Baked Pepper Jack Cheese Dip
No one can resist the warm baked cheese and smoky peppers in Baked Pepper Jack Cheese Dip- it’s easy to make and ready in 20 minutes!
Warm, savory cheese with a little heat, this Baked Pepper Jack Cheese Dip is incredibly easy to make and is perfect for entertaining or for when you’re just hanging out with the family. Pepper jack cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, milk, flour, and butter are all it takes to bake up a truly addictive appetizer to have with tortilla chips, pretzels, veggies, and more!
Pepper Jack Power
I know many people who are not fans of spicy food, which is sad because peppers can add so much to a dish! It’s not always about heat, it’s also the smoky depth of flavor that can take a dish from being good to being amazing. Also, peppers and cheese are like best friends so there’s no way you can’t love this dip! Besides the crave-able flavor of this dip, it’s also really simple to make and I love being able to put out an appetizer everyone goes crazy for in about 20 minutes.
Rope the kids into having more fun in the kitchen by making Soft Pretzels to have with this dip! Crispy Homemade Onion Rings are also a must-make for this dip and you’ll be surprised at how fast this amazing combination disappears.
Other Recipes to Serve with Baked Pepper Jack Cheese Dip
- Since peppers and cheese are such amazing friends, you can never go wrong with a time saving and mouth watering Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Casserole!
- You can’t have all of this delicious food without the perfect drink so How to Make a Margarita will have you slinging the best drinks in no time!
Ingredients
Cheese: Pepper jack cheese is a must in this recipe but there are a few pepper jack cheeses you can choose from. Store brands or other brands like Kraft have a mild pepper jack cheese that is typically not too spicy but has great pepper flavors. Other brands kick the heat up by adding both jalapenos and habaneros so check out the options and choose the best one for you. You also need sharp cheddar cheese for this dip. Pick up blocks of cheese for this dip and not bags of shredded cheese.
Dairy: You will need butter and milk for this dip. For the milk, you can use 1% or 2%.
Flour: All purpose flour is needed for this recipe. Go with your favorite gluten free flour for a GF version of this dip.
How to Make Baked Pepper Jack Cheese Dip
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. When the butter is melted, whisk in the flour and cook for one minute.
STEP TWO: Stir in the milk until the mix thickens and then add both the shredded pepper jack and shredded sharp cheeses. Continue stirring until the mix is melted and smooth.
STEP THREE: Pour the cheese dip into an 8×8 baking dish and bake for 15 minutes, until the top has browned slightly. Enjoy immediately.
Tips for Success
- Shredding the cheeses yourself makes for a little more work but really pays off in taste! Pre-shredded cheese is convenient but the fillers used to keep the shredded cheese from clumping together also makes the cheese less smooth when melted.
- Whisking together the flour and butter makes a roux, which is needed to make a really creamy and smooth cheese dip so make sure to cook the flour and butter before adding the milk.
- Don’t be afraid that the dip will be spicy just because there’s pepper jack cheese in it! The creamy cheese balances out the potential spiciness and you get the wonderful pepper flavor without the heat, unless you choose to use a pepper jack with more heat that is.
- Need to make the dip gluten free? Simply replace the all purpose flour with a gluten free flour, like a GF all purpose, rice or oat flour.
What do you serve with Baked Pepper Jack Cheese Dip?
This wonderful cheese dip is amazing with a variety of sides, not just tortilla chips! Try out toasted crostini, breadsticks or pita bread with this dip, or, as mentioned above, make up a batch of soft pretzels to have with this dip. Is there anything better than bread and cheese? Crackers such as wheat thins or crispy multigrain snacks, are also great with cheese dip for the same reason. Veggies like celery, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower are perfect for a lighter option. But don’t limit pepper jack cheese dip to just being an appetizer, this dip was also made to top tacos, taco salads and burritos so let your food imagination run wild with this dip.
How do I keep Baked Pepper Jack Cheese Dip warm?
Making a big batch of this dip for a party is a cinch, simply double the recipe, but then how do you keep it warm during the party? If you have a large cast iron skillet, you can make and bake everything in that and the skillet will keep the dip warm for a longer period of time. If you don’t mind the dip not being browned on top, you could also put this in a slow cooker to keep warm, after cooking it on the stovetop. But what if you have leftovers? Leftover pepper jack cheese dip can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. When you want to heat it up again you can put it in a microwave safe dish and warm it 30 seconds at a time, making sure to stir it after 30 seconds. If you find the dip has become too thick you can add a small amount of milk to loosen it up again.
More incredible dips to love
- 7 Layer Dip
- Jalapeno Crab Dip
- Crock Pot Pizza Dip
- Warm & Cheesy Crack Dip
- Warm Chorizo Beer Cheese Dip
*This post was originally posted on 10/30/2013.
Baked Pepper Jack Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 1 pound shredded pepper jack cheese
- 1 pound shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 3 cups milk I used 1%
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp butter
- dippers-soft pretzels chips, fish tacos
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Melt the butter in a heavy sauce pan
- Add the flour, and whisk to combine
- Let the flour cook for 1 minute
- Slowly whisk in the milk and continue whisking until milk thickens
- Add cheeses and continue to whisk until cheeses are melted and sauce is smooth
- Place into a baking dish and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the top beings to brown
- Enjoy with soft pretzels, chips, or fish tacos
