Jalapeño Poppers
Serves 6 to 8
These easy baked jalapeño poppers are a delicious appetizer or game day snack! Instead of a traditional cream cheese filling, they're stuffed with a creamy, tangy mix of Greek yogurt, cheddar cheese, garlic, and chives.
Ingredients
- 12 jalapeño peppers
- 1 cup thick whole milk Greek yogurt*, (see note)
- ¼ cup grated cheddar cheese**, (see note)
- 3 tablespoons chives, divided
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ heaping teaspoon sea salt, more for sprinkling
- ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 6 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the jalapeños in half and remove the seeds and ribbing. Note: You might want to use rubber or disposable plastic gloves when working with these spicy peppers.
- In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, cheese, 2 tablespoons of the chives, garlic, onion powder, salt, and smoked paprika, if using. Fill the jalapeño halves with the yogurt mixture, sprinkle with panko, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the peppers are tender and the topping is golden brown. Remove from the oven and garnish with the remaining chives.
Notes
*Note: Some brands of yogurt are thicker than others. For this recipe (since we're trying to replicate cream cheese) use thick yogurt such as FAGE, Chobani, or the Trader Joe’s brand.
**Note: Grate the cheese using the small holes on a box grater.