season it all over with 1.5 tablespoons of Everything Bagel Blend.
Finishing the Jalapeño Popper Dip
Place the skillet back in the smoker or oven to cook for 15 more minutes at 400 degrees F. Make sure to rotate the skillet around every 5 minutes for even cooking. Once the dough is cooked through and golden brown, pull out the skillet and let this perfect dip cool for 5-10 minutes. Garnish the top of the dip with chopped chives and sliced jalapeños and enjoy!
What to Serve with Jalapeño Popper Dip
Tortilla chips or pita chips are the perfect dipping implements (or diplements, as I like to call them) for this spicy dip. It’s a delicious appetizer for chicken wings or chicken legs, or even your favorite taco recipe. I also think this jalapeño popper dip plus my honey fire BBQ wings would make for an off-the-charts meal.
Leftovers and Reheating
For any leftover dip, place it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. When you’re ready to eat, reheat on a medium-high heat grill or in a 350-degree oven, in a baking dish or the original skillet covered with aluminum foil, for about 10-15 minutes.
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FAQs
You can easily adjust the amount of jalapenos, depending on how you feel about spicy food. If you want just a little bit of heat, you can halve the amount of diced jalapeños inside the dip. An equally good option is to skip the sliced jalapeño peppers in the garnish.
I’d stick with cream cheese for the base of the dip, since something like Greek yogurt might separate and curdle and ruin it. But, you could use sharp cheddar cheese instead of Monterey Jack inside the dip, and something like mozzarella or pepper Jack in the stuffed crust.
Kroger makes it super easy to get all the ingredients you need, delivered right to your doorstep. Check out this link for more info!
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Jalapeño Popper Dip
Ingredients
Dough:
- 16 oz Pizza Dough
- 2 cups Cubed Soft White Cheddar Cheese
- 1.5 tbsp Everything Bagel Rub
- 1 tbsp Melted Butter
- 1 Fresh Egg
- 1 tbsp Water
Jalapeno Popper Mix:
- 1 cup Shredded Jack Cheese
- 3 tbsp Chopped Bacon Bits
- 3 tbsp BBQ Seasoning
- 2 tbsp Diced Red Onions
- 2 tbsp Diced Jalapeños
- 2 packets Cream Cheese
- Sliced Jalapeños garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your grill or oven to 400F for indirect cooking.
- Take your pizza dough and divide into 3”x3” segments. Add a cube of soft cheddar cheese to the dough and roll into a ball. Repeat this until you have 18-20 balls. Next, take a greased skillet and line the outside with the dough balls. Add to the middle your cream cheese.
- Place the skillet in the smoker to cook for 15 minutes at 400F. Make sure to rotate the skillet around every 5 minutes to get even cooking.
- Pull the skillet out and add half of the cheese, bacon bits, bbq rub, red onions and diced jalapenos. Mix together thoroughly. Finally, top the sauce with the rest of your cheese, bacon bits, bbq rub, red onions and diced jalapenos.
- Mix together the water, egg and melted butter. Brush the top of the dough with the egg wash and season with everything bagel seasoning.
- Place the skillet in the oven to cook for 15 more minutes at 400F. Make sure to rotate the skillet around every 5 minutes to get even cooking.
- Once the dough is cooked through and browned, pull out the skillet and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with chopped chives and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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