Poppers Part I: Creamy Chorizo Poppers & Pepperoni with Mozzarella Poppers

A couple of days ago, I was messaging online with my older brother Chris, and he was telling me how he was going to make homemade jalapeño poppers on the grill whilst camping.  We started throwing a ton of ideas back and forth and it just made me crave poppers!  Since we're trying to eat a little more low-carb (but still make some good grub), we thought these would be great to incorporate into the weekly menu.  I took the list that my brother and I had come up with, wrote them all down, then Justin and I added some more ideas.  So we're on a popper kick and thought they'd be fun to share as we made them.

They were way good.  Surprisingly cheap, fast, and easy... three very awesome things to find all at once in a good food!  I highly recommend using gloves while you hollow out the jalapeños.  Sometimes I like to think I'm tough and don't need gloves, and then I take my contacts out with my oil-coated fingers.  When I go to put them back on my eyeballs the next morning, I end up looking like a stoned Popeye as my sockets burst into flames and have muscle seizures.  So gloves are good, that's all I'm sayin'.

Listening to a little Youth Brigade performing "Violence"  Warning - stage diving runs rampant.  -jen

CREAMY CHORIZO POPPERS
Time: 15 minutes prep, 15-20 minutes cook time
Difficulty: Super Mega Kinka Easy (but dangerous without gloves, ooooh danger!)
Makes:  30 poppers 

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack or sharp Cheddar (I used a smokehouse onion cheddar!)
• 5 ounces chorizo (Mexican sausage) 
• 15 large jalapeños
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil.

In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese and shredded cheese.

In a small skillet, over medium-high heat, cook chorizo for about 5 minutes, or until done.  Using a slotted spoon so that the grease drains from it, transfer chorizo into cream cheese mix and combine.

Slice jalapeños in half length-wise to make "boats" and remove membrane and seeds.  Fill with  creamy chorizo mixture just until it reaches the edges.  Do not mound.  Place onto greased baking sheet.


In a small dish, toss the panko in the melted butter until evenly coated.  Sprinkle a generous layer over the tops of the peppers.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until panko is golden brown on top.

PEPPERONI WITH MOZZARELLA POPPERS
Time:  12 minutes prep, 15-20 minutes cook time
Difficulty:  Still Super Mega Kinka Easy
Makes:  30 poppers

• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 15 large jalapeños
• 1/4 cup finely diced pepperoni

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil.

Toss Italian seasoning with shredded mozzarella.  Slice jalapeños in half length-wise to make "boats" and remove membrane and seeds.  Sprinkle half of the pepperoni into the jalapeño halves.  Grab about 2 tablespoons of the cheese and form into a quenelle (like a long football-shape) with your palm and the quenelles should sit right in the jalapeño boat on top of the pepperoni.  Sprinkle the remaining pepperoni across the tops.  Place on greased baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and peppers are cooked.