Jalapeño Poppers! We know them. We love them. Cream cheesyyy filled jalapeño wrapped in bacon. Whats not to love? Its a creamy, cheesy, and spicy bite. There are many ways to create this. My twist is elevating it just a bit. Giving it a garlic Parmesan taste that is out of this world.
These babies get a little messy because the cheese filling is oozing out of the jalapeño and beware for bacon fat drippage. These will for sure be a crowd pleaser.
This recipe makes 24 total.
Serving 12-15 people
Ingredients
12 large jalapeños
8 oz package cream cheese, softened
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
Quarter white onion or shallot, finely diced
⅓ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup grated parmesan
12 pieces thin cut bacon, cut in half
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp fresh cracked pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a small skillet, heat to medium, saute the garlic and onions in some olive oil, add a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook down until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Cut jalapeños in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Place on a sheet pan.
In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, Parmesan, mozzarella, garlic and onions mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the cream cheese mixture in each jalapeño (try not to over pack it). Then, wrap a bacon piece over and around the jalapeño. Using 2 toothpicks, insert through the bacon from one side to the other, on top and bottom of the jalapeño to ensure security (this helps secure the cream cheese because it will be oozing out). Continue until each jalapeño is filled and wrapped.
Bake for 18-20 minutes in two batches. Garnish with grated Parmesan.
Tip: Try not to overcrowd the sheet pan. Baking in two batches helps for a more crisp exterior. Using the toothpicks ensures that the bacon stays wrapped around the jalapeño.
You can also place these on the grill.
***Also, you can bake these by placing a cookie rack over the sheet pan, so the heat gets distributed all around the jalapeño and the sheet pan collects the bacon grease drippage. This ensures crispier bacon.
