This smoky southwestern pepper jack cheese dip is everything a great appetizer should be. Creamy, cheesy, dangerously addictive, and packed with spicy, smoky flavor that keeps everyone coming back for just one more scoop. With the perfect amount of smokiness and a kick of heat from freshly grated pepper jack and candied jalapeños, it’s the kind of dip that disappears almost the second it hits the table. Best of all? It’s completely customizable. If you live for the fire, go heavy on the jalapeños; if you prefer a gentler warmth, use less. Either way, serve it up with a mountain of salty corn chips and watch it disappear in minutes.
If you think running a food blog is easy, glamorous, or just oh-so-freaking-fun, I’m here to give you a dose of reality. Eighty percent of the time, it is anything but. If you want easy, becoming a food blogger is not the way to go. Before even making a recipe, there’s tons of research, planning, and shopping for ingredients. I can’t even begin to imagine how much time and money I have spent over the almost 13 years since I started Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck. And if I actually knew, I would most likely faint right away at the sheer numbers. Now, let’s talk about the glam-factor. Y’all, there ain’t nothing glamorous about washing mountains and mountains of dishes, constantly cleaning grease and food splatters off of your stove, setting off the smoke detector on an almost weekly basis, or having your entire house smell like bacon grease and fried fish for weeks on end. If you want glamor, y’all best move to Hollywood. ‘Cause here in Herndon, Virginia, all too often, our white shirts and hair are covered in mustard and puréed butternut squash, and our bare feet and furry lil’ paws are sticky from stepping in spilled sugar, fruit jam, or maple syrup.
Oh, but wait, isn’t it just oh-so-freaking-fun to develop, cook, bake, write, publish, or own a food blog? Sure, there are days it can be enjoyable. If it weren’t, why would one even do it? But, y’all, eighty percent of the time, it is anything but fun. Need an example? Just look at the photo of McKenna above. Now, at first, you might think to yourself that she’s just about the most adorable thing ever, right? Take a closer look. Do you see it? As is often the case when photographing food for each recipe, there is an ongoing all-out war between McKenna and me. She never fails to suddenly appear when the camera comes out. Whether she’s using her mouth to try and grab a prop napkin off of the scene I’ve created, attempting to steal the herbs haphazardly placed next to a dish, or swatting at me because I’m in the way of her getting to watch every single movement a squirrel is making outside of the window, she is always a royal pain in the ass. In this case, as soon as I had taken the food away and was busy cleaning things up, she chose to make herself at home in the scene I had created. Once again, easy, glamorous, and just oh-so-freaking-fun is not having a cat crawl into bed with you for a week, smelling like corn chips.
Ingredients:
Smoky Southwestern Seasoning (No-Salt):
- 3 Tablespoons Chili Powder
- 2 Tablespoons Ground Cumin
- 2 1/2 Teaspoons Dried Oregano
- 2 1/2 Teaspoons Smoked Paprika
- 2 Teaspoons Onion Powder
- 2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 2 Teaspoons Ground Coriander
Pepper Jack Cheese Dip:
- 1 (8-oz.) Block Cream Cheese, Softened
- 1 Cup Sour Cream
- 3 Teaspoons Smoky Southwestern Seasoning (Additional for Garnish)
- 1/4 Teaspoon Finely Ground Sea Salt
- 1 (8-oz.) Block Pepper Jack Cheese, Freshly Grated
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons Candied Jalapeños, Very Finely Chopped
Directions:
Smoky Southwestern Seasoning (No-Salt):
- In a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients together until well incorporated.
- Store the seasoning mix in a small glass jar in a cool, dry place.
- Use this seasoning to season your favorite meats, vegetables, marinades, or sauces.
Pepper Jack Cheese Dip:
- In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese and sour cream together on medium speed until well combined.
- Add the smoky southwestern seasoning and salt. Mix again on medium speed until well combined.
- Reserve a little bit of the freshly grated pepper jack cheese and chopped candied jalapeños for garnish. Gently fold the remaining cheese and jalapeños into the cream cheese and sour cream mixture until well combined.
- Spoon the dip into a serving bowl and garnish with a sprinkle of additional smoky southwestern seasoning, along with the reserved cheese and jalapeños.
Suggestions:
- I used this Smoky Southwestern Seasoning (No-Salt) for this recipe. By skipping the salt, you can be as generous as you want with this homemade smoky southwestern seasoning mix. It’s smoky, versatile, and hits that perfect savory note without being spicy. This homemade seasoning allows you to control the salt content of the cheese dip. The remaining seasoning can be used to season your favorite meats, vegetables, marinades, or sauces. Simply store the seasoning mix in a small glass jar in a cool, dry place until use.
- I did not add much salt to this dip because I planned to serve it with salty corn chips. If you feel like the dip needs more salt, add to taste.
- Use 1 tablespoon of candied jalapeños if you are a spice wimp, or 2 tablespoons if you like things seriously spicy.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours. This will allow the flavors time to meld.
- This dip is best eaten at room temperature, so allow it to reach room temperature before serving. It is also best within 3 to 4 days of making it. After that, the dip’s texture begins to change, becoming less creamy.
- Serve this cheese dip with corn chips.
Improvements:
- Fold crispy crumbled bacon into the dip.
- Garnish with chopped scallions.
- Replace half of the pepper jack cheese with mild, sharp, or extra sharp cheddar cheese.
- Use this cheese dip to make a grilled cheese sandwich or as a spread for wraps and subs.
- If you love southwestern flavors, make sure to check out this Smoky Southwestern Chickpea Hummus.
Ingredients:
- 3 Tablespoons Chili Powder
- 2 Tablespoons Ground Cumin
- 2 1/2 Teaspoons Dried Oregano
- 2 1/2 Teaspoons Smoked Paprika
- 2 Teaspoons Onion Powder
- 2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 2 Teaspoons Ground Coriander
- 1 (8-oz.) Block Cream Cheese, Softened
- 1 Cup Sour Cream
- 3 Teaspoons Smoky Southwestern Seasoning (Additional for Garnish)
- 1/4 Teaspoon Finely Ground Sea Salt
- 1 (8-oz.) Block Pepper Jack Cheese, Freshly Grated
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons Candied Jalapeños, Very Finely Chopped
Directions:
- In a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients together until well incorporated.
- Store the seasoning mix in a small glass jar in a cool, dry place.
- Use this seasoning to season your favorite meats, vegetables, marinades, or sauces.
- In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese and sour cream together on medium speed until well combined.
- Add the smoky southwestern seasoning and salt. Mix again on medium speed until well combined.
- Reserve a little bit of the freshly grated pepper jack cheese and chopped candied jalapeños for garnish. Gently fold the remaining cheese and jalapeños into the cream cheese and sour cream mixture until well combined.
- Spoon the dip into a serving bowl and garnish with a sprinkle of additional smoky southwestern seasoning, along with the reserved cheese and jalapeños.
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Use this Smoky Southwestern Seasoning (No-Salt) to make this Smoky Southwestern Pepper Jack Cheese Dip. When it comes to store-bought seasoning mixes, it’s frustrating when the salt overpowers the actual herbs and spices. By skipping the salt, you can be as generous as you want with this homemade smoky southwestern seasoning mix. It’s smoky, versatile, and hits that perfect savory note without being spicy. Whether it’s swirled into sour cream, dusted over hard-boiled eggs, or rubbed onto grilled meats, this is the one seasoning you’ll find yourself reaching for time and time again. CLICK HERE for the recipe.
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