I love these poppers. I buy large jalapeños when I find them in the stores. I shop in Chinatown and they often have large peppers that are easy to stuff. I often make this a two day process. The first day I cut the jalapeños in half and clean them and pop them into a bag and store them in the fridge until the next day, when I stuff them and bake or freeze. Wash your hands well after handling the peppers and keep them away from your face.
I have been known to flatten out chicken breasts and wrap them around a popper making it a simple but lovely quick dinner. These poppers are a bit spicy but not over the top. I have made poppers in the past that just tasted like cream cheese and I was determined to develop a spicier popper.
Jalapeño Poppers
15 medium fresh jalapeño peppers, cut in half and cleaned
Panko Crumb Mixture
1 1/2 cup panko crumbs
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
Popper filling Mixture
3/4 cup cream cheese at room temperature
10 ounces of Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 finely chopped jalapeño pepper, seeds removed
I finely chopped small red chili, seeds removed
Popper Assembly Flour Dip Mixture
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 large egg beaten with 2 tbsp water
Using three dishes/bowls—put the flour mixture in the first dish, egg in the second and panko mixture in the third.
Fill each pepper half with a small amount of filling using a small spoon. I fill them to the edge of the half, not overfilling it. Once all the halves are filled, dip each one in the flour, shaking off excess flour, then dip in egg on the filling side and then place that side in the panko, finally placing them on a large cookie pan. Sprinkle any leftover panko on the poppers. The poppers can be sprayed with a bit of olive oil to help crisp the crumbs.
Store in the fridge until chilled. Freeze them for future snacks or cook them at 350˚F for around 30 minutes. If frozen, they will take longer to bake.
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