Pepper Poppers from Taste of Home

1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened

1 cup (4oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup (4oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

(I use an 8oz pkg of preshredded Mex blend for

both of these)

6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled (Icut the bacon into small chunks and then cook)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1 pound fresh jalapenos, halved lenghtwise and seeded

1/2 cub dry bread curmbs

Sour cream, onion dip, or ranch salad dressing We do not use any dip

In large bowl, combine the cheese, bacon, and seasonings, Mix well. Spoon about 2 tablespoonsful into each pepper half. Roll in bread crumbs.

Place on greased baking pan (I use Pam). Bake uncovered, at 325* for 15 minutes for spicy, 25 minutes for medium, and 35 minutes for mild.

I can eat them straight uncooked or at whatever time. I usually have to cook the full 35 minutes for my husband. I have a 12 glass pizza pan that is perfect.

I have not made without bacon, but you could reduce or leave out.

ETA: I see you are using sweet peppers. I would cook at a bit higher temp and just until cheese melts and the bread crumbs brown a bit.

I think you can really only fry them if you are wrapping them in bacon. Otherwise, yeah, the filling will fall out. Or you can air fry them if you have that equipment. I like them baked or grilled!

I make poppers a lot during the summer months when I get huge jalapenos at the farmers market. I mix cream cheese and grated cheddar. Fill the pepper halves and bake at 400 for about 15 minutes.

I make something similar with banana peppers, which are not hot, but it does not have cream cheese:

Stuffed Banana Peppers

• 8 Banana peppers, cored and seeded
• Oil for baking
• 1 tbsp Butter
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• Minced chili (I used one fresh Habanero)
• Hot sauce, if needed
• 8 oz. Monterrey Jack cheese, cubed
• 3/4 cup Grated Romano cheese
• 2/3 cup Dry bread crumbs (about one large slice of bread) with
• 1 tbsp Italian dried herbs

Cut off ends of banana peppers and remove seeds and insides, keeping peppers otherwise whole. Place on a baking sheet with oil and bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes, turning once.*

Melt butter in a sauté pan and add garlic and onion. Cook until translucent but not brown – about 2 minutes. Add minced chili and sauté briefly. Add hot sauce, if you think you will need it, and then stir in cubed Jack cheese and grated Romano. Cook over low heat until combined, and then add the seasoned bread crumbs off heat. Fold into a combined mass.

Stuff each pepper with 1/8 of the filling and return to baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 7 minutes.

Serve with chopped fresh tomatoes.

*Note: if using a toaster oven, use 360° instead of 350°.

I've only done them once, but you can treat them like mini-chiles rellenos which I've done more, which they essentially are if they're battered. The thing is to pan fry, and don't over-stuff. And use sliver toothpicks, easiest to remove, or silicone closures to hold them together, or cooking wire. Regular basic toothpicks are fat in the middle to make them easy to hold, which is fine for everything from teeth to epoxy but can be too much for thinner peppers. The holding together is more about the pepper relaxng in the heat and less about the heat of the cheese. Start with cold cheese (duh, but easy to forget). Quickly, swoosh the cut side first in the oil to lightly set the batter, then lay with the cut side up. If the cut side isn't getting done enough just in the frying heat, use your tongs to lightly baste the top. They may float. If they don't, they should be nudgeable when the batter is fully set. If a cast iron pan won't even out your stove, however, it's definitely not worth the bother doing this! Hmm.... If you like the battered better, you could try heating an inch of oil in your smallest pan, a bit hotter than you'd ordinarily fry at (using high smoke point oil), and just drag each one through, no toothpicks, just long enough to lightly set the batter, a few seconds, and drain, then bake to actually cook them.

They sound good with your peppers.