Apple Cider Doughnuts

Apple picking is one of my favorite fall activities. My mom and aunt used to take my sister and I apple picking when we were kids. When I lived in Chicago, my friend Kathleen and I decided to carry on the tradition. We found this awesome orchard County Line and looked forward to our yearly visits. One of our favorite parts was the apple spiced donuts! They were best fresh - warm and slightly crispy on the outside, perfect spiced apple cake-doughnut texture on the inside, covered in loads of cinnamon sugar! We would even stop at a gas station on the way in or out and get some milk to have with the doughnuts!

When we made the big move to St. Louis last year, I knew that I would be missing out on the apple doughnuts. We still pick apples here, but to my knowledge the local orchards don't serve these doughnuts...in fact, a lot of people around here have never heard of them.

Last fall, when I saw Megan post this Apple Cider Doughnut recipe, I got really excited that it might closely mimic my favorite orchard doughnuts! We had a very busy fall last year - moving into our house, still settling into our new jobs, getting our home ready to host our first Thanksgiving - things were a little hectic. The thought of making homemade doughnuts wasn't an option. Plus, I didn't have a proper vessel to use for deep frying... Then this spring, Kathleen used her amazing discount for the kitchen store she works for to help me purchase something I've been dreaming about for years - a Le Creuset French Oven!

The Le Creuset is perfect for deep frying, so I made these doughnuts a priority this year. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous to deep fry. I've never done it before, but I had a candy/fry thermometer and some baking soda/fire extinguisher on hand, so I went for it. I got fresh apples and apple cider from a local orchard on a Saturday, made the dough on Saturday night, and on Sunday morning we enjoyed these babies. And I have to say, they were better than the ones at County Line! Bob said they are probably his favorite thing I've ever made! Wow - that is huge. He's surprisingly picky. I invited my sister and brother-in-law over since they've actually made homemade doughnuts before, and they loved these as well. Everyone commented on how the real flavor of the apples and the cider comes through. I love that! I'm thinking the doughnuts sold at orchards are probably from a mix, not from fresh apples and cider!

This recipe isn't difficult, but it does take some patience. Fresh apples are simmered in apple cider until soft, then pureed into a fresh apple sauce, which is reduced and incorporated into a cake doughnut dough. The dough chills for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight). Once chilled, the dough can be shaped however you'd like - traditional doughnuts or doughnut holes - and then fried, dipped in a reduced cider glaze, and rolled in cinnamon-sugar. YUM!

I found that I ran out of the cider glaze, likely because instead of following the original recipe and only dipping one side of the doughnuts in glaze and cinnamon sugar, we preferred to coat the entire thing (that's how County Line does it!). Because of this, I've doubled the amount in the recipe below. I also bumped up the cinnamon sugar because I used most of it and didn't make the full batch of doughnuts...some of the dough is in the freezer for another time!

I think we've decided to make these doughnuts a yearly tradition in our house. I hope our daughter will love apple picking as much as I do, and I'm sure she'll love these doughnuts! :-)

The Best Apple Cider Doughnuts

Ingredients:
For the doughnuts:
2 apples (they suggest red such as Cortland or McIntosh, I used my favorite Golden Delicious)
1 1/2 cups apple cider
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vegetable oil, for frying (I needed about 2 1/2 quarts)

For the glaze:
2 cups apple cider
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

For the topping:
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (feel free to add more if you prefer a higher cinnamon to sugar ratio)

Directions:
1. To make the doughnuts: core and coarsely chop the apples (do not peel). Combine the apples with 1 1/2 cups cider in a medium saucepan over medium heat; cover and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking until the apples are tender and the cider is almost completely reduced, about 5 minutes.

2. Pour the mixture into a food processor, and puree until smooth (or use an immersion blender). Pour the applesauce into a measuring cup. If you have more than 1 cup, return the applesauce to the saucepan, and boil until reduced to 1 cup. (I had to do this step). Let cool slightly.

3. While the apples are cooking, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

4. In bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 2/3 cup granulated sugar and the shortening, and beat on medium speed until sandy.

5. Beat in the egg and yolk, and then gradually mix in the applesauce, scraping the bowl. Mix in half of the flour mixture, then the buttermilk and vanilla, and then the remaining flour mixture. Mix to make a sticky dough; do not overmix.

6. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper laid on a sheet pan turned upside down. Roll dough in the flour to lightly coat (I added this step, as the dough stuck to the parchment so perhaps this will help). Pat dough into a 7-by-11-inch rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. (Overnight is recommended because the colder the dough is, the easier it is to work with. It's a very sticky dough.)

