CHEESY PEPPER POPPERS
10-12 large jalapeño peppers
8 ounces colby-jack cheese
Trim off any stems, leaving the pepper stem caps intact. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise; scrape out the seeds and membranes. Arrange the peppers on a large foil-lined baking sheet. Slice the cheese into 10-12 cross-wise slices and place one slice in each pepper half. They will fit better if you cut or fold each slice in half. Bake at 375º for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the peppers are slightly tender but not mushy. Some of the cheese may ooze out, but you can scrape some of it up and put it back in the peppers. Serve with salsa or Cilantro Pepita Dressing & Dip, if desired.
Makes 20-24 poppers
Per Popper: 79 Calories; 6g Fat; 5g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
Per 2 Poppers: 157 Calories; 12g Fat; 9g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs
I made these on a whim. The store had nice, big jalapeños on sale for 39-cents per pound today and I couldn't resist. I quickly tried to think of something to stuff them with and decided to keep it simple and just fill them with cheese. They turned out great and much simpler than filling them with cream cheese and bacon. Leftovers can easily be reheated in about 10-15 seconds on HIGH in the microwave.