Photo by Jesse Hendrix-Inman
Jalapeno Cornbread Poppers
Party food gets way more interesting, thanks to a jolt of jalapeno heat in this recipe from Janine Washle of CloverFields Farm & Kitchen. Kick it up for kickoff time and make your next tailgating or game-watching shindig a “booyah!”-worthy celebration.
Ingredients:
48 fresh jalapeños, washed
Cornbread mix, baked according to directions
1⁄2 cup sour cream
1⁄2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1⁄4 cup onion, finely diced
12 slices thin-cut bacon
Preparation:
1. Cut a thin piece from the side of each jalapeño; reserve. Remove seeds and membrane from jalapeños and discard.
2. Finely dice enough jalapeño pieces from reserved slices to equal 2 tablespoons and discard remainder. Set aside.
3. Crumble cornbread into a medium-size bowl. Add sour cream, cheese, onion and diced jalapeño. Mix thoroughly until mixture can be molded and holds its shape.
4. Stuff each jalapeño with cornbread mixture.
5. Cut bacon slices in half and then halve each strip lengthwise. Lay a strip of bacon over top of cornbread mixture, pressing to adhere. (You also can wrap bacon around jalapeño, but the wrapped pepper will shrink significantly when cooked.)
6. Grill peppers over medium-high heat with grill lid closed until bacon is crispy. Or broil until bacon is cooked and crispy around the edges.
7. Serve warm with dipping sauce.
Spicy Raspberry Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
1⁄2 cup raspberry preserves
2 jalapeños, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Preparation:
1. Warm preserves in a small pan over medium heat to liquefy. Press through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl. Discard seeds.
2. Squeeze jalapeño slices with a garlic press.
3. Stir pressed jalapeño and lime juice into raspberry preserves. Refrigerate any leftovers.