Ingredients
Scale
- 2 red bell peppers
- 2 chipotles in adobo sauce, minced, plus 1 tbsp adobo sauce
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, block, grated cold
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Crackers or crudités, for serving
Instructions
- Char the bell peppers directly over a gas flame, under a broiler, or on a hot grill, turning until the skins are blackened on all sides.
- Transfer peppers to a covered bowl to steam for 10 minutes, then peel off the skins, remove seeds, and pat dry.
- Roughly chop one charred pepper and set aside. Add the other to a food processor with the minced chipotles and adobo sauce, mayonnaise, smoked paprika, and garlic powder; blend until smooth.
- Beat the softened cream cheese in a large bowl until fluffy, then mix in the blended pepper mixture until fully combined.
- Fold in the cold grated cheddar by hand, along with the reserved chopped pepper and most of the green onions, until just combined; don’t overmix.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste, cover, and chill at least 1 hour for the flavors to settle.
- Top with remaining green onions and a pinch of smoked paprika before serving with crackers or crudités.
Notes
Grate the cheddar cold, straight from the fridge, and always from a block — pre-shredded cheese is coated in starch that keeps it from binding smoothly. No time to char peppers? Jarred fire-roasted piquillo peppers, drained and patted dry, are the closest shortcut. For a warm version, spread the dip in an oven-safe skillet and broil 3-4 minutes until bubbling and blistered on top. Keeps refrigerated in an airtight container up to 5 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Method: No-cook (blended and chilled)
- Cuisine: American, Southern