Jalapeno Poppers

Recipe for a hot and delicious starter - stuffed Jalapeños

Jalapeño poppers are jalapeño peppers that have been hollowed out, stuffed with a mixture of cheese, spices, and bacon, breaded and deep fried. It is probably a Tex-Mex version of the famous Mexican Chiles rellenos.

For the vegetarian version simply omit the bacon, it can be possibly replaced with fried onions.

Ingredients:

12-16 fresh green Jalapeno peppers (300 - 400 g)
300 g cream cheese, softened
200 g shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon bacon bits
1 cup milk (250 ml)
1 cup all-purpose flour (175 g)
1 cup dry bread crumbs (150 g)
oil for frying

Preparation

Mix the cream cheese, Cheddar cheese and bacon bits in a bowl. Remove the stem and the seeds from the Jalapeno peppers. Spoon the stuffing mixture into the jalapeno peppers.

Put the milk, flour and bread crumbs into three separate bowls. Dip the stuffed jalapenos first into the milk then into the flour, making sure they are well coated with each. Allow the coated jalapenos to dry for about 10 minutes.

Dip the jalapenos in milk again and roll them through the breadcrumbs. Allow them to dry, then repeat to ensure the entire surface of the jalapeno is coated.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil to 365 degrees F (180 degrees C). Deep fry the coated jalapenos 2 to 3 minutes each, until golden brown. Remove and let drain on a paper towel. Serve with a salad and/or barbecue sauce.

Photo credits (free): Wikipedia