Description
Elevate your appetizer game with oven-baked jalapeño poppers. Baked at 400°F for 10 minutes to golden perfection. These poppers are stuffed with a creamy blend of cream cheese and cheddar, topped with crispy bacon mixed with raspberry jam for a touch of sweetness, and finished with a luscious garlic aioli drizzle. This southern-inspired treat balances salty and sweet, creamy and crunchy, with just the right hint of heat and cooling flavors to delight your taste buds. Yields 16-20.
Ingredients
- 8-10 Large Jalapeños
- 4 Ounces Cream Cheese - room temperature
- 1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese - freshly grated
- 1/2 Shallot - finely diced
- 1 Teaspoon Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon White Pepper
- 1/8 Teaspoon Mustard Powder
Crispy Bacon Topping
- 1 Pound Bacon
- 1-2 Tablespoons of Fig or Raspberry Jam
Garlic Aioli Drizzle
- 1/4 Cup Mayonnaise
- Juice of 1/2 Lemon - about 1 Tablespoon
- 1 Garlic Clove - finely grated
- 1/8 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/8 Teaspoon Pepper
- 1/8 Teaspoon Mustard Powder
- 1/8 Teaspoon Cayenne
Instructions
Garlic Aioli
- In a small bowl combine all of the aioli ingredients. I like to use a Microplane to grate the garlic. Whisk to combine and set in the fridge to rest until needed.
Crispy Bacon
- Using kitchen shears, cut bacon into small pieces and place it inside a large skillet. Turn on medium to medium-low heat and look until the bacon bits are nice and crispy.
- Remove the bits from the skillet with a slotted spoon and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to cool and drain until needed.
Cream Cheese Filling
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Freshly grate the cheddar cheese.
- In a bowl, add the softened cream cheese, grated cheddar cheese, and the rest of the ingredients. Mix with a spatula until combined and smooth.
Assembly
- Slice each jalapeño in half. Scrape out the seeds and ribbing of each pepper with a spoon.
- Spoon some of the cream cheese mixture inside each jalapeño and place them on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Stuff each one until all the cheese is used.
- Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- Once the poppers have finished cooking, remove them from the oven.
- In a bowl add the crispy bacon bits and 1-2 tablespoons of desired jam. Mix gently until the bacon is coated. Wait to do this until right before serving to keep the bacon as crispy as possible.
- Spoon garlic aioli into a zip-tip bag and snip a very tiny bit off the corner. Drizzle aioli over the top of each popper. Place on a platter and serve immediately hot and fresh!
Notes
Make-Ahead Tips
- The garlic aioli can be made and kept in the fridge until needed for up to 5 days prior.
- The bacon bits can be made and kept in the fridge until 5 days prior. Do not mix with the jam until right before serving.
- The cream cheese filling can be made and kept in the fridge until 3 days prior.
- You can stuff the jalapeños will the filling and store them covered in the fridge for 24 hours prior to baking.
- It is best to assemble everything with the candied bacon and aioli drizzle right before serving.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 151
- Sugar: 1.4 g
- Sodium: 276.5 mg
- Fat: 13.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 2.3 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 24.7 mg