These Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers are my most frequently requested tailgate snack. With football season upon us, I know I am going to be whipping up these yummy appetizers at least once a week. I don’t mind though; with so few ingredients, these jalapeño poppers are simple to make! Side note: college football starts in eight weeks. EIGHT WEEKS.
What I love about these jalapeño poppers is that they are a combination of my all-time favorites: bacon, cheese, ranch and jalapeño! They are the perfect balance of creamy and spicy so they won’t quite knock your socks off. Personally, I can put down half a dozen of these in a matter of minutes… but who’s counting?
The Filling
When I first started making these jalapeño poppers, they were very delicious but I always knew there was something missing. About a year ago, I added ranch seasoning to the filling and that gave these peppers the perfect zip that they needed. Now, I would never make these without it! I keep the large Hidden Valley ranch seasoning shaker on hand AT ALL TIMES; I sprinkle it on pork chops, chicken and even popcorn! Yum!
I use whipped cream cheese in jalapeño poppers because it’s easier to mix in the other ingredients. If all you have on hand is regular cream cheese, that will work fine. Just let the cream cheese come to room temperature so it is easier to incorporate the shredded cheese and ranch seasoning.
All About the BACON
Some jalapeño popper recipes call for half a slice of bacon wrapped around each pepper once or twice. That’s bologna! My recipe calls for one slice of bacon per popper so each bite is just as meaty and smoky as the last. Did I mention that no one ever leaves my house hungry?
For this recipe, you can bake the jalapeño directly on a rimmed cookie sheet or add a baking rack. The reason you may consider a baking rack is that the bacon will produce a lot of grease. Either way will work. Just make sure you secure the bacon with a toothpick so your poppers don’t unravel in the oven.
Let me know how you like the recipe!
Kelsey Renee
Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers
Ingredients
- 10 large jalapeños
- 20 slices original cut bacon
- 8 ounces whipped cream cheese
- 1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons ranch seasoning
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- 2. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Optional: place baking rack on top of the cookie sheet.
- 3. Begin by soaking 20 toothpicks in a cup of water. This is important so they don’t burn in the oven.
- 4. Cut the stems off each jalapeño and slice in half lengthwise so you are left with 20 jalapeño “boats”. Using a small spoon, scrape out all of the seeds and white flesh. Wash the jalapeños and lay face down on a paper towel to dry.
- 5. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, cheddar and ranch seasoning. Stir until fully combined.
- 6. Using a spoon or rubber scraper, fill each jalapeño with the cheese mixture.
- 7. Starting on the fat end of the jalapeño, wrap bacon diagonally around each pepper and secure with a toothpick.
- 8. Place jalapeños on rimmed cookie sheet or baking rack and place in the oven. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the bacon is crisp to your liking.
- 9. Enjoy!
