Our family tradition, since I had Serena, has been to have appetizers at my house on Christmas Eve evening.  We gather around, snack, bake Santa some cookies, hang out, and simply spend time as a family.  Then on Christmas morning, Serena wakes up to see what Santa brought, we open gifts, and have a large breakfast.  That's it...  That's our tradition.  Simple, not over the top, but fun.  This means not a ton of time is required standing over the stove but rather we can gather around the fireplace and laugh and tell stupid stories from the year past.

I love this tradition.  I always try to switch up the appetizers and I do assign some of the work to my mom.  This year, I decided we'd have Jalapeno Popper Dip, Stuffed Mushrooms, Miniature Crisp Meat Burritos, and Spinach Balls.  I asked mom to bring the spinach balls and make the breakfast casserole for Christmas morning.  With only three easy things that I would be responsible for, there was no stress.  Yay!

I saw this recipe on Annie's Eats website and knew we'd like it.  And I was right!!  This would be great for any gathering. 

Jalapeno Popper Dip
Annie's Eats

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, drained
1 4-ounce can diced jalapeno peppers, drained
1/2 cup shredded Mexican style cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup Panko breakcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, green chiles, jalapenos, and shredded cheeses.  Mix thoroughly with a spoon or spatula until smooth and evenly combined.  Spread the mixture into a baking dish (approximately 9x9-inches).

In a second bowl, combine the Panko and Parmesan and stir with a fork until combined.  Sprinkle over the cream cheese mixture in the baking dish.  Spray lightly with cooking spray.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the mixture is hot and the topping is golden.  Serve warm with baguette slices, vegetables, etc. as desired.

***I substituted plain bread crumbs for Panko.