Cooking A-Z: J is for Jalapeno Poppers

I don’t like really spicy food but I am a fan of a tiny kick every once in a while. I like pepper jack cheese and spicy mustard on turkey sandwich every once in a while…I know, I live on the wild side! I am a fan of jalapeno poppers because they are fairly mild. Finding something to cook for the letter “J” was a bit of a challenge, there just wasn’t a lot to choose from.

When I decided on the poppers, I wanted to make a healthier version. I used lower calorie ingredients, egg whites, and I baked them inside of frying. They turned out really delicious! They were little balls of cheesy goodness with a spicy kick 😉 These are best served warm, out of the oven. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 light cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and sliced
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder and cilantro mixed with bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese and shredded cheese together.

3. Take about 1/2 tbsp of the cheese mixture and place on the palm of your hand. Add 2 slices of jalapeno, then add more cream cheese filling and roll into a ball. Make sure that the peppers do not poke through.

4. Put the egg white, flour, and bread crumbs into three separate bowls. Add dry spices to the bread crumb bowl and mix well.

5. Dip the poppers into egg white, the flour, and coat again with the egg whites. Dip into the bread crumbs and place onto a greased pan. Repeat until all balls are coated.

6. Bake for 10 minutes and serve warm. Enjoy 🙂