Baked Jalapeno Poppers

These Baked Jalapeno Poppers are an excellent appetizer recipe for anyone, but especially for those who are watching their calorie intake on Game Day.

Super Bowl Appetizer:

One of the most calorie-consuming days of the year for football lovers and party-goers is approaching, and you have to decide how you’re going to handle that “day of food.” You could just write it off and tell yourself that it’s going to be a day of enjoying deep fried fabulousness, endless bowls of chips and sugary desserts. Or you may be one of those people who possess extreme willpower to have just a little of this and a little of that, without overdoing it. I suggest you just enjoy the day and make a few lighter things like these Baked Jalapeno Poppers.

Ingredients needed:

• whole wheat sandwich bread
• whipped cream cheese
• ricotta cheese
• Monterey Jack cheese
• fresh parsley
• fresh jalapeños
• flour
• salt and pepper
• egg
• smoked paprika, garlic powder and cayenne pepper

Tips for preparing Jalapeños:

You’ll need fresh jalapeños for this recipe. Cut them in half and scrape out the seeds and ribs. Your hands are going to get spicy… and what I mean by spicy is that if you touch your eyes with your fingers after performing this task, you’re not going to be very happy.

Once you’ve handled the peppers, place your hands in bowl of milk or cream to neutralize the capsaicin. Then wash your hands with soap and water.

How to make Baked Jalapeno Poppers:

Fill the hollowed-out jalapeño halves with a lightened up cheese mixture (cream cheese, ricotta, Monterey Jack and parsley).

Dip the cheese-filled jalapeños in egg wash and bread crumbs, and spray them lightly with cooking spray. Bake until crispy!

These “baked” and lightened-up jalapeño poppers are indeed a pretty nice substitute for the deep-fried, evil, ooey gooey version.  They’re definitely not the same as those, but they’re a decent alternative for those who are watching their calorie intake.

You’ll be able to eat four of these for 187 calories and if you’re following the Weight Watchers WW plan, you will find a link to WW Points on the recipe card at the end of this post. Plus, they happen to be gluten-free adaptable too.

I’m pretty happy with how the turn out. The jalapeños lose a little bit of their spice during the baking process (which is good for me since I’m not super big on spicy food), the cheese mixture becomes properly melty, and the exterior develops some crispness to it.

We shared these with our neighbors and everyone chowed down on pretty much all of them in one sitting.  They’re definitely good football-watching fare. And guess what? No one had any clue that this is a lightened-up recipe. I’d call that a win-win. They’re delicious- enjoy!

Comfort Food Fix by Ellie Krieger:

The recipe for these Baked Jalapeno Poppers comes from Ellie Krieger’s book: Comfort Food Fix.  I have and use Ellie Krieger’s other cookbooks: The Food You Crave and So Easy. She is a fabulously talented recipe developer and she focuses on recipes that are a little bit healthier. In this cookbook, Krieger puts a healthy twist on your favorite comfort food dishes. All nutritional information is included.

Must-tries for me are her Crispy French Toast Fingers with Blueberry- Maple Sauce, Broiled Buffalo Wings, Chicken and Biscuit Pot Pie, Creamy Shrimp and Grits, Skillet Mac and Cheese, Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Shallots, Corn and Cheddar Spoon Bread, Chocolate Chunk Cookies and Double Chocolate Bread Pudding. Everything looks so good!

Here are a few more appetizers you might like to try:

• Triple Onion Dip
• Easy Greek Appetizer Skewers
• Blue Cheese Wedge Salad Crostini
• Pizza Pinwheels
• Easy Buffalo Chicken Dip

5 from 1 vote

Baked Jalapeno Poppers

By RecipeGirl.com (shared from Ellie Krieger's Comfort Food Fix cookbook)

These poppers are a healthy alternative to the comfort food, happy-hour favorite.

Prep: 40 minutes mins

Cook: 40 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings (4 per serving)

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Ingredients

BREADCRUMBS:

• ▢ 4 slices whole wheat sandwich bread
• ▢ 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ pinch of cayenne pepper

POPPERS:

• ▢ ⅓ cup whipped cream cheese
• ▢ ⅓ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• ▢ ½ cup (2 ounces) packed grated Monterey Jack cheese
• ▢ 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• ▢ 12 medium fresh jalapeño peppers (halved lengthwise, seeded and de-veined)
• ▢ ¼ cup all purpose flour
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 2 tablespoons water

Instructions 

PREPARE THE BREADCRUMBS:

• Preheat the oven to 350℉. Place the bread in a food processor and process until fine crumbs form, 25 to 30 seconds. Place the crumbs on a baking sheet, spreading them evenly. Bake until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• On a plate, combine the cooled breadcrumbs with the smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper.

PREPARE THE POPPERS:

• Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. In a small bowl, stir together the cheeses and parsley. Fill each jalapeño half with 2 teaspoons of the cheese mixture.
• On a plate, combine the flour, salt, and pepper. In a small bowl, beat together the egg and the water to combine.
• Dip each jalapeño half in the flour, shaking off the excess, then in the egg wash, and finally in the bread crumb mixture, shaking off the excess.
• Place the coated jalapeños, cut-side-up, onto the prepared baking sheet and spray lightly to coat with cooking spray. Bake until golden brown and crisp and the cheese has melted, about 30 minutes.

Notes

• If preparing this recipe as GLUTEN- FREE, just be sure to use GF bread crumbs and a GF flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (4 poppers), Calories: 187kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 58mg, Sodium: 391mg, Potassium: 198mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 1082IU, Vitamin C: 35mg, Calcium: 150mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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