I’ll never forget the first time I prepared jalapeños. I never grew up cooking with hot peppers in our home, as my mom is averse to anything remotely spicy. When interning for Camille Styles in college and putting my food styling to practice, I prepared a bacon-wrapped jalapeño recipe without understanding the intensity of jalapeño seeds! I deseeded and cleaned the jalapeños, prepared the recipe, and managed to rub my nose and eyes…fast forward one hour, and my eyes were swollen shut! Now I am much more cautious and wear gloves when prepping these bad boys….
These bright and bold bites were the star of our last tailgate — make them part of yours this weekend!
Serves 12
12 jalapeño peppers, halved and carefully scooped of any seeds
6 ounces whipped cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 ounces shredded sharp white cheddar
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon melted salted butter
6 pieces cooked bacon
Preheat oven to 400F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine cream cheese, cheddar, garlic powder and dried minced onion in a bowl. Separately, combine Panko and butter in a small bowl. Fill each jalapeño with cheese mixture and place on baking sheet. Top jalapeños with Panko mixture and crumbled bacon. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden.