Jalapeno Popper Dip

Well the time I wait for all year has finally arrived! Christmas! YAY!
By the time January 2nd rolls around, you will undoubtedly be completely sick of me talking about Christmas. I guarantee you that it will somehow make it into every single post from now until then. I am giving you fair warning, so plan accordingly.
The holidays mean many things to me, but one thing they mean is APPETIZERS! Seriously, tell me one other time of year you can count on eating appetizers at every family get together? I love appetizers and this is the time I try out all sorts of new ones.
My first family gathering happened to be my daughter’s birthday party just last weekend. Ok, not Christmas related, but we do call her our Christmas baby, so you can kid of do the six degrees to Kevin Bacon on that one. She definitely connects to Christmas…so it was sort of a holiday-ish get together.
I, of course, HAD to make some appetizers and this one was a hit. I bought the mild jalapenos or I knew I would hear about how spicy it was all evening. It had just the right amount of heat to it, but if you like things really spicy, go ahead and throw the hottest of the chiles and jalapenos in there. The best thing about this dip is that it really tastes like a popper! The creamy, slightly spicy dip is accompanied by a buttery crunch of the bread crumb topping. Perfect scooped up with a sturdy chip.
First holiday appetizer! Enjoy! 🙂

 Jalapeno Popper Dip

2- 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayo
1- 4 oz can of chopped green chiles, undrained
1- 4 oz. can of chopped jalapenos, undrained
1 1/2 cups shredded mexican cheese
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup melted butter
Sliced jalapenos for garnish (optional)
Chips, assorted veggies, crackers for serving

Mix the first five ingredients together until smooth in a large mixing bowl. Pour into a 9×9 casserole dish. Melt butter and combine with panko bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.  Sprinkle over cream cheese mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until bread crumbs are slightly browned and crunchy. Garnish with sliced jalapenos.  Serve with chips, veggies or crackers.