Sous Chefs: Jalapeno Poppers

I've been on a Jalapeno Popper adventure this last week. I've always wanted to make them, and decided it was time with football season here. I'm not a huge bacon fan, so the traditional jalapeno wrapped in bacon didn't appeal to me. I try not to deep fry as often as possible- so I went with a baked version. I learned a few things so read the whole post before you make them. (and may the Boise Broncos win!)

RECIPE

18 jalapenos

7 bacon strips

8 oz cream cheese

1 C. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1 C. Pepper Jack cheese, shredded

2 tsp lime juice

1/4 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 C. bread crumbs
1/4 C. Panko crumbs

* Set the cream cheese out so it can soften. Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crispy. Move to a paper towel and let it cool while you wash, dry and cut the jalapenos. PUT GLOVES ON!! I liked the stems left on the jalapenos-it creates a little 'handle' (which helps when you dip them in crumbs & later when you eat them) and makes them look pretty. I cut the stems first to make sure they wouldn't break, then used a spoon to scoop out the veins and seeds. This process took a little time- give yourself an hour to make these. Place the jalapeno 'boats' on a cookie sheet lined with foil. In a large bowl, whip the cream cheese for 1 minute. Add the lime juice, seasonings and cheeses and mix well (it will be a little stiff). I used a spoon to fill the jalapenos. (Read the tip below). Dip the cream cheese side in bread or Panko crumbs, lightly spray the tops with Pam and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Tips:

I liked mixing the two different crumbs together- you get crunch from the Panko and the beautiful coloring from the bread crumbs. I didn't think about doing that until I was almost done. The pictures posted show just bread crumbs vs Panko-hopefully you can see the difference. Of course, you can do it that way too.
The longer you bake them, the less heat they'll have. I baked my first attempt for 30 minutes and I could hardly feel the heat.
The first time I made these, I over stuffed them (see the pictures below). Half the filling baked out (which is really frustrating when you spend an hour trying to make them perfect).