Baked Jalapeno Poppers

Game Day is coming up and I'm getting my Super Bowl game plan down! One definite appetizer on the plan are these Baked Jalapeno Poppers. Jalapeno Poppers are favorite of ours that we like to order when we are out at a pub. But they are always fried (and oh, so delicious) but I really was looking for a way to make them so they have nice crispy coating and not fried.

The peppers are sliced, cleaned, roasted, filled with cheese, dredged in Panko bread crumbs, and baked. These totally met all my expectations of a tender, cheesey, crispy jalapeno popper.

12 fresh jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise, stems, seeds and membranes removed

 

Roast peppers for 10 minutes

Mix cream cheese and shredded cheddar cheese together

Spread 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture into each pepper half

Dip each cheese filled pepper into egg 

Dredge each pepper into panko bread crumbs

Place peppers on a prepared baking sheet and bake

Ingredients:

• 12 fresh jalapenos
• 6 ounces cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• panko bread crumbs
• Cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Cut jalapeno peppers in half, lengthwise, remove seeds and membranes (to protect your hands, you may want to wear gloves when handling the peppers).
3. Place cut jalapeno peppers onto baking sheet. Cook for 10 minutes or until peppers just start sizzle and get lightly browned. Remove peppers from the oven. Let cool. (You may omit this precook step. But I like to precook/roast them a bit to make sure the peppers are nice and tender.)
4. In the meantime, in a medium bowl combine cream cheese and sharp cheddar cheese.
5. Spread 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture into the middle of each jalapeno half, and set aside. 
6. One at a time, dip into the egg mixture, then dredge in the panko crumbs, pressing to coat. Set cheese side up, back onto the baking sheet.
7. Lightly spray with the cooking spray and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese starts to bubble and they start to get golden brown. It's ok of the cheese starts to overflow. 
8. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

These can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for a few hours. Or freeze. (If you freeze, increase the cooking time).

Enjoy!