Football season has been going on for a while now, but we’ve had it playing on our TV since preseason started back in August. I walked into the living room surprised to see the New York Giants on our big screen.
“I thought football didn’t start until September?!” I asked shocked. Michael attempted to look sheepish and innocent, “Ummm… that’s the start of the season. This is preseason,” he emphasized. I groaned and gave an exaggerated eye roll. Matthew piped in, “Good thing Dad picked being with you instead of playing in the NFL huh, Mom?” I raised my eyebrows at Michael with a smile. Then my heart melted. I love the confidence my little boy has in his Daddy. “You’re right Bud.” I nodded. “That’s exactly what happened.” (I’m not sure whether to be jealous that Matthew thinks so highly of Michael or proud that he thinks I’m worth more than an NFL contract…)
I might not have known when the NFL preseason started, but there was no way I could have missed the start of college football. Michael was literally counting down the days for about two weeks and started wearing red three days before kickoff. The night before the Utah Utes’ first game Michael asked me, “Um, do you think you could make some jalapeño dip for my game tomorrow?” Naturally, that was an easy request to grant. Since then, we haven’t missed a Utes’ game. For Michael’s birthday today we’ll be watching them play against ASU in Phoenix and then enjoying a pizzookie at Oreganos afterwards!
The first time I made this recipe was in Las Vegas during the Stanley Cup. We were trying to pack up our house to make the move to Rapid City, and had friends of ours who were also packing for a move. We all took time out of our craziness to cheer on our Golden Knights as they took on the Washington Capitals. We inhaled this dip while praising Fleury’s saves and Marchessault’s shots. We may have left Vegas, but we’ll forever be Knight fans!
I’ve always loved Jalapeño poppers, but the idea of stuffing individual peppers seems very daunting to me. The first time I had Jalapeño popper dip, a friend of mine made it for a Super Bowl party. It was a HUGE hit and we all devoured it. Lucky for us, Joe always tends to make a TON of whatever he’s making so we not only had our fill while we were together, but we all got to take home leftovers! I never got his recipe, but this comes pretty close.
So whether you’re watching football or hockey, this will make a great game-day favorite!
- 3 jalapeños with seeds
- 1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 8 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled (optional)
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 4 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cook up your bacon, crumble, and set aside.
- Chop your jalapeños. If you like spicy, you can add more fresh jalapeños, including the seeds and the ribs. If you like a milder dip then stick with three fresh jalapeños and just remove the seeds and ribs OR you can use a small can of diced jalapeños.
- Beat the cream cheese, sour cream, and garlic powder together for about three minutes, or until light and fluffy.
- Using a fork, mix in the cheddar and parmesan cheese, bacon, and jalapeños.
- Spread into a pie pan or an 8X8 baking dish.
- Combine topping ingredients and then sprinkle on top of the cream cheese mixture.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Note: I’ve made this plenty of times without the bacon (because it’s just not something I usually buy) and it’s still fabulous! People have asked for the recipe even when I took it baconless, so that’s always a good sign.Recipe only slightly adapted from Spend with Pennies
Life's Sweet Seasons 