I think food is one of the only places in life where it’s ok to change the rules in the middle of the game, for the most part anyway! These Poppers were a mid-game rule changer for me because I was all ready to bake up a big pan of cheesy Jalapeno Cornbread! A perfectly yummy, spicy & cheesy pan of Cornbread..SO good, but SO typical! Then it hit me, H.A.R.D!
And not a moment too soon either, since I was one knife slice away from chopping up a pile of pretty & plump jalapenos into bunches of little pieces! The voices something inside my head said “instead of slicing up of all those jalapenos and mixing them into the Cornbread batter, how ’bout using those Peppers like little Cornbread Muffin Cups..just to see what would happen?!” Hmmm…….
I’m so glad that I listened to the ramblings in my head because what happened was incredible..lol! We ended up with spicy little hand-held, flavor packed poppers, filled with warm, cheesy and tender Cornbread. As if that wasn’t enough, each bite popped wtih juicy bursts of sweetness from the fresh corn kernels suspended throughout the fluffy Cornbread. Such a perfect balance to the spicy peppers!
Give this unique Cornbread switch-up a try the next time you’d like to jazz up an otherwise ordinary side dish. It totally turns plain old cornbread into a fun, two-bite Jalapeno Cornbread Popper experience! 🙂
What you’ll need for approx. 24 Jalapeno Cornbread Poppers:
12 Med/Large fresh Jalapenos
1 Box of Cornbread Mix (I used the Honey variety for the sweetness)
1 1/2 Cup Shredded Cheddar (1 cup for the batter..1/2 cup for sprinkiling)
1 Cup Corn..fresh OR canned is just fine
Directions:
Slice each jalapeno down the center and carefully remove all the seeds and veins..set aside
In a medium bowl, mix up the Cornbread batter according to the box instructions, add in the Corn and 1 cup of the Cheddar.
Fill each Jalapeno half with some batter! Eh-hem, don’t over fill them! 😉
Sprinkle them all with the remaining 1/2 cup of Cheddar.
Place them on a baking rack & sheet pan, bake them at 350 for about 15-20 minutes, or until the Cornbread is firm and cooked through. They will be puffed and cheesy too!
Let them cool cuz they’re HOT!
Umm, hello..manners!! Make sure you share them with your friends & family..first! 😉
Then you can lose control and dig in! ~Enjoy! 🙂
Awesome treat thanks for the idea!! I followed some of the advise of others and added extras like; roasted garlic, sautéed onions and cilantro and some hot sauce. I also added chive cream cheese as the first layer. I made a dipping sauce of chipotle sour cream…so yummy!!
Ok. Just read all thru the comments… Nobody’s concerned about GMOs???
I saw the pic on facebook and my mouth immediately started to drool. I so want to make these.
Instead of the packaged cornbread mix (which prob contains GMOs) I would make my cornbread with my own recipe. I’ve managed to find a place on line that sells GMO free corn meal. But is there anywhere that sells GMO free corn? I would soooooo like to make this recipe!
Go to a farmers’ market. You’ll find all the corn you could want.
This recipe sounds delish! Heading to a annual chili cook off we doing every year with neighbors this weekend, Hubs and I have won 3 years in a row! They added a corn bread challenge, I’m soooo going to make these! I would like to add cream cheese at some point? Should I layer the jalapeño first with cream cheese THEN pour batter? Or add the cream cheese to the batter? Or get over the cream cheese idea and just make as directed?
Thank you for this GREAT recipe, can’t wait to make! Any tips are appreciated, sooner the better, party is this weekend!
I’d mix it in with the batter…sounds like fun! 🙂
Should I substitute any liquid? Should I just leave the recipe as it is? My thought was that the cream cheese would make it creamier, more substance, and the dairy will kill the burn a little!!!
Thank you for the quick reply! Sorry for the questions!
Just add it to the batter…if it gets too loose, add more shredded cheese…lol 🙂
Questions always welcome.
Sounds great, thank you again! I’ll message back after the weekend to let you know how it went over. My husband is knee deep in chili recipes! 3 years in a row now, have to come up with something REALLY special!
Can these be done in advance before cooking and frozen? I need a bunch for a party.
I think the batter would hold up just fine, but please let me know! 🙂
Oh my gosh! You just blew my mind. Going to make these for Thanksgiving!! Thank you!!
Is it possible to prepare this the night before and bake the next day?
yes..but I’d fill them up right before baking them.
I made these tonight and they were amazing! We love cream cheese filled poppers but I think this will be our new favorite! Cooking the peppers killed most of the heat so next time I will leave some seeds and veins.
Can I grill these instead?