At a glance

Scoop the ribs and seeds from halved jalapeños, fill with cheddar and scallion cream cheese, then press crushed corn chips on top. Bake at 400°F (204°C) until the peppers are tender and the crumbs are golden. Serve two poppers per person with an individual cup of lime crema.

Blazed Cheddar Jalapeño Poppers

Prep 20 min · Cook 20 min · Total 45 min · Yield 12 poppers

Ingredients & directions

Baked cheddar jalapeño poppers with lime crema

Ingredients

Cheddar jalapeño poppers

Lime-yogurt crema

Green jalapeños, cream cheese, grated sharp cheddar, scallions, corn chips, Greek yogurt and lime for baked poppers.

Set out food-safe gloves, a sharp knife, small spoon, two bowls, parchment, a rimmed sheet pan and six sauce cups.

Directions

  1. Gloved hands scoop the pale ribs and seeds from lengthwise halves of green jalapeños.

    Halve and scoop the peppers

    Heat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment. Wear gloves to halve the jalapeños lengthwise and scrape out their pale ribs and seeds with a spoon. Keep hands away from your face. Discard the gloves, wash your hands and clean the utensils and board.

  2. A spatula folds sharp cheddar and sliced scallions into cream cheese.

    Mix the cheddar filling

    Mash the softened cream cheese in a bowl until smooth. Fold in the cheddar, scallions and garlic powder until the shreds are evenly distributed. In a second bowl, whisk the yogurt, lime juice, zest and salt until smooth. Cover the crema and refrigerate until serving.

  3. Green jalapeño halves on a lined sheet pan filled with cheddar cream cheese and topped with crushed corn chips.

    Fill the halves and add the crunch

    Set the jalapeño halves cut side up on the pan. Divide the cheddar mixture among them, using about a level tablespoon per half. Keep the filling level with the rim so it stays in the pepper as it melts. Press the crushed corn chips lightly over the filling, leaving the crumbs coarse enough to crunch.

  4. Golden-topped baked jalapeño poppers with a small cup of pale lime-yogurt crema alongside.

    Bake and serve with lime crema

    Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, until the peppers yield to the tip of a knife, the filling bubbles at the edges and the crumbs are golden. Rest for 5 minutes. Divide the crema evenly among six small cups and serve one with each pair. For an adult who requests an infused serving, stir their separately measured edible cannabis oil into their own cup. Label it and serve it apart from the plain cups.

Storage Refrigerate poppers and crema separately at 40°F (4°C) or colder within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C). Use within 3 days. Reheat poppers at 350°F (177°C) until crisp and 165°F (74°C) in the center. Label and lock up any infused crema separately.

Serving with THC Use only a labeled oral product for consenting adults of legal age where permitted. Health Canada suggests choosing 2.5 mg THC or less if you are new to edibles. Effects can take up to 4 hours to fully develop. Avoid taking more during that time. Do not drive or operate machinery after using cannabis. Label infused food, keep it apart from plain food, and lock it away from children and pets.

Kitchen notes

Keep the filling in and the crumbs crisp

Keep them upright

Choose peppers about the same size so they finish together. If a half tips sideways, brace its outside edge with a small fold of foil.

Fill ahead, top just before baking

Fill and cover the jalapeños up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate. Add the crushed chips just before the pan goes into the oven.

Serve them plain or milder

The poppers and crema are ready to serve without cannabis. For less heat, swap in mini sweet peppers of similar size and check them at the same time.

Serve infused crema separately

Offer an infused serving only to consenting adults of legal age. Edible effects can be delayed. Avoid taking more while waiting for effects, and avoid driving or operating machinery after using cannabis.

Use the product label

Estimate THC in a portion

Enter the THC amount and corresponding volume printed on the edible oil label, then enter the amount of oil measured into one cup of crema. The estimate is for that cup, which goes with two poppers for one adult. Use the same unit for the label amount and the amount used.

Enter the label values and the amount you used.

The estimate is for what you add to one serving. Product variation and any finish left on the spoon can change the amount consumed.

THC in one portion = label THC (mg) × amount used ÷ label amount.

If the label lists 10 mg THC per 5 mL, 0.5 mL of oil adds an estimated 1 mg THC to one crema cup. Six separately measured cups at that amount use 3 mL of oil total and contain an estimated 6 mg THC across all six cups. The plain crema has no added THC.

Serve it plain if you cannot verify the label or measure the amount in the label’s units.

Recipe and safety references