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Jalapeno Poppers have always been one of my favorite potluck finger foods to make. The melty cheese mixed with the spicy peppers all hugged in crispy bacon is the perfect mixture of savory flavors. I’m always looking for new ways to incorporate that same flavor profile into other recipes.
Twice Baked Potatoes seemed like the perfect recipe to try out a Jalapeno Popper twist on. And they were!
You get all the creamy, melty, spicy, savory goodness of a popper but with a lot less of the tedious hands on work. The trick to getting the “popper” flavor in every bite is to blister your jalapenos before you add them to the mix.
First, let’s back up to step one … the potatoes are baked like a typical baked potato. Prick + oil + salt & roast until fork tender. Then they are cut in half horizontally; I like to use the rim of my baking sheet as a guide for my knife. Then you scoop out most of the flesh, leaving a ‘boat’ behind.
While the potatoes take their first turn in the oven, you have plenty of time to cook & chop the bacon & jalapenos. After cooking the bacon, the jalapenos go right in the same pan to be blistered.
Blistering the jalapeno simply means to pan fry it until the outside softens & there are some blister-spots – it may look like it’s charred.
The last step is to mix the scooped out potato guts with the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon, blistered jalapenos, half & half, black pepper & garlic powder before mounding the mixture back into the hollowed out potato boats. The potatoes go in for a final 10 minutes & come out ready to eat!
Whenever I make this for a family dinner, I leave the jalapenos out of half so the kids can enjoy it too. They love their version as much as I love the spicy version – win win!
Did you try this recipe? Please tell me all about it! I really appreciate all of your feedback & I love seeing your creations! Please leave a review & comment below. And don’t forget to take a quick pic of your creation, and tag This & That on Instagram or Facebook.
Jalapeño Popper Twice Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 Russet Potatoes
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- 2 Jalapeños
- 1/2 Pkg of Bacon
- 3/4 c Cheddar Cheese shredded
- 2 oz Cream Cheese cubed
- 1/2 c Half & Half or Whole Milk
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- Black Pepper to taste
- Sour Cream optional for serving
- Sliced Green Onions optional for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Wash potatoes & prick all over with a fork. Rub olive oil & generously salt all over. Place on baking sheet & bake for 45 minutes, until a fork easily slides through to the center.
- While the potatoes bake, pan fry the bacon. Lay to cool & drain on paper towel. Once cool enough to handle, roughly chop & set aside.
- In the same pan as the bacon, blister the jalapenos (whole) until they have softened, turning them to evenly cook all sides. (Black spots are okay.) Remove from heat & lay on a paper towel. Once the peppers are cool enough to handle, cut the stems off. Deseed & dice the peppers; set aside.
- When potatoes are fork-tender & cool enough to handle, carefully cut each potato in half lengthwise. Tip: I use the edge of my rimmed baking sheet as a guide for my knife to sit on.
- Scoop most of the flesh out of the potato halves, leaving a small "boat" behind. Add the scooped out potato to a medium bowl with the cream & salt. Mix them together & mash the big chunks down to a smooth consistency.
- Add the cheddar cheese. cream cheese, jalapenos, & bacon to the bowl with the potatoes. Season with garlic powder & mix until well combined. Taste & adjust seasonings if needed.
- Using a spoon, fill the potato halves evenly with the mixture. Mound as high as needed; use the spoon to compress it down. Season with black pepper.
- Return to oven & bake another 10 minutes.
- Enjoy!
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