Jalapeno Popper Bean Dip

By Chez_Alexander

Serve this crowd-pleaser with tortilla chips, crudités, and mini sweet peppers. You don’t want to deny guests the deliciousness of tortilla chips, but those can get a little heavy. Supplement with veggie dippers to keep things lighter overall. If you can find them, use a blend of red and green jalapeños for the best color. Don’t worry if you can’t scrape off all the skins after charring; a little bit in the dip will be tasty.

Ingredients

• 5 jalapeños
• 1 1/2 (15-oz.) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2/3 green onions, chopped
• Cooking spray
• 2 ounces Colby Jack cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup)
• 4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Details

Servings 12

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat broiler with oven rack in top position. Arrange jalapeños on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil, turning occasionally, until charred on all sides, about 8 minutes. Wrap jalapeños in foil from pan; let stand 10 minutes. Rub off skins; discard skins. Discard stems, membranes, and seeds. Finely chop jalapeños.

2. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Process beans, cream cheese, mayonnaise, cumin, salt, and garlic in a food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as necessary. Add jalapeños and onions; pulse just until combined. Spread mixture evenly in a 9-inch pie pan coated with cooking spray; top evenly with Colby Jack cheese. Bake at 350°F until cheese melts and dip is bubbly, about 20 minutes. Remove dip from oven; sprinkle with bacon and cilantro, if desired.

Makes 12 servings (each serving = 1/3 cup)