I harvested my first jalapeños from my garden this weekend and decided to celebrate with some cheesy, delicious jalapeño poppers! If you’re looking for an easy appetizer that’s sure to impress, you’ve found it.

Thank you to my grocery partner Kroger DFW for supporting The Rose Table and this recipe! It’s partnerships like this that keep The Rose Table going. Want to grow your own peppers? Kroger has pepper plants!

I have so many jalapeños in my garden that I was inspired to make these delicious poppers and I have to wonder: why haven’t I been making poppers all summer long?! They really jazz up a Tuesday!

People say that you should put gloves on while handling jalapeños but I’ve never had an issue. You absolutely want to wash your hands with cold water after handling though and make sure not to rub your eyes or face before washing your hands.

The heat depends on how much of the seeds and membrane you keep. I’m white as a ghost so it should come as no surprise that I mostly scooped out all of the seeds and membrane. Jalapeños still have a nice heat to them but it’s not overwhelming. To up the heat, just keep in some seeds.

This recipe is easy to cut in half or double for a crowd. Here I made a half batch with three gorgeous homegrown peppers. The buttery Panko crust adds such a nice crunch to this delicious little appetizer.

A couple of party tips: you can make the filling days in advance and fill them right before baking. You can also fill them 3-4 hours before baking them if you’re party prepping. In the summertime, you could even wrap these in foil and throw them on the grill instead of baking them!

Jalapeño Poppers

6 large jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1/2 Tbsp fresh chives
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
For serving: ranch dressing, lime wedges, sliced green onions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Carefully slice the jalapeños in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and white membranes. (Recommended: wear gloves to avoid skin irritation.)
3. In a small mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, chives, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt.
4. Fill each jalapeño half generously with the cheese mixture, smoothing the top with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
5. Toss the panko breadcrumbs with the melted butter until the crumbs are evenly coated. Top each stuffed pepper with breadcrumb mixture. Arrange peppers on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until the jalapeños are tender and the cheese filling is bubbly and golden brown on top.
6. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with a side of ranch dressing and lime wedges.