Baked Jalapeno Poppers

Even though I've made and shared a lot of jalapeno popper-inspired dishes on the blog, I realized recently that I'd never made actual jalapeno poppers. I decided to remedy that by putting them on one of my Christmas menus. Although they were a bit time-consuming to put together, they were really simple to make, and I was even able to assemble them ahead of time to ease the work I had to do when our guests arrived.

These definitely had quite a kick, as any good jalapeno popper should, but the heat was perfectly tamed by the creamy filling. As a nod to traditional, deep-fried jalapeno poppers, I mixed some breadcrumbs with butter and sprinkled the mixture over the top of the jalapenos before I baked them. Everyone absolutely loved these!

Baked Jalapeno Poppers

12 jalapenos, halved, stems attached but seeds and ribs removed

8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature

2 tablespoons sour cream

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup pepper-jack cheese, shredded

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange jalapenos on a foil-lined baking sheet.

2. Stir together cream cheese, sour cream, salt, and garlic powder. Add cheeses and mix until completely combined. Add about 1 tablespoon of the filling to each jalapeno.

3. Combine melted butter and breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the top of each jalapeno.

4. Bake for about 25 minutes, until filling is bubbly and breadcrumbs are browned.