7. When you're ready to make the doughnuts, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees.

8. While the oil is heating, make the glaze: simmer 2 cups cider in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1/2 cup. Whisk in the confectioners' sugar, and set the glaze aside.

9. Then make the topping: Mix 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon (or more) cinnamon in a shallow bowl or pie plate; set aside.

10. Line a baking sheet with paper towels, and set it near the stove.

11. Cut the chilled dough into rounds, using a floured-dipped 3-inch biscuit cutter. Cut out the centers of the doughnuts, using a 1- or 1.5-inch biscuit cutter. Or simply use the small biscuit cutter to cut all doughnut holes. (The dough expands when it hits the oil, so I ended up halving the doughnut holes made with a 1.5-inch biscuit cutter). At this point, I found it useful to lightly dust/roll the doughnuts in flour so they weren't so sticky. This really helped and didn't affect the frying process or the resulting taste of the doughnuts.

12. Using a skimmer, tongs, or your hands (be very careful!!!), slip 2 or 3 doughnuts or 4 or 5 doughnut holes at a time into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side for regular doughnuts, approximately 3 1/2 - 5 minutes for doughnut holes (this will depend on the temperature of the oil. I had a hard time regulating it with my electric range...perhaps gas is better for this?) I suggest starting out with one doughnut hole and seeing how long it takes to get the center totally cooked. This will give you a good idea of the outside color when the inside is cooked. Our first doughnut hole was gooey on the inside, but every other doughnut after that was perfectly cooked.

13. Transfer to the paper towels to drain. If you prefer to eat the doughnuts hot and fresh (like we did!), only allow the doughnuts to drain for a minute or so, then drop a doughnut into the cider glaze, roll around using tongs, and then transfer to cinnamon-sugar mixture and roll around to coat entirely. The original recipe suggests to just dip one side of each doughnut, but we like them totally coated in cinnamon-sugar!

14. Repeat with remaining dough. Check the oil temperature periodically, and adjust the heat as needed.

Note: You may want to return the remaining dough to the fridge in between fry batches so it doesn't get too warm and sticky. I found it helpful to keep plenty of flour on hand if the dough is sticking too much.

Source: Adapted from Delicious Dishings, originally from Food Network Magazine

Turkey Chili

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted! Getting ready for a baby is a lot of work! I have still been cooking and photographing, so I have lots of posts to share. Plus, now that it's fall (soooo exciting), I have so many recipes planned!

I made this turkey chili on one of the first chilly Saturdays of the season. Bob and my dad were working hard all day on some home improvement projects we were trying to squeeze in, so this was a nice dinner to have for when they took a football break.

I didn't really read the description for the chili or I would have noticed that this is a VERY spicy chili. They weren't kidding - this was insane! I would definitely adjust the heat next time, as it was almost difficult to eat without a big glass of milk. It was very, very good though! One ingredient I found interesting was the packet of hot chocolate mix! I didn't notice it at all so I'm sure it just blends with the tomato and spice flavors...sort of similar to the concept of a mole sauce.

I made this chili in the morning and put it in the crockpot on low all day - it turned out great. I've included the original directions, as well as what I did using the crockpot. This is definitely going to be one of the freezer meals I make to have on hand for after our baby girl is born!

Hope you're all enjoying the cooler weather as much as I am - perfect for baking!!! :-)

Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 small green bell peppers, seeded and chopped (I also added a red and yellow pepper since I had them on hand)
1 habanero pepper, seeded and chopped (optional - may omit if worried about spiciness)
1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (may use less and adjust later for desired spiciness)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1-ounce envelope instant hot chocolate mix
1 - 2 teaspoons salt (may want to start with 1 and add more to your taste)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes with green chile peppers (or 3 10-ounce cans Rotel), drained
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup cheap beer

Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, green peppers and habanero pepper, if using; cook and stir until the onion is transparent.

2. Add in the ground turkey and cook until turkey is no longer pink, stirring occasionally to break up turkey into smaller pieces. (At this point, I transfered the turkey and veggies to the crockpot and added the rest of the ingredients directly to it).

3. Season with chili powder, red pepper flakes, paprika, cumin, oregano, pepper, hot cocoa mix, and salt. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, diced tomatoes with green chilies, tomato sauce, and kidney beans. Add the beer, and stir to mix.

4. Partially cover the pan, and simmer over medium heat for about 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Or cook in crockpot on low for several hours or more until ready to serve).

