Creamy, spicy, and oh-so addictive, this jalapeno popper dip is our favorite appetizer! Just throw it all into a dish and pop it in the oven until it's warm and bubbly.
In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper, 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic salt, cheddar/jack cheese 1⁄2 cup parmesan, and drained jalapenos. Use a hand mixer or a sturdy spoon to mix well, until fully combined.
Spread mixture into an 8x8 or 2-quart casserole dish.
In a small bowl, stir together panko bread crumbs, remaining 1⁄2 cup parmesan, 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper, and 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic salt.
Pour melted butter over panko mixture and stir to evenly coat the crumbs. Spread the crumbs over the cream cheese mixture in the casserole dish.
Bake, covered with aluminum foil, for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until top is browned and bubbly.
Notes
Store in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator 4-5 days.
I always recommend grating your cheese from the block over buying pre-shredded cheeses in a bag - especially for dips. Pre-shredded cheese from the store contains anti-caking agents which prevent them from melting as well as freshly grated cheese, and a lot of the time they leave your dip with a grainy texture. Use your favorite mixture of cheese for this dip. We opted for a blend of both cheddar and jack cheese, plus parmesan.
You can garnish with sliced fresh jalapeno or pickled jalapenos, crumbled bacon, chopped cilantro or chopped parsley.
Cook and crumble 1⁄2 pound of bacon and mix into the cream cheese mixture before baking for a bacon jalapeno popper dip.