How to Make Jalapeno Poppers
Jalapeno Poppers have to be one of my favorite snacks. I certainly don't care how these lovely nuggets of heat come, I think they are fantastic. You can stuff them with cheese, bacon, shrimp, or just about anything else and they are going to disappear. I think the first time I tried one of these was when I was working in a restaurant, or you might just call it a place that served food. I thought these hot poppers were the best thing we had on the menu..
If you want to freeze these, once you get them battered you can freeze them uncooked on a cookie sheet until solid, then you can put the poppers into plastic bags and store. You could also fry them all of the way, freeze them on a cookie sheet, and pop them into plastic bags. When you are ready to serve them, place them on a baking sheet at 350 degrees and reheat until they are fully warm.
If you want to have fun with this recipe, you can swap out the cheeses. You could put a little left over ham and Swiss cheese into these for a unique flavor.
Ingredients
| Jalapeno peppers | 30 Medium | |
| For filling the peppers | ||
| Cream cheese | 16 Ounce (Two 8 oz packages used | |
| Shredded cheddar cheese | 12 Ounce | |
| For breading the peppers | ||
| Flour | 1 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Milk | 1 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Seasoned bread crumbs | 1 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| For seasoning the flour | ||
| Salt | 1/4 Teaspoon | |
| Paprika | 1/8 Teaspoon | |
| Chili powder | 1/8 Teaspoon | |
| Garlic powder/Onion powder | 1/8 Teaspoon | |
| Ground black pepper | 1/4 Teaspoon (Optional) | |
| For frying the peppers | ||
| Vegetable oil | 1 Quart (For deep frying) |
Directions
GETTING READY
1. Slice jalapenos in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scrape out the pith and the seeds inside the peppers.
2. In a bowl combine cream cheese and cheddar cheese, stir until well blended. Use a spoon to fill each pepper half with the cream cheese blend.
3. In a small shallow bowl, prepare seasoned flour by adding salt, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder and pepper (if using) to the flour. Blend spices into flour until uniform.
4. Place milk into a separate shallow bowl.
5. Dip stuffed jalapeno in the milk, and then roll into the seasoned flour. Place floured pepper on a baking sheet with a rack. Let the peppers "dry" for about 10 minutes.
MAKING
6. Preheat oil to 350 F.
7. Pour bread crumbs into a separate bowl. Dip floured jalapeno pepper in the milk and then into the bread crumbs. Place peppers back on the rack for 5 minutes to "dry".
8. Fry peppers one or two at a time until golden brown. This will only take a minute or two. Remove from oil and drain on a baking rack.
SERVING
9. Serve hot and enjoy!
TIPS
It is highly recommended you wear gloves when cutting the jalapenos, as the oils in the peppers can burn your skin.
After rolling the stuffed jalapenos in flour, drying it out for 10 minutes is important as the flour layer will help the stuffing remain inside the pepper, and give the bread crumbs something to hold onto.
Recipe Summary
Nutrition Facts
Serving size
Calories 311Calories from Fat 220
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 25 g38.5%
Saturated Fat 11 g55%
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol
Sodium 349 mg14.54%
Total Carbohydrates 13 g4.3%
Dietary Fiber 1 g4%
Sugars 3 g
Protein 9 g18%
Vitamin A % Vitamin C %
Calcium % Iron %
*Based on a 2000 Calorie diet
