Charleston Cheese Dip

Crowd-pleasing party dip leaves the oven bubbling with a triple threat of cheeses: Monterey Jack, sharp cheddar and cream cheese, plus a topping of butter-cracker crumbs. Before serving, give it a final sprinkle of smoky crumbled bacon.

1/2 cup mayonnaise

One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 dash cayenne pepper

8 butter crackers, crushed, such as Ritz

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Corn chips, crackers or bagel chips, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise, cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, green onions and cayenne pepper. Transfer the mixture to a shallow baking dish, such as a 9-inch pie pan. Top the mixture with the cracker crumbs and bake until heated through about 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and top with the bacon. Serve immediately with corn chips, crackers or bagel chips.

Recipe adapted from Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood

Yum