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Creamy, spicy, and smoky, these bacon and cheddar jalapeño poppers are the perfect party food and downright addictive!
The return of football season means the return of my favorite game day eats like these bacon and cheddar jalapeño poppers. They are the perfect grab and go appetizer, delicious when paired with a cold beer or part of a big spread.
Tailgating looks a little different this year, but that doesn’t mean your menu has to suffer. You can whip up a batch of these jalapeño poppers for a group or just a few as the recipe is very easy to scale up or down.
I’ve been lucky enough to have a surplus of jalapeños growing in my little garden and I knew when I picked a dozen that cheesy, crispy jalapeño poppers were in sight.
Truth told, I’ll take any excuse to make (and gobble up) jalapeño poppers as they have been one of my guilty pleasure foods for years. But I no longer feel guilty! Sure, these are cheesy and have a good amount of bacon mixed in, but they are also baked and not fried.
The fresh jalapeños make these pop, but the heat is manageable and actually pretty tame after the seeds and membranes are scooped out. You can also prep these poppers a day in advance and bake them just before serving so you can fully enjoy the game!
Let’s make Bacon and Cheddar Jalapeño Poppers
- Halve and seed the jalapeños, including removing the membranes. Lay the halves on a lined sheet pan.
- Mix up the filling and scoop into the halves.
- Mix up the topping and spoon over the filling, pressing lightly to adhere.
- Bake until the filling is hot, jalapeños softened, and topping is golden brown.
Tips for success
- Be sure to use jalapeños that are the same size so they cook evenly.
- Removing the seeds AND membranes will lesson the heat dramatically in your jalapeño poppers. LOVE heat? Leave some membranes intact. Use a spoon to scrape out the peppers!
- I always take a piece off the bottom of the halved jalapeños so they sit flat and don’t tip over as they bake.
- You can prep the jalapeños a day in advance and refrigerate until ready to bake. Add a few minutes to the cooking time if they’ve been chilled.
- These are best served right out of the oven when the filling is hot. If desired, serve with a creamy ranch dressing for dipping.
More game day eats!
- Crispy Asian Chicken Wings
- Baked Buffalo Wings
- Pigs in the Blanker (with a TWIST)
- Buffalo Cauliflower Bites with Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce
- Buffalo Chicken Sliders
- Sausage Rolls
Creamy, spicy, and smoky, these bacon and cheddar jalapeño poppers are the perfect party food and downright addictive!
- 12 jalapenos, sliced lengthwise, seeds and membranes removed
- 6 slices bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 8 oz Mexican cheese blend, shredded and divided (or cheddar cheese)
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
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Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Use a serrated knife to remove just a bit of the bottom of each jalapeno half so they sit flat on the baking sheet. Place the halved jalapenos on the baking sheet.
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Reserve one cup of shredded cheese and one strip of crumbled bacon for the topping. Mix together the cream cheese, the remaining shredded cheese, bacon, scallions, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
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In a separate bowl, mix the bread crumbs with one strip of crumbled bacon and one cup of shredded cheese. Stir in the olive oil so the crumbs are wet.
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Fill each jalapeno half with the cream chese filling.
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Spoon the bread crumb mixture on top, pressing slightly to adhere.
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Bake until the filling is bubbly, the jalapenos softened and the bread crumb topping is golden brown, about 20 mins. Serve hot.
- Be sure to use jalapeños that are the same size so they cook evenly.
- Removing the seeds AND membranes will lesson the heat dramatically in your jalapeño poppers. LOVE heat? Leave some membranes intact. Use a spoon to scrape out the peppers!
- I always take a piece off the bottom of the halved jalapeños so they sit flat and don’t tip over as they bake.
- You can prep the jalapeños a day in advance and refrigerate until ready to bake. Add a few minutes to the cooking time if they’ve been chilled.
- These are best served right out of the oven when the filling is hot. If desired, serve with a creamy ranch dressing for dipping.
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