The regular season of the NFL is over and playoffs will be underway, then the Superbowl finale. While I won’t have the parties this year like in years past, there is no reason not to enjoy some of the more traditional Superbowl food.
Jalapeno poppers are good any way you make them. Most of the time I stick to the more traditional home method of hollowing out a jalpeno pepper, stuffing it with cream cheese and wrapping it in bacon. In restaurants you will get a cream cheese stuffed jalapeno, breaded and deep fried. These Popper Bites combine the 2 methods, and they hold up in the freezer so you can enjoy them when you have the popper craving.
Start by chopping up 2 slices of bacon and crisping in a pan. Drain off grease, and pat dry.
Or, if you’re like me, I cook up an entire package of bacon at a time and freeze the cooked, leftover slices to use at a future date. If this is the case, all you need to do is pull 2 slices out of the freezer and chop them up.
A note for my vegetarian friends and followers: as long as you eat cheese, omit the bacon or use vegetarian bacon bits so vegetarians and non-vegetarians can enjoy these! The vegetarian bacon bits have come a long way in flavor over the years and are probably healthier for you anyway.
In a large bowl, add room temperature cream cheese, shredded cheese, crispy bacon bits, a minced jalapeno (remove seeds and ribs or keep them in, whatever your spice level can handle), and a dash of chili powder.
Mix this all together using the back of a firm spoon or a firm rubber spatula.
Now it’s time to get ready to build your popper bites.
Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and spray it with cooking oil.
Beat your eggs or put the milk in a bowl. Put your bread crumbs in another bowl.
Get a small dish and add some cold water to it.
Open your package of wonton wrappers.
Lay out 4 to 6 wraps at a time, with 1 corner pointing toward you. Wet all around the edges with water. I use the tips of a finger or 2, works better for me than a pastry brush.
Put a dollop or cheese mixture (about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons) in the center of each wrap.
Get ready to roll!
Fold the corner that is pointing toward you in over the cheese mixture.
Now fold the 2 side corners in over each other.
For the final roll, you may need to brush some more water on the flap before rolling it over. This will make sure all edges stick and you will be less likely to have your poppers ooze out while you are baking them.
Put these on your lined sheet tray and continue rolling until cheese mixture is used up. You’ll get about 35 bites, give or take a few.
Now, let’s add the breading. You can certainly skip this step, but it adds texture, flavor, and makes them a little more like restaurant quality.
Roll a bite in the milk, or egg, then in the bread crumbs and return to the sheet tray.
Continue until they are all breaded.
Now put them in the freezer for at least an hour. This is key. If you cook them before they are frozen, you will end up with a pile poppers that have all oozed and lost their cheese.
Once your popper bites are frozen, you can bag them up and cook them later, cook them all, or cook just a few.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Pull your popper bites from the freezer, spray them all around with cooking spray, and put them directly into the oven. Cook for 5 minutes, flip them over and cook another 5 – 7 minutes. They should be golden brown at this point. If you cook much longer you run a greater risk of cheese oozing out.
I like to serve these as an appetizer with some veggie stick and ranch dressing.
I also freeze any leftovers and heat them up in my toaster oven.
Enjoy!
Jalapeno Popper Bites
Ingredients
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup shredded cheese co-jack, cheddar, or mozzarella
- 1 each jalapeno no seeds or ribs, minced
- 2 slices bacon cooked, cut into bits (optional or use vegetarian bacon bits)
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- 35 each Wonton wrappers or egg roll wrappers cut into 4ths with a pizza cutter
- ½ cup milk or 2 eggs*
- 1//2 cup bread crumbs Italian seasoned tastes great
Instructions
- Combine cheeses, jalapeno, bacon bits if using, and chili powder. I use the back of a spoon to mash it all together.
- Beat the egg, if using, or put the milk in a bowl. Put the bread crumbs (they can be seasoned bread crumbs) on a plate or a bowl. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and spray with cooking oil. Put some water in a small container.
- Spread out wonton wrappers (4 – 6 at a time). Dampen edges with water. Put about 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture in the center of the wrapper.
- Fold 1 corner over the cream cheese mixture. Then fold over the 2 opposite sides, and roll it up. Make sure all edges are sealed against the wonton wrapper – you may need to brush more water on the wonton for the last fold to adhere. Place on a parchment-lined sheet tray (spray parchment first). Finish the rest of the cream cheese mixture.
- Roll a jalapeno popper bite in the milk or egg then in the bread crumbs and return to the sheet tray. Continue until all are done. Freeze flat for at least 1 hour, until frozen through.**
- Heat oven to 400°F. Spray each popper bite evenly with cooking spray. Cook for 5 minutes, flip over and cook another 5 to 7 minutes, no more or they tend to explode.
- Serve with veggie sticks, ranch, and bleu cheese dressing.
- Enjoy!