Jalapeno & Bacon Poppers
These are great with a little kick from the Jalapeno with a nice subtle bacon and cheese flavor. I certainly recommend using a Jalapeno Popper Rack if you have one
These are great with a little kick from the Jalapeno with a nice subtle bacon and cheese flavor. I certainly recommend using a Jalapeno Popper Rack if you have one
- Carbohydrate 0.80140929486 g
- Cholesterol 41.35 mg
- Fat 13.00021025641 g
- Fiber 0.00192307690471676 g
- Protein 7.66655608974 g
- Saturated Fat 8.008265 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (39g)
- Sodium 209.692499999754 mg
- Sugar 0.799486217955283 g
- Trans Fat 1.00431650641 g
- Calories 150 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Cut the top off of each pepper and completely remove all seeds and the ridge-like membrane from inside the peppers
- Wash each pepper with cold water
- Combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and Italian seasoning in a medium mixing box and mix thoroughly.
- Using a small spoon or spatula spoon in the cheese mixture into each pepper stuffing it completely and slightly mounding it on top.
- Cut a piece of bacon roughly 3-4" long (depending on the girth of the pepper it may need to be longer or shorter) and drape the bacon over the top of the pepper forming a cap. Secure in place with a toothpick pushing in from one side through the bacon and out through the other.
- Set in place inside a Jalapeno Popper cooking rack
- ***I suggest either placing the popper cooking rack onto a cookie sheets with edges or placing tin foil on your oven rack under the poppers as they will drip natural oil that will make your oven smell.
- Cook at 350F for roughly 30 minutes to cook the bacon sufficiently
- Let Cool and eat whole if possible as the bacon flavors all come together nicely with the cheese
Why is the cheese leaking out before the bacon finishes rendering? This common failure usually stems from substituting the cheddar with a high-moisture cheese or slicing the bacon too thick. Hard aged cheddar melts differently than young factory blocks, releasing pools of oil at 350 degrees Fahrenheit before the meat crisps. Keep the cheese blend heavy on cream cheese to maintain stability during the 30-minute bake time.
Managing Fat and Moisture
Raw bacon releases significant rendered fat into the oven. Placing a rimmed baking sheet underneath the rack prevents smoke and flare-ups from grease hitting the heating elements. Thin-cut bacon works better than thick-cut strips here because it shrinks and crisps within the exact window required to cook the pepper shell without turning it to mush.Structural Integrity
Scrape away every vestige of the internal white membrane. Leaving those ribs intact concentrates capsaicin and destroys the balance against the dairy fat. Secure the bacon cap firmly with a wooden toothpick piercing straight through the pepper wall. Loose wrapping allows the meat to slide off during expansion.
