From My Cookbook…Tony’s Jalapeño Poppers
Jalapeño poppers are a perfect appetizer. When you make this recipe, you get just the perfect combination of just barely hot, sweet, and creamy.
There are over 300 recipes in my recently published cookbook, Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us (Click on the link in Note 1 to get your own copy). Even in these inflationary times, we can prepare delicious meals for our family and do so in a way that does not break the budget. And it’s all in the cookbook!
Introduction
I love cooking with jalapeños! I typically grow about 6 plants, which is enough to enjoy fresh, pickle, freeze for cooking, and still have a bunch to give away. If you are having friends or family over, maybe cooking out, watching a game, or just hanging out, and you have fresh jalapeños, then it’s natural to make poppers. I have my recipe, David Giustozzi’s Jalapeño Poppers, and I provide that recipe in my cookbook. Today, we are going to be making my son’s recipe, and it’s a good one too!
Tony Giustozzi’s Jalapeno Poppers
We were at Tony’s house in Charlotte, enjoying a weekend of cooking, eating, and having fun. Tony was smoking ribs and brisket, and we needed something to tide us over until it was ready. Of course, poppers!
Jalapeño poppers seem like a special treat. This easy recipe is something everyone will enjoy. It has a nice, sweet component to it from the raisins. Feel free to cut the recipe in half for a smaller crowd. Enjoy!
If you are like me and don’t enjoy the extra heat from the seeds and ribs, then read on to the notes section where I give you an easy way to remove them.
Ingredients
12 jalapeño peppers
½ cup golden raisins
8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese mix
Directions
Cut and core the jalapeño peppers. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, remove seeds and ribs (Note 1).
Place the room temperature cream cheese in a bowl. Add the shredded cheese and mix well with a large serving fork. Add the raisins, stir well to combine.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Using a small rubber spatula, place about a scant tablespoon or so, depending upon the size of the pepper, and fill the interior with the cheese and raisin mixture. Place peppers on a cookie sheet. I like to butt the open ends against each other to better hold the ingredients in, but it’s really not much of a problem.
Place cookie sheet with peppers in oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn oven to broil, low if you have that feature on your oven.
Broil for just a few minutes until the cheese is melted and starting to brown. Be careful not to burn them.
Remove to a stove top or trivet and allow to cool for about 5 minutes or so. The cheese is very hot and could burn your mouth.
Enjoy!
Notes
Here is an easy way I’ve found to core the jalapeños. After cutting the top with the stem off, use a vegetable peeler (there are two basic types of vegetable peelers, the “Y” type, and the straight type. Here we are using the straight type) and insert it into the pepper from the opening at the large end. Rotate it around, cutting the ribs against the inside of the flesh. Swirl it around once or twice to get all of the ribs. If you did it correctly, you'll likely remove most of the ribs and seeds when you pull the peeler out. Shake the pepper over the trash can to get the rest of the seeds out. Caution: I like to wear gloves when I do this, as the pepper juice can get on your hand and cause it to burn. Some people cut the pepper lengthwise without removing the stem to better hold the ingredients in. You can do that if you prefer; it’s just harder to clean the ribs and seeds this way.
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Tony’s Jalapeno Poppers
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Call to Action
Show someone how much you love them by preparing a delicious meal for them. Later, enjoy the time and money you save by relishing your leftovers, either for lunch at work or dinner at home. Take comfort in knowing you are eating hearty food you prepared. All because you made a good decision to follow the recipes and tips in the cookbook I developed just for you.
Besides getting a copy of the cookbook for yourself, it makes an excellent gift for those you love and care for, especially for those with a young family who are looking to save time and money in the kitchen. And learn a few things in the process! What a great idea!
Recommended Resources
Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us by David Giustozzi (Note 1).
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Notes
Please note that as an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn a small commission on the sale of any of these recommended resources.
Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/437OhVQ
Achieve Your Dreams: A Complete Guide to Live Your Best Life by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/3IxEFgy