Why it works: Cheddar cheese and cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 984 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Jalapeno Cheese Dip
Ingredients
Directions
Make the dip
Combine all ingredients in a baking dish; cover and bake until cheese is melted and dip is hot.
To make ahead: Assemble in a removable crockpot liner then cover and refrigerate until 2 hours before serving.
Keep warm and serve
Cook on high stirring occasionally, for about 2 hours.
Turn to low and serve from the crockpot.
Serve from chafing dish or crockpot.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 6 of 7 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Cheddar Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 113 |
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Jalapeno Pepper | 1 pepper (14g) | 4 |
| Seed | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Cheddar cheese + cheesetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together984 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Tomato + garlictop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,076 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Clove + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together17,451 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
-
Garlic + jalapenotop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,700 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,923 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Cheddar cheese
- Melts into a smooth, rich base and provides the main cheesy flavor.
- American cheese
- Melts smoothly and helps keep the dip creamy rather than grainy or oily.
- Tomato
- Adds moisture and fresh acidity that brightens the rich cheese.
- Bacon
- Adds smoky, salty flavor and crisp texture to the dip.
- Jalapeno peppers
- Add heat and a fresh, grassy bite to the cheese.
The step that matters
Melt the cheese gently and stir during the long hot hold. Cheese proteins can tighten and turn grainy or oily when overheated. Stirring on high and then dropping to low helps the dip stay smooth and evenly hot.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (cheddar cheese, cheese, tomato, garlic, jalapeno, pepper):
- Cuminfits better
- Corianderfits better
- Oreganofits better
- Clovethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against cheddar cheese, cheese, tomato, garlic, jalapeno, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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