Baked Jalapeno Poppers

This recipe for Jalapeno Poppers – cream cheese, cheddar and feta stuffed jalapeno bites will take you on a fun adventure of an all-time favorite bar food, from comfort of your own home! 

Gluten free, not fried but baked Jalapeno Poppers are a must try for any jalapeno and cheese lover! This cheesy Mexican staple can be a show-stopper at any party! I bet! So, I thought, with Oscar Academy Award night approaching this Sunday.. these will make a perfect addition to appetizer platter.  Don't you think?

I think so because not just Jalapeno Poppers are easy to put together, these are mini-little flavor BOMBs! 

You know, flavor-is-the-king!

No one has to know, you worked just 20-25 minutes to put a platter of no-mess and delicious Jalapeno Bites together which is looking as pretty and hot like Oscar guests ;) 

Honestly, these days, I'm obsessed with Jalapeno Poppers. When I saw super fresh Jalapenos in my grocery store last weekend... I felt these has to be on blog! 

Do you remember the Jalapeno Popper Pretzel Bites I shared last month? Those were just the beginning of my delicious rendezvous with jalapenos and cheese. 

Oh, and those Jalapeno cornbread Muffins!! AmaZing!!

Easy 20 Minute Appetizer:

You won't believe, it is so easy to bake a big of jalapeno poppers.. from slicing fresh jalapenos to serving hot and bubbling cheese stuffed peppers takes 20-25 minutes max! 

In fact, you know what? I even like to pre-prep jalapeno peppers and cut my work in half..

I slice and clean the jalapenos and stuff with cheese and put two batches in refrigerator, ready to bake anytime. Then, just when guests start arriving, I arrange a batch on sheet tray and bake fresh screaming bubbling jalapeno poppers in 12 minutes! 

Since jalapenos are stuffed with sturdy-cheese mixture i.e. cream cheese, feta and cheddar.. nothing falls out and rather gets more set while, sitting in refrigerator, waiting to be baked. 

How to prep Jalapeno for Jalapeno Poppers:

A naive jalapeno popper enthusiast will ask: these poppers must be very hot... after all, it is whole jalapeno chilies and cheese? 

I would answer: Not even a little bit!

Trust me, no kidding! If jalapenos are prepared right, jalapeno poppers are a delightful appetizer! So amazingly flavorful with flavor of chili, garlic, and cheese... and is not hot like you would think a chili will be.

Now, you can keep it hot, if you like. I like to make these comfortable for average palate . So, here is how I prepare jalapenos for baked jalapeno poppers:

1. *Slice jalapenos in half.
2. With a small spoon or small knife, remove seeds and inner membrane of jalapeno halves. (discard the seeds).

That't it! This simple yet crucial step will reduce heat of jalapeno chilies by a lot. 

(*wear gloves for this step or be careful not to touch your eyes) 

Bake or Fry?

I must mention that I love fried poppers too.. but given a choice, I will make baked version than fried. Not just because it uses less oil and so... but also because baked jalapeno poppers need very less time to put together. This batch of 24 jalapenos bites was ready in 20 minutes. Also, slicing jalapenos in half gave me chance to remove seeds easily and made stuffing cheese easy too.

Guys, don't forget to tune your TVs to Oscar night coming Sunday, Feb 20, 2017! And make sure to bake some Jalapeno Poppers! You can also make some Thai Peanut Chicken Wraps to compliment the appetizer platter.

oh, for all Jalapeno fans (like myself), I recommend Watermelon Jalapeno Agua Fresca for drink. (since melons are still not in season, you can also make this refreshing drink with strawberries.)

Now, I'm hungry at middle of night, looking at these pictures. Signing off and wish you all a delicious Wednesday!

-Savita x