Ingredients (~6-8 servings)

3 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced

2 jalapeños, seeded and minced

3/4 tsp garlic powder

2 green onions, sliced

4 oz cream cheese, cubed

1 (4 oz) package white cheddar cheese, shredded

2 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded

2 Tbsp sour cream

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Put all ingredients except bacon and cilantro in a slow cooker.

Grease the inside of a 4-quart slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray (optional).

Add all ingredients into the pot, including corn, bell pepper, jalapeños, garlic powder (dry), green onions sliced, cream cheese (softened), both shredded cheeses (white cheddar and pepper jack), and sour cream, salt, and black pepper.

Mix ingredients together well; cream cheese will be lumpy at first, but as it cooks down, it becomes much smoother.

Put the lid on and cook for 2 to 2½ hours on “LOW.”

After 1 hour, take the lid off and give it another stir — by this point the cream cheese should have melted and everything should be more uniformly mixed.

When finished cooking, the dip should have bubbles coming up from around the edges and be able to be stirred without seeing lumps of cream cheese.

When ready to serve, sprinkle the dip with bacon bits and fresh cilantro just before serving.

The slow cooker can keep the dip warm for several hours; if it has been sitting for some time, give it another stir before serving.