If you’re a fan of the NFL then surely you’re excited to see this year’s Super Bowl matchup. I on the other hand am still emotional that the Kansas City Chiefs knocked out my beloved Buffalo Bills in the AFC championship game. But hey, there’s always next year, right? Luckily I can alleviate some of my sorrows this weekend with a feast of appetizers and snacks. I’m talking about a big platter of buffalo wings, my mother’s pepperoni pizza dip, and of course some delicious jalapeno poppers.
What are jalapeno poppers?
Jalapeno poppers are a classic appetizer that can be found in bars and restaurants all across America. The earliest recipes called for whole jalapenos that were hallowed out and stuffed with a cheesy filling. These were then coated in some sort of breading or batter and deep-fried until crispy. So in a way, they’re like mini chili rellenos.
However, this is not the way that most people make their jalapeno poppers today, myself included. You see while deep frying them makes them delicious, it’s a real hassle to do at home. So instead we bake them, which taste just as good, require significantly less clean up, and are definitely healthier.
Tips, Tricks & Suggestions
- Today we are going to be adding crispy bacon to our jalapeno popper filling. However, you can use all sorts of meats like crumbled up Italian sausage or ground beef taco meat. You can also leave out the meat entirely for a vegetarian-friendly version.
- Make sure that you don’t overstuff your jalapeno halves with too much of the filling. Otherwise, the protruding filling will most likely melt and pour out while baking. So simply make sure that the filling is roughly level with the jalapeno half and not bulging out of it.
- Jalapeno poppers can easily be frozen for future use. Simply make them all the way up to step five, and place them in your freezer on a baking sheet. After a couple of hours, they should be solid enough that you can transfer them to a freezer bag. When you want to cook them simply take them straight out of the freezer and onto a baking sheet. Then bake them just like you normally would except you might need to add a couple more minutes of baking time. No need to defrost!
- I highly suggest that you wear gloves while cutting your jalapenos. Why? Well as you cut the peppers some of the capsicum (the stuff that causes a burning sensation) will cling to your hands and fingers. Then if you go and scratch your eyes, or nose, or really any delicate part of your body, the capsicum will transfer and cause a burning sensation. But if you wear gloves and dispose of them after use then you won’t have that problem.
- While these jalapeno poppers are great all by themselves, I like to serve them with a dipping sauce like ranch or homemade blue cheese dressing.
Jalapeno Poppers Recipe
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: 24 jalapeno poppers
Ingredients
12 Jalapeno peppers
For the filling:
8 oz. of Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
1 Cup of cheddar cheese, shredded
½ Lb of bacon, cooked, and cut into fine pieces
3 Green onions, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons of cilantro, minced (optional)
½ Teaspoon of garlic powder
½ Teaspoon of salt
¼ Teaspoon of black pepper
¼ Teaspoon of smoked paprika (optional)
For the panko crust:
1 Cup of Panko bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons of butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, 204 Celcius.
- Prep the jalapeno peppers by cutting them in half lengthwise followed by scooping out the seeds and white pith with a spoon.
Try and leave some of the stems on both halves as it will make handling the poppers easier.
- Make the filling: Get out a large mixing bowl and add all of the ingredients for the filling into it. Then use either a spoon or a silicone spatula to mix all of the ingredients together until it is thoroughly incorporated.
- Assemble the jalapeno poppers: Get out a large baking sheet and cover it with some aluminum foil. Then take one of the jalapeno halves and use a spoon to add some of the filling into the cavity of the jalapeno. Place the stuffed pepper down on the baking sheet and repeat the process until all jalapeno halves are stuffed.
- Add the panko crust: Combine the melted butter and panko bread crumbs in a small mixing bowl. Then pour some of the panko topping over the filling on each jalapeno popper. You can use your hands to press the topping into the filling if it doesn’t seem to stick enough.
- Bake the jalapeno poppers: Place the baking sheet with jalapeno poppers into your heated oven. Let them cook for roughly 20 minutes, or until the panko topping is nice and brown.
- Take the jalapeno poppers out of your oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes before enjoying them.
Jalapeno Poppers Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 Jalapeno peppers
For the filling:
- 8 oz. of Cream Cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 Cup of cheddar cheese shredded
- ½ Lb of bacon cooked, and cut into fine pieces
- 3 Green onions finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons of cilantro minced (optional)
- ½ Teaspoon of garlic powder
- ½ Teaspoon of salt
- ¼ Teaspoon of black pepper
- ¼ Teaspoon of smoked paprika optional
For the panko crust:
- 1 Cup of Panko bread crumbs
- 2 Tablespoons of butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, 204 Celcius.
- Prep the jalapeno peppers by cutting them in half lengthwise followed by scooping out the seeds and white pith with a spoon. Try and leave some of the stems on both halves as it will make handling the poppers easier.
- Make the filling: Get out a large mixing bowl and add all of the ingredients for the filling into it. Then use either a spoon or a silicone spatula to mix all of the ingredients together until it is thoroughly incorporated.
- Assemble the jalapeno poppers: Get out a large baking sheet and cover it with some aluminum foil. Then take one of the jalapeno halves and use a spoon to add some of the filling into the cavity of the jalapeno. Place the stuffed pepper down on the baking sheet and repeat the process until all jalapeno halves are stuffed.
- Add the panko crust: Combine the melted butter and panko bread crumbs in a small mixing bowl. Then pour some of the panko topping over the filling on each jalapeno popper. You can use your hands to press the topping into the filling if it doesn’t seem to stick enough.
- Bake the jalapeno poppers: Place the baking sheet with jalapeno poppers into your heated oven. Let them cook for roughly 20 minutes, or until the panko topping is nice and brown.
- Take the jalapeno poppers out of your oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes before enjoying them.
