Home Kitchen Roasted Jalapeño Poppers

The Roasted jalapeño popper breakdown:

These are only a gluten-free and non-fried version of the game day familiar. There’s not one but three kinds of cheese (does cream cheese count?) combined with fresh cilantro and green onions which are then stuffed into hollowed out jalapeño halves and roasted until bubbly and brown. If you can wait the few minutes so you don’t burn your tastebuds, you then get to consume “these spicy cradles of cheese love” as my (at the time) 13-year-old daughter exclaimed.

It truly took me longer to make these than it did for us to inhale them.

If you were to pluck off the roof to our house and peer into the kitchen at the quite moment these cooled down enough to eat, it would have looked like a shark feeding frenzy. We even fought over the crispy browned bits of cheese that spilled over onto the pan. We ended up eating those with crackers.😍

To Make These Roasted Jalapeño Poppers Gather:

• cream cheese – Lends creaminess and is the base of the filling.
• jalapeño cheddar cheese – Or use pepper jack or Monterey Jack for less heat.
• cojita cheese (crumbled) – Can be substituted with queso fresca or crumbled feta.
• green onions – Add fresh subtle onion flavor.
• cilantro – Lends a pop of brightened distinct herbaceous freshness.
• jalapeño peppers – Try to use ones similar in (medium) size.

In a mixing bowl, add 8 ounces softened cream cheese with 1-1/4 cup freshly grated jalapeño cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup Cotija. If you can’t find Cotija, you can substitute with feta.

Next add in 2 chopped green onions and 2 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro.

Use a rubber spatula to mix it all together. It will take a few to get the mixture going, but eventually it will be spreadable.

Now here comes the fun part. I’m lying.

Rinse and pat dry 20 medium jalapeños.

Slip on a pair of nitrile gloves or any type of food-safe glove to protect your hands. Maybe even wear goggles or some form protective eye wear too. Slice the jalapeños in half lengthwise, keeping the stem intact if at all possible, for the only reason is that they look cool once roasted.

Then use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and ribs. This is where protective eyewear comes in handy.

Next use an offset spatula to fill the peppers with about a teaspoon-ish of the cheese mixture and place on a couple of rimmed metal baking sheets. Try to avoid over filling the jalapeños.

Lastly, slide the pan on to the middle rack of your preheated 450° oven.

Roast for 10-12 minutes or until the tops of the cheese are a golden brown.

Before you let loose and start inhaling these roasted jalapeño poppers, transfer them to a platter with a little dish of ranch dressing for dipping, and sprinkle it all with fresh cilantro leaves. Dipping in the ranch helps diffuse the heat a little. But only a little. Because these babes are spicy!

The dependable finger food for parties, small gatherings or midday snackaging. Which is the DEPENDABLE kind of snacking there is.

Enjoy! And if you give this Roasted Jalapeño Poppers recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!