5. Serve chili with your favorite chili toppings (like chopped onion and shredded cheese!).

Source: Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Turkey Burgers

I wanted to make sure I got this recipe posted while there's still plenty of grilling time left this summer. I first made these turkey burgers a year ago, and we thought they were fantastic! The photo I took was very poor, but I have since made them many times and managed to get a semi-decent shot of them.

Since I don't eat red meat, turkey burgers are a must in our house, and this is my go-to recipe. We love the spices in these burgers, and the cooked red onions really add some moisture and a great flavor. This recipe is easily adjustable to your specific tastes. For example, my mom has a strong aversion to rosemary, so when we had her over I just left that out - they still tasted great. I often used dried herbs in these too, especially when I don't have any fresh herbs growing or on hand from other recipes (they're expensive at the store!) I usually cut this recipe in half, but I've also made up a big batch of these (the full 8 burgers) and frozen them as raw patties. Just let them thaw for a bit and throw them on the grill - delicious. These burgers also taste great made in pan on the stove, so they certainly aren't a summer-only meal!

Turkey Burgers

Yield: 8 burgers

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds ground turkey
1 teaspoon. kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried)
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage (or 1 teaspoon dried)
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)

Directions:
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 2 minutes longer, until the onion is tender. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl and allow to cool.

2. Add the ground turkey, salt, pepper, herbs, and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the bowl containing the cooled onion mixture. Mix well to blend. Divide into 8 equal portions and form into patties.

3. Grill on lightly oiled grates of a gas or charcoal grill (or in a pan brushed with olive oil) until cooked through.

Source: Adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from Simply Recipes

We're having a . . .

Bob and I revealed the sex of the baby this weekend to some of our friends and family by having them each bite into an Oreo truffle and look to see whether the inside was blue or pink . . .

I thought of this idea before I was pregnant and have been so excited and anxious to do this "Truffle Reveal" ever since.

After coming up with this idea and thinking it was completely novel, I saw on Saturday Night Live (the Weekend Update segment) that some people have started revealing the sex of their babies by having people cut into a cake with a blue or pink inside. I guess I wasn't as original as I thought, but I still maintain that these truffles are the way to go because you can announce to different groups of people, and each person gets to participate in the reveal. We ended up doing this in several shifts with different family and friends, so it ended up being the perfect way for us to announce since each truffle is individually concealed (unlike a cake that, when cut, is open for everyone to see). It's a win-win situation - we got to see each person's reaction, and they got a yummy truffle! I even took some to work yesterday and shared the news with my coworkers. We had so much fun with this!

On Thursday night, the night before our big appointment, I made up about 7 of each color. I took them to our appointment in a cooler, and afterwards we headed straight to dinner for our first reveal with my parents and sister. We did it in the bar area of a restaurant because we simply could not wait to be seated. My Mom said she was equally excited for a boy or a girl, but my Dad and my sister wanted it to be a girl.

Their reactions to this news . . .

were priceless.

My Mom squealed and then leaned looked over to the woman sitting at the table next to us, who was obviously aware something was going on, and said, "Oh sorry! We just found out we're having a girl! --I mean, she's having a girl!!!" It was so cute! My Dad was smiling and saying, "I knew it!!!" and my sister was jumping up and down. My Mom even ordered a Pink Squirrel (a drink if you've never heard of it) to celebrate.

Saturday morning I made the rest of the truffles (in pink!), and we had our next reveal. We ended up being seated in a private room with a long table at a restaurant, and it was perfect! Those of us who knew sat on one side of the table and those who didn't sat on the other so we could watch their reactions. One of my aunts in particular REALLY wanted us to have a girl, so she was dancing in her seat when she found out!

The rest of the weekend was filled with more reveals and more celebrations. The love and support I felt from our family and friends was incredible, and I know our little girl is going to feel that too. We are so excited and feel so blessed to announce that we're expecting a daughter!

If you're wondering how I made Oreo truffles look pink or blue, here's what I did:

I followed the classic Oreo truffle recipe (also see HERE for truffle tips), using Golden Oreos instead of regular. I added red or blue food coloring gel to the cream cheese and crushed cookies before mixing it up. I put on disposable kitchen gloves and used my hands - much easier than a spoon, and you don't risk dying your hands!

Because these cookies are slightly yellow, my colors ended up being a little more teal and coral but obviously could not be confused!

Salsa Showdown!

