Jalapeno Poppers- Ninja Foodi Recipe

One of my favorite appetizers is Jalapeño Poppers!!  I just can’t seem to get enough of them.  So much so that I find myself ordering them at the local hot dog store whenever I get the chance.  A couple of years ago, I decided to give it a go and try to make my own variation.  I made them exactly as they are in this Ninja Foodi Jalapeño Popper recipe….but I put them n the grill!  Holy cow were they good!  I made them for a barbecue and they were a huge hit!! While I think anytime is the right time to grill……sometimes the Chicago weather takes over and grilling is just not an option.  So, I came up with the Ninja Foodi Jalapeño Popper recipe!  They are so good!  You and your friends and family will be so impressed! Oh My Goodness!  How good do these Jalapeño Poppers look???  Cheese and bacon…seriously what could be better?  Oh…a side of ranch to dip them in.  Yumm!! In just a matter of minutes you can be snacking on cheesy, jalapeño goodness….for just a portion of what Jalapeño poppers cost at your local restaurant or in the freezer section.  Oh and these are WAY better!  Jalapeños literally cost about 4 cent each at the grocery store!  Stock up next time you go shopping and make yourself a snack.  You will be so glad that you did!

Tips for making this recipe:

1. Be sure not to handle the inside of the jalapeños or the seeds too much when you cut them and clean them.  The inside of jalapeño peppers (especially the seeds) can be very spicy!
2. When buying jalapeños, the more white stripes the jalapeños have on them, the spicier the peppers will be.  If you like heat, get the jalapeños with more white stripes and add in the seeds.  If you like it a bit milder, avoid the jalapeños with the white stripes and instead look for the younger jalapeños that are all green and do not add the additional seeds.
3. Try different cheeses!  If you like pepper jack cheese….use that instead of cheddar!

Instructions:

1. Wash jalapeños and slice in half lengthwise- remove all seeds
2. Combine room temperature cream cheese and shredded cheddar cheese in a bowl.  mix until well combined.  You can mix with a spoon or your hands.  Sometimes, it’s easier to mix well using your hands.  If you don’t want to get your hands cheesy, place a ziplock bag on each hand or plastic gloves if you have them.
3. Fill each to the jalapeños with your cheese mixture.  Don’t overfill or the cheese will melt all over your Ninja Foodi.  The cheese should be level with the top of the jalapeño..
4. Top each jalapeño with cooked bacon crumbles.
5. Place the trivet into your Ninja Foodi.  You want to have it positioned so that the trivet is tall- flipped so that there are only a few inches between the trivet (cooking rack) and the top of the Ninja Foodi insert pan.
6. Lightly spray the trivet (cooking rack) with non-stick cooking spray.
7. Place the stuffed jalapeño poppers onto the trivet (cooking rack).  Depending on how many peppers you have and their size, you may need to have them touching each other.  That’s ok!  Just be sure that you aren’t stacking the peppers on top of one another.
8. Close the broiler lid of the Ninja Foodi.  Do not use the pressure cooker lid.
9. Turn the Ninja Foodi on and select “Air Crisp” and select 370 degrees.  Air Crisp for 5 minutes.  When timer beeps, open lid and check to see if the Jalapeño Poppers are cooked to your liking.  If you would like your Jalapeño Poppers

Ingredients:

• non-stick cooking spray
• 6-10 fresh jalapeños
• 6 oz of cream cheese- room temperature
• ¼ cup cheddar cheese- shredded
• 2 slices cooked bacon- cut into bitesized pieces

Recipe