Southern Pecan Cheese Bake

There's a store in Roanoke, Virginia (where my parents live) that my mama & I always frequent when I'm in town. They mostly specialize in items for the home and they have some beautiful things. Hubby hates it when I go in there around Christmas time, and so does our bank account! Anyways, they always have a beverage of some sort set out and an appetizer or dessert or two.

Awhile back, we went in there and they had this delicious looking dip sitting out. It required the purchase of Rose & Ivy's Southern Pecan Pepper Glaze. I don't usually buy that sort of thing, but I couldn't resist after tasting that dip. This glaze can be found in many specialty shops as well as online.

This past weekend, Hubby & I were having people over for a "smoke out" and to watch the hockey game/nascar car race. I was already doing different crostinis, but I wanted some kind of dip. And I thought of this.

Everyone loved it. Raved on and on and it vanished pretty quickly. It is wonderful. Very rich and creamy, with a bit of a quick. Savory, but also has a little bit of sweetness. Definitely not healthy, but I did make a few changes - noted below, to lower the calorie and fat count some.

I served this dip with an assortment of crackers and french bread pieces.

Southern Pecan Cheese Bake

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature(I used low fat)
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (I used 2% milk)
1/2 cup mayo (I used olive oil mayo)
2 green onions, chopped
6 Ritz crackers, crushed
8 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
3/4 cup Rose & Ivy Southern Pecan Pepper Glaze

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together cream cheese, cheddar, mayo and green onions in a dish coated with non-stick cooking spray.

Top with crushed crackers. Bake for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle with bacon, then drizzle with the glaze. Bake for an additional 3-4 minutes.