When my good friends Melissa and Kathleen visited in May, I wanted to do something fun and special. The three of us absolutely love the salsa from our favorite Mexican restaurant in Peoria, IL (where we went to college). The restaurant is Carlos O'Kelly's. Yes it's a chain, but their salsa is made in-house (Melissa should know, she worked there!) Our plan was for them to drive from Chicago and stop in Springfield at the Carlos O'Kelly's that's right off the highway to pick up some salsa on their way to St. Louis. Unfortunately, Melissa was informed that the restaurant had suddenly closed! I had no choice but to arrange a Salsa Showdown and make my three favorite salsas for us to taste test!

My all-time favorite salsa for years has been the Black Bean(less) Salsa. If you read my original post about it, you'll know that it was this very salsa that got Kathleen to eat red onions! One day, I saw this Fresh Homemade Salsa on Annie's blog and it looked so delicious. I loved that it closely resembled restaurant-style salsa in appearance. Of course I have room in my life for more than one salsa, right? Especially when they are as different as these two! Wow, this salsa is amazing and I was happy to have a more traditional salsa to serve with enchiladas, quesadillas, and fajitas. Then I did a dumb thing...or a brilliant thing...I saw Pioneer Woman's Restaurant-Style salsa and just HAD to try it. Uh oh, I loved it. Now what was I to do? The Black Bean(less) Salsa is very different and I actually prefer it with just tortilla chips, not on other Mexican food, so it doesn't really count, but these two red salsas are very similar...almost similar enough that I had to choose one, but how? I don't know about you, but I simply cannot make a decision unless I have two things side-by-side. This called for a Salsa Showdown, not unlike my Magic Brownie showdown, Ricotta Pancakes two ways, and my Great Pumpkin Bread-Off. I had wanted to do this, oh, ever since I tried Pioneer Woman's salsa. Finally I had the perfect opportunity and the perfect little guinea pigs (or fruit flies if you know what I do for a living) for my experiment :-)

I made the three salsas in one night and stored them in ambiguously marked containers labeled A, B, and C. Only I knew the identity of the salsas. Now let's get down to the details of the Showdown:

The taste testers: Bob, Melissa, and Kathleen.
The mission: determine the best salsa according to taste, texture, and overall appeal.
The vehicle for said salsas: Tostitos scoops.

Meet the contenders:

In this (left) corner, weighing in at 3 ounces (just kidding!) we have Salsa A from Pioneer Woman.

And in this (right) corner, we have Salsa B from Annie's Eats.

It's pretty obvious, but Salsa C is the Black Bean(less) Salsa in the center.

To be fair, I told the taste testers not to consider this salsa in their vote since it is so different. I really just made it because it's Kathleen's fav and I wanted Melissa to try it out (oh and I love it too!)

A little description of each:

Salsa A: A scrumptious combination of Rotel tomatoes, canned whole tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, and all the usual yummy suspects.

Salsa B: A delectable blend of fresh tomatoes, canned fire-roasted tomatoes (my personal addition), yellow onion, cumin, jalapenos, garlic, and a touch of red wine vinegar.

Salsa C: This salsa combines the sweetness of shoepeg corn, the spiciness of Rotel tomatoes, and the zestiness of red onions. Cumin, fresh lime juice, and cilantro add brightness and freshness.

The verdicts (wow it's even hard for me to type that word after the horrific Anthony trial!):

1) Because Bob has a hard time following directions, he performed his test before they arrived. His immediate answer was "Salsa A" - he thought it had a fresher taste. I thought this was funny because this salsa has no actual fresh tomatoes in it, as opposed to Salsa B which does.

2) Melissa agreed with Bob - Salsa A was the winner for her, though this was a close call. Also citing "fresh tasting" as a reason for her choice.

3) Kathleen also agreed that Salsa A was her preference. Again the "fresh" word came up, and this was close for her too.

4) So maybe you're wondering what I think?? Sorry folks, it's a hung jury - I sort of prefer Salsa B! I think it's because I used fire-roasted tomatoes and I just love that smoky taste they impart. I probably shouldn't have done that for fairness. I feel like I performed an uncontrolled experiment! I love both Salsa A and Salsa B, but I kept going back to Salsa B . . . again . . . and again. This presents a major problem for me because I was hoping Bob and I would agree on a clear winner and I would have my "go to" recipe. No such luck!

Now on the tasters' opinions of the Black Bean(less) Salsa - all 3 agreed that they loved this salsa and that it wasn't fair to compare it to the more traditional salsas. Personally, I could not agree more. It's just wonderful! No, seriously try it!

