I decided to try these after remembering how nasty the frozen ones were when I bought a package of them a couple of years ago. They turned out great! And FYI, I think they would have been even better with panko instead of regular bread crumbs. The hubby liked them, too! This would be a great appetizer to serve for a Superbowl or game-watching party. We dipped them in Thai sweet chili sauce, and I’m not going to lie, a little bit of ranch, too! 🙂
Jalapeno Poppers
INGREDIENTS
Thick-cut bacon, 2 slices, fried and finely chopped
Jalapenos, 12 small – medium size
Cream cheese, 4 oz, at room temp
Sharp Cheddar cheese, 1/2 c shredded
Monterey Jack cheese, 1/2 c shredded
Hot pepper sauce, 1 t
S & P
Eggs, 2
Whole milk, 1 T
Plain fine dried breadcrumbs or panko, 1 c
Vegetable oil for frying, 3 c
*a candy/oil thermometer is handy for this recipe
DIRECTIONS
Using tip of paring or bird’s beak knife, slit each jalapeno on one side from the stem to the tip. Then, make a partial horizontal cut at the base of the stem, leaving the stem end intact. Gently open up the jalapeño and remove the seeds with the knife or a small spoon. (I used a serrated grapefruit spoon and it worked great. Make sure to not use your fingernails to scrape the seeds out. This will cause extreme pain later! Believe me! I learned the hard way a few years ago!)
In a small bowl, mix together the bacon, cream cheese, Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and hot pepper sauce until well blended. Using a small spoon, or your hands, fill each jalapeño with the cheese mixture. Close the filled chiles, pressing firmly on the seams so they retain their shape.
In another small bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. In a second shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs and a pinch of salt and pepper. One at a time, dip each filled jalapeño into the egg mixture, allow the excess to drip off, then dip into the breadcrumbs, patting gently to help them stick. Transfer to baking sheet. Let them dry for about 10 minutes, then repeat, dipping them into the egg mixture first, then the breadcrumbs.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a few layers of paper towels. Pour oil into a deep saucepan, so that it is about 3 inches deep. Using a candy/oil thermometer, heat the oil to 325 degrees.
With metal tongs, add the chiles, 2-3 at a time, to the hot oil. Deep-fry, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Using the tongs or a skimmer, transfer jalapeños to paper towels to drain and keep warm in oven while you fry the rest. Serve hot.
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