Miscellaneous with the Miller's: Panko Baked Jalapeño Poppers with Bacon

This comes as no surprise to anyone who has read our blog, but I do love Jalapeño Poppers! Spicy, cheesy, crunchy and creamy all at the same time! Whats not to love?! This time of year, we have a garden full of fresh homegrown jalapeños, so tonight I decided to make some Jalapeño Poppers! This recipe is baked instead of fried but still has all the delciousness you expect!

Ingredients:

- 12 fresh jalapeños, halved with ribs and seeds removed (a spoon works great for this)

- 1 T olive oil

For the filling:

- 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

- 1/3 c grated cheddar cheese (I love extra sharp cheddar but use any hard cheese you have)

- 1/4 c grated mozzerella

- 2 T ricotta cheese

- 1 glove garlic, minced

- 2 tea honey

- 2 tea Louisiana hot sauce

- 1/2 tea half & half

- 2 tea adobo (I take it from a can of chipotles in adobo)

- 1 green onion, finely chopped

- S&P to taste

For the topping:

- 1/4 c panko bread crumbs

- 1/2 T olive oil

- 2 pieces cooked bacon, crumbled

- S&P

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. On a large baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, toss the jalapeño halves and olive oil until coated. Lay the jalapeños on the baking sheet, open side up and evenly spaced.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for the filling and stir until well mixed.

3. Using a spatula, place all of the filling in a sandwich size ziploc bag and seal. Snip one of the two bottom corners off to make ~1/2" hole. Using the ziploc bag as a piping bag, squeeze ~1T of filling into the cavity of each jalapeño halve. *If you do not want to use the piping method, just spoon the same amount of filling in each halve without using the ziploc bag.

4. In a small mixing bowl, combine all the topping ingredients and mix until oil and bacon are evenly distributed.

5. Using your hands, top each jalapeño with a pinch or two of the topping mixture (~1 tea). You may have to press down a little bit to get it to stick.

6. Bake the jalapeño poppers at 400° F for 12-15 minutes until filling is bubbly and panko is browned. Let cool for ~5 minutes prior to serving.