So there you have it, mostly a win for Pioneer Woman's Restaurant-Style Salsa with one holdout (me!) for Annie's Eats Fresh Homemade Salsa.

Have I finished my salsa quest? Not a chance. I still plan to make an at-home version of one of my favorite restaurant salsas...and no, it's NOT Carlos O'Kelly's ;-)

Mexican Chocolate Black Bottom Cupcakes

In December I won a giveaway on Nicole's blog Baking Bites. I was so excited to get my package in the mail - 2 bars of Scharffen Berger chocolate and an autographed copy of her Baking Bites cookbook! I immediately wanted to make just about every recipe in the book! One recipe that caught my eye in particular was these Mexican Chocolate Black Bottom Cupcakes. The chocolate batter is mixed with Mexican spices and then a cheesecake/coconut layer is dolloped on top! The recipe makes 24 cupcakes, so I chose to make them for 2 events - lab birthdays and the visit of my two great friends Kathleen and Melissa.

I was really bummed when I finished making these and discovered I had left out the coconut by mistake! In my defense, the recipe in the cookbook said to combine salt with the cream cheese mixture, and there was no mention of coconut. Salt was not listed in the filling ingredients so I just added a pinch and moved forward. It was too late by the time I realized that the coconut was not listed in the directions and I had left it out. Regardless, these cupcakes were fantastic and I can only imagine that they'd be even better with the coconut. I've added it to the directions below.

24 cupcakes is a lot, so I had leftovers after both events and my mom and aunt tried them. My mom said they were the best thing I've ever baked! Wow - did she forget about the dessert table? Just kidding! It's funny how people can have such different tastes because these were not at the top of Bob's list (his all time favorite is the Tres Leches Coconut Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Buttercream!) I wasn't entirely surprised by Bob's preference though because he's not big on cheesecake (I know - what?!). I thought these cupcakes were super moist and flavorful, and I'm excited to try them again with coconut!

Mexican Chocolate Black Bottom Cupcakes

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cream cheese filling:

16 ounces (2 packages) cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

2 large egg whites, room temperature

2 tablespoons milk

2/3 cup sweetened, shredded coconut, finely chopped

For the cake:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 1/3 cups water

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners.

1. Make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Blend in egg whites and milk, mixing until filling is well-blended. Stir in coconut. Set aside.

2. Make the cake: In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, baking soda, and spices.

3. Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk, water, melted butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Stir together until just combined and no streaks of flour remain.

4. Divide cake batter evenly among 24 cupcakes. Top each portion of batter with 1 rounded tablespoon cream cheese mixture (there may be some left over).

5. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. If using two racks, rotate pans halfway through baking. A toothpick inserted into cake only portion should come out with a few moist crumbs on it.

6. Cool in pans for 5 minutes. Filling will sink slightly as the cake cools (I assume this is if you have the coconut in there, as mine did not). Remove cupcakes to wire racks to cool completely.

Source: Adapted from the Baking Bites Cookbook

Jalapeno Popper Dip

I've posted before about my love of dips. I think they're the perfect party food, and there are so many options. When I saw this recipe for Jalapeno Popper Dip, I immediately saved it to try. Jalapeno poppers are pretty popular in my family, so I thought a dip that combines those flavors would go over well.

Bob and I hosted a graduation party BBQ for my new brother-in-law Steve, and I thought this dip would be a nice addition. Diced jalapenos mixed with cream cheese and spices, topped with a delicious layer of Mexican blend cheese and panko bread crumbs? Yum. This dip was delicious, and the fam loved it. It's definitely not too spicy but had a nice balance of flavors. I'm sure it would be great served with carrots and celery, but I prefer Tostitos Scoops!

And just look at that cheesiness!

Thanks for lending me a "hand" Mom!

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Ingredients:
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese (I used 1/3 less fat), at room temperature
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used light)
1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers, chopped
6 jalapeno peppers, seeded, ribbed and finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese, divided
1 teaspoon Ancho chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup panko bread crumbs (I actually reduced this to about 1/2 cup)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and mayo.

2. Add bell peppers, jalapenos, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, and half of the chili powder and cumin. Mix well to combine to a uniform mixture.

3. Spread dip into a baking dish, smoothing into an even layer. (I used an 11 x 7-inch dish)

4. Top with remaining shredded cheese, cover with bread crumbs and sprinkle with remaining chili powder and cumin.

5. Bake approximately 30 minutes until cheese is hot and bubbly and the breadcrumbs are golden brown.

6. Serve warm or at room temperature with tortilla chips.

Source: Adapted from Homemade by Holman