These are not your average jalapeño poppers: The delicious, mellow jalapeños are stuffed with a creamy, cheesy filling and have a nice, smoky bacon exterior. Meanwhile, the dip is creamy and herby to add interest and a little crunch. These have three types of cheese, and they all stand out in their own way, and the jalapeño’s heat and bacon’s smoky flavor balance all that creamy goodness. Be sure to use jalapeños that are similarly sized so they’ll cook at the same rate, wrap those chiles up tightly, and place them on the baking sheet with their ends on the bottom—this prevents them from unraveling while cooking. These are easy to prepare ahead of time, but taste best straight out of the oven, so don’t bake them until right before your guests arrive.
How to Make It
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
Cut a slit lengthwise in each chile, leaving stem intact. Using a spoon, remove and discard seeds and membranes.
Stir together garlic, cream cheese, pepper Jack, Cheddar, and salt in a medium bowl. Spoon about 1 heaping tablespoon cheese mixture into each chile. Wrap each stuffed chile with a bacon strip. (Wrap bacon strip so that ends are on bottom [unstuffed side] of popper.) Arrange poppers, stuffed side up, in a single layer on prepared baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven until bacon is crispy, 22 to 25 minutes.