I am a huge finger food person! Whether we are at home, at a restaurant or at a small shin-dig, I want to try as many things as possible. I think my wife Lindsay turned me on to this, but she really is on to something. I am certainly a creature of habit, but once she helped me branch out and try many things in one sitting, it’s now something that I prefer. I decided that I wanted to take that concept and apply it jalapeño poppers.
If you are having a get together or are tailgating you can certainly serve a ton of different appetizers or finger foods, but with jalapeño poppers, you can serve a ton of different variations. For instance, a traditional jalapeño pepper may only be stuffed with cream cheese and maybe topped off with some bread crumbs. In my case, I took the liberty of stuffing some with cheddar cheese, some with blue cheese and some with pulled smoked chicken, thanks to my new Bradley Smoker! I then topped them off with some whipped cream cheese, and bacon, of course.
I know it may sound like a lot of work, but with the Mr. BBQ Jalapeño Cooker it is super easy. This little gadget helps you keep the jalapeños upright while you stuff away. Even though jalapeños come in all shapes in sizes, the cooker accommodates just about every different jalapeño you may find at your local grocery store. Once you’ve got your jalapeños seeded with the OXO corer, next simply line them up in the cooker, season the insides with salt and then you are only limited to your own creativity. Stuff away! Maybe try putting in some Italian sausage, or some queso dip. I mean, literally, the possibilities are endless.
Because the cooker has little leg stands, you can either put it right on the grill (cross grates of course) or on a sheet pan and right in the oven. It is perfect for a backyard get-together or an onsite tailgate.
Happy Tailgating everyone!
Easy Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 24 fresh jalapeños, stems removed and seeded
- 8 battonets of cheddar cheese
- 4 tablespoons of crumbled blue cheese
- ¼ cup of pulled chicken, smoked chicken optional
- 1 cup of whipped cream cheese
- ¼ cup of chopped crispy cooked bacon
- Kosher salt to taste
- Bread crumbs for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- Place the jalapeños cut side up into the holes of the Mr. BBQ Jalapeño Cooker and season the insides generously with Kosher salt.
- Stuff 8 each jalapeños with the cheddar cheese battonets, crumbled blue cheese and pulled smoked chicken.
- Top each of the stuffed jalapeños off with a dollop of whipped cream cheese and top off with a pinch of bread crumbs, optional.
- Place the Jalapeño Cooker on a sheet pan and bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the jalapeños brown on the outside and the cream cheese has browned on top.
- Evenly sprinkle chopped bacon on top of the cooked jalapeño poppers and serve.
