Recipe of the Week; CHEESE-STUFFED JALAPENO POPPERS

You may recall a few weeks back I posted a recipe for Mozzarella sticks. This recipe is similar, in method and it falls into the the appetizer category. (Maybe I should add a category for "bar food" instead!)

I really enjoy a good popper, but I stand on neutral ground in the cream cheese vs. cheddar cheese debate. What, you didn't know there was a debate? One reason I love this recipe is because whoever came up with it was inventive enough to MIX the cheeses together. Can't we all just get along?

Well, I thank my Mom's neighbor Angie for this recipe, and her garden as that's where my jalapenos came from. Like the Mozzarella sticks, they are so simple, but have a great restaurant quality. Way better than the frozen ones you pick up in the box!

Two warning before you get stared, however.

1. They are time consuming. Give yourself at least 30-40 minutes for prep. They'll be eaten in less time it takes to prepare them.

2. Wear plastic gloves when you're cutting up the jalapenos. I didn't, and man did I regret it that evening.

INGREDIENTS

12 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

8 oz. grated cheddar cheese

approximately 20-25 jalapenos, sliced in half lengthwise and "gutted"

1 cup milk

3/4 cup flour

1 to 2 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (or just season plain with a little dried herbs and garlic powder)

extra-virgin olive oil for frying

Mix the cream cheese and cheddar cheese together thoroughly.

Blanche the jalapeno halves in boiling water for 3-5 minutes. The longer you let them boil, the more heat is cooked out of the peppers. Immediately shock them in ice water to stop the cooking process. Allow to drain on paper towels.

Spoon the cheese mixture into the halves.

Dip the cheese-stuffed jalapenos in milk, then roll in the flour. Place on wire rack, and allow them to sit for about ten minutes.

Dip the dried peppers in milk again, then breadcrumbs. Allow once again to sit on wire rack for about 10 minutes.

Dip in milk, then breadcrumbs again for the final time. Allow to sit 10 minutes. Meantime, pour enough oil into pan (about 1 inch) for shallow frying. You do not need a large pan for this, a medium sized pan works well. Allow the oil to heat up to about 365 degrees. Be careful not to overheat the oil.

Working about six at a time, drop into the poppers into the oil, pepper side down first. Allow to brown slightly, then turn to brown cheese side. If you see cheese starting to peek out from the bread crumb coating, they are ready to remove from pan. I used tongs and a long handled spoon for ease in maneuvering the poppers in the hot oil. They take roughly 1 to 2 minutes to cook through. Drain on wire rack.

You'll notice that the last few batches will appear darker than the first few, it doesn't mean that they are overdone, but rather just browning a deeper color due to the excess bread crumbs that have collected in the grease.

Serve with Ranch or blue cheese, or my preference of a Ranch mixed with a splash of Tabasco sauce.