Ryan’s Reverse Popper Dip

Ingredients

• 8 slices bacon
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 teaspoon minced sweet onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
• 2 (8 ounce) packages Neufchatel cheese, at room temperature
• 2 cups shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese
• 10 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; place a baking rack atop the aluminum foil.

Lay bacon strips in a single layer on the baking rack.

Bake in the preheated oven until crisp, 25 to 35 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate. Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Heat canola oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion in the hot oil until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Coarsely chop 4 slices bacon; mix with bread crumbs in a bowl. Coarsely chop the remaining 4 slices bacon to mix with dip.

Mix Neufchatel cheese, Cheddar cheese, onion-garlic mixture, chopped bacon, jalapeno peppers, cumin, and oregano in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle. Spoon mixture using a rubber spatula into an 8-inch pie pan. Sprinkle bread crumb-bacon mixture over dip.

Bake in the preheated oven until dip is bubbling and topping is lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes.