Protein Packed Jalapeño Poppers
Protein packed Jalapeño Poppers made with mix of cottage cheese, cream cheese and cheddar cheese along with fresh scallions and crunchy toppings.
Jalapeño Poppers are one of the very famous appetizers of all time. At least I think of them that way because I am a sucker for spicy crunchy flavor loaded finger foods. Too bad it is made with bacon and whole lot of fats and not much nutritional values. Being a vegetarian, that is one of the biggest reasons I cannot eat them at any restaurants. Well I guess it is a good thing. Because it forces me to make them at home with some added protein!
Yes you read that right!! Lately I have been on a cottage cheese kick and been trying to find different ways to enjoy it. This recipe is an outcome of me playing around with different ways to eat cottage cheese. At first I was not sure if making Jalapeño Poppers is going to work out with cottage cheese. But I truly surprised myself with the outcome! These protein packed Jalapeño Poppers came out dangerously good. These poppers has flavorful moist filling while still holding crunch on the outside. Especially the crunchy topping using panko and cheddar cheese!
The freshness of scallions, the creaminess of cottage cheese and the crunchiness of panko makes this easy recipe so darn good. This has been my favorite when it comes to hosting as well! I make the filling ahead of time and also prep Jalapeños ahead of time. Then it is simply a matter of filling them and baking them to perfect crispiness! I urge you to make them for your next gathering. Just be ready to deal with overwhelming compliments from your guests. Yup, warning you ahead of time LOL.
If you like to host with healthish finger foods like this one, I suggest you check out my PERI PERI TOFU WINGS as well. These two would go great together! If you end up trying this or any of my recipes, leave me a comment below or tag me on Instagram @myvegetairanroots. I would love to hear your feedback.
Happy & Healthy Eating!
Jalapeño Poppers
Ingredients
- 6 large Jalapeños
Creamy Cheese Mix
- ½ cup Cottage Cheese
- ¼ cup Jalapeño flavored or Plain Cream Cheese
- ¼ cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- ¼ cup Finely Chopped Scallions
- ¼ tsp Garlic Powder
- ¼ tsp Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
Topping
- ⅓ cup Seasoned Panko
- 2 tbsp Salted Melted Butter
- 3 tbsp Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Garnish
- 2 tbsp Finely Chopped Scallions
- 3 tbsp Sriracha
Instructions
- Cut jalapeños in halves length wise. Remove seeds and veins using spoon or knife. I recommend wearing gloves during this step!
- Mix everything listed under "Creamy Cheese Mix".
- Pre-heat oven on 410°F.
- Stuff each jalapeño half with "Creamy Cheese Mix".
- Mix panko and melted butter. Dust each stuffed jalapeño half with buttery panko.
- Place each jalapeño half on baking tray, stuffed part facing up. Top it with a little shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Bake it for 17 minutes, or until the top is crispy with bubbly cheese. Then broil it on 500°F for 2-3 minutes.
- Once baked, take it out of the oven and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
- Drizzle some sriracha sauce, it is totally optional. Sptinkle some chopped scallions and enjoy!