Baked Jalapeno Poppers
Baked jalapeno poppers are quick and easy and cheesy. And bread crumby. And can be garlicky, too, if you like.
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 6 large JALAPENO peppers
- 8 oz Cream Cheese
- 1 cup Shredded Cheese
- 4-5 Cloves GARLIC (finely chopped)
- 1/4 cup About CILANTRO (chopped)
- 1 tsp Smoked PAPRIKA
- 1 tsp ONION Powder
- SALT and PEPPER to taste (dill, cumin, cayenne, and cajun mix go well in poppers--experiment with your favorite seasoning)
Instructions
- Set cream cheese out from the fridge for at least 1/2 hour to allow time to soften.
- Cut stems from peppers, but not enough to open the back of the pepper entirely, this shallow cut will leave enough of the top of the pepper in place to form a "wall" that will hold the cheese as it bakes.
- With a spoon, scoop out the seeds and ribs; your jalapeno should look like a little rowboat (without oars or lifejacket).
- In a bowl, thoroughly mix cream cheese, shredded cheese, cilantro, and seasonings together.
- Spoon cheese mixture into pepper boats.
- Fill each pepper entirely, but do not overfill--just to the top of each pepper--mounded cheese will only make a mess and disrupt the optimal cheese to pepper ratio.
- In a skillet, on medium heat, melt 2-3 Tbsp butter.
- Add garlic and stir for 1 minute.
- Turn off heat and add bread crumbs.
- Stir until butter is absorbed and garlic is mixed well with bread crumbs.
- Or, if you don't want to fool with garlic cloves--just substitute garlic powder.
- Press peppers cheese side down into the crumb mixture, then turn over and mound extra crumb topping on the peppers.
- Place peppers on a baking sheet and cook 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees F.
- When the crumb topping is baked golden, remove and allow peppers to rest for 5 minutes.
- After that, you can do whatever your heart desires.Enjoy.
Video
Notes
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