Turn Up The Heat!
(Michigan Winter State Motto)

I didn't notice when I fixed this spread or when I first photographed it, but DAMN,
it's freakin' colorless!
Maybe a little lightly sauteed chopped red pepper or some fresh jalapeno diced
and thrown into the fray would help.

And the heat level--well--it didn't really measure up to my sons' standards (yes, I got
the apostrophe in the correct place--I've got three sons (And no, I don't want
to hear any of you humming that 60's TV show theme song, or see you doing
the big arm swings over your wing tips).

I may have mentioned in a previous post that my guys are quite sadistic
when it comes to spicy food: if it doesn't make your forehead sweat, it just isn't
hot enough for this bunch.
Personally, I like to be able to taste the rest of the meal so I go a little lighter
on the jalapenos.
But this recipe is not exactly tastebud-scorching, even for me. Next time I make it,
and it is
good enough for a repeat, I will drip a few drops of Frank's Hot Sauce or some
juice from the pickled jalapeno jar into the mix just to keep it interesting.

Jalapeno Popper Spread

(from Allrecipes)

Ingredients:

2- 8oz. bricks of cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayo, the full of fat kind
1 - 4oz. can of chopped green chilies
1 -2oz. can of canned diced and drained jalapeno peppers*
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 bag of your favorite dippers, either traditional tortilla chips or fresh vegs.

Method:

Stir together cream cheese and mayo in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in green chilies and jalapenos. Pour mixture into microwave-safe dish and sprinkle the Parm. on top. Microwave on high for a few minutes until hot**

Another option is to bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes until hot. Add the cheese the last couple of minutes of baking time.***



*I used a 6 oz. can of diced jalapenos

**This is the original wording of the recipe. It seems a bit vague, but maybe you're fine with flying by the seat of your pants. I take comfort in some structure, like more precise heating information, especially until I've made a recipe a couple of times and know what the ingredients will do when heated; there's also a lot of variation in microwave wattage to be considered. This said, see ***.

***I heated the stuff in the oven at about 375 degrees F. for 30 minutes, then added the Parmesan cheese and replaced in the oven for another few minutes until top was light golden.