NOTES:
This recipe contains a lot of dairy so it is hard to make it overly spicy. You can add chili powder to increase spiciness. You can also add parmesan cheese to complement the umami of the bacon bits.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 small jar of diced pickled jalapeños (taste prior to half jar could be spicy)
- 8oz cream cheese
- 1 small bag (9oz) of real bacon bits (Oscar Mayer hickory smoked or hormel applewood smoked)
- 8oz Sour cream
- 8 oz. Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 8 oz. Shredded pepper Jack cheese
- 8 oz. Shredded Italian blend cheese
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Red pepper flakes (to taste)
- 1/2 cup Italian seasoned panko bread crumbs (for topping)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Mix cream cheese, sour cream, and a handful of all shredded cheeses together.
- Add jalapeños and some jalapeño juice (about 2 Tablespoons).
- Add bacon bits.
- Add minced garlic.
- Shake some red pepper flakes on it.
- Mix in a large bowl.
- Pour into an 8×8 glass casserole dish .
- Top with pepper Jack cheese or Italian blend.
- Top with panko bread crumbs over the cheese as thin or as thick as you want.
- Bake at 350 for 20 – 30 minutes. The cheeses should be melted and bubbly and the bread crumbs should be toasted but not burnt.
