Appetizers

Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers

Posted by iavogoodmeal on

Jalapeño poppers – who doesn’t love them? Equal parts cheesy and crunchy and you never know when you might get that odd spicy one! We first made this version of poppers last year for Halloween – I wanted some kind of themed food for our party and ended up making these “mummy” poppers with strips of Pillsbury pizza crust and candy eyes. They were so so cute and delicious too. 

When I started thinking of re-introducing them for Super Bowl, I wanted to play around with the filling to see if I could make it more nutritious (this was in the thick of my first round of the Tighter Together Challenge by Madeline Moves) and I’m happy to report that I’ve been able to sneak in a healthy ingredient without sacrificing taste. What is it you ask? Cottage Cheese! Now before you judge, I too was not a fan of cottage cheese prior to 2022, it always looked like a bad cross between yoghurt and cheese. But after trying it a few times, it has a nice mild flavor, creaminess and most importantly a good hit of protein! 

In this recipe, when you mix it in with the spices and cream cheese and shredded cheese, because c’mon you gotta still have that ooey gooey factor, promise you won’t even notice it! 

Tips & Tricks

  • If you’re using block cream cheese, I suggest leaving it out for a few hours to allow it to come to room temperature, it makes it easier to mash with the other ingredients. We personally use whipped cream cheese because it gives a nice airiness to the poppers
  • While I’ve given measurements for the spices, this is definitely a “season with your heart” recipe – taste as you go and adjust the seasoning as needed
  • If spice isn’t your thing – you can easily make these with sweet mini peppers, they come out delish!

Recipe Information

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 8 poppers

Ingredients

  • 4 jalapeños deseeded and halved
  • 2 tbsp whipped or regular cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
  • 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 tsp everything but the elote seasoning
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic herb seasoning 
  • Salt/pepper to taste
  • 1/2 package Pillbusy Pizza crust cut into 1 inch strips 
  • 1 egg beaten

Directions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350F
  2. If using regular cream cheese, allow to come to room temperature for 1-2 hours
  3. Mix with cottage cheese, shredded cheese and seasoning, adjust to taste
  4. Divide filling equally between the jalapeño halves 
  5. Wrap each jalapeño with a strip of pizza crust making sure to cover all the cheese
  6. Arrange jalapeño poppers on a lined baking sheet and brush with egg wash
  7. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown