Confessions: Jalapeno Poppers
Happy Cinco de Mayo
Bacon Jalapeno Poppers—Baked Not Fried!
If you like spicy, you will LOVE these Jalapeno Poppers! Halved jalapeños stuffed with cream cheese, bacon and garlic, topped with crispy breadcrumbs.
Like most delicious foods, classic stuffed jalapeño poppers are deep fried, but for the ease of at-home preparation (and to save room for my other guilty pleasures), I decided to try baking the bacon stuffed jalapeños instead. The results were blue-ribbon worthy.
Not only are these Bacon Jalapeño Poppers just as addictive as the original recipe that inspired them, they are incredibly simple to prepare. Beat the cream cheese filling, half and stuff the jalapeños, then bake. No messy fryer or oily clean up required.
Jeff has already requested these Jalapeño Poppers for every football game watch from season kick off through the Super Bowl, so I’m definitely glad they are a) easy, b) baked (my jeans agree), and c) EASY. You can even stuff the jalapeños a day in advance, then bake them just before serving.
What you need:
- 4 strips bacon — cooked
- 12 jalapeno peppers — small/medium-sized, split in half length-wise with seeds and membranes removed
- 6 ounces light cream cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly grated pepper jack cheese
- 2 small green onions — finely sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- Nonstick cooking spray
What you do:
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If necessary, cook the bacon according to these easy steps. Once cool, dice the bacon into small pieces.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper or a silpat mat. Set aside.
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In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, grated cheese, three-quarters of the bacon, green onion, garlic powder, and salt. Spoon the filling into each jalapeño cavity. Arrange the peppers on prepared baking sheet, filling-side up.
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Sprinkle a small amount of panko on top of each jalapeno, then lightly coat the top of the jalapenos with nonstick spray. Bake until the jalapenos are tender and the breadcrumbs are golden, about 15 to 18 minutes. If the panko isn’t browned to your liking when the peppers are soft, switch the oven to broil and broil for 1 minute or so watching VERY CAREFULLY to make sure the breadcrumbs do not burn (don’t walk away!).
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Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining bacon. Serve hot.
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