My Bundt pan wasn’t full of cake this week. Instead, I filled it with Bacon Cheesy Jalapeno Poppers. The bundt pan poppers idea came to me as I was experimenting with traditional poppers. I was looking for an easy way to stand jalapeno peppers up so the melted cheese didn’t ooze out.
I opened the cabinet looking for a narrow pot that was as tall as a pepper. The bundt pan just jumped out at me.
I only had 24 peppers at the time, so I had to run to the grocery for more. The Bundt pan actually holds 40-50 peppers, depending on their size. This is perfect for a big party.
Don’t worry though. If you just want to make a few poppers, you can fill the pan void with crumpled up foil.
Because the poppers are packed in the pan, I didn’t want to wrap them in bacon (traditional method) because I knew parts of the bacon would be soggy. Solution: crisp up the bacon and mix it with the cheese.
This cheese recipe is actually my pimento cheese recipe, but instead of pimentos, I used bacon. And oh my heavens am I in love! The crunchy bacon is accented with hints of garlic and onion seasoning and combined with 4 creamy elements: Mexican blend cheese, pepperjack cheese, cream cheese and mayo.
Once all the peppers are filled, you can stick the covered pan in the fridge for a few days and bake it up just before the party.
After baking the peppers for 45 minutes, so they’re tender with a slight firm bite, I top them with with two types of cheese—this is party food after all. The cheese oozes down the sides of the jalapenos and creates a cheesy crunch on top.
To serve, place a bowl of toothpicks near the pan and let your guests dig in.
As always with Zestuous recipes, I’d love to hear your experiments. Try your own fillings; mix up the cheeses; add refried beans. The possibilities are endless. @bobstroup tweeted me that he’s going to find an old Bundt pan so he can cook up some poppers in his smoker. I love that idea! How do you like to pop?
Bundt Pan Jalapeno Poppers
Ingredients
- 40-45 Jalapenos
- 10 slices bacon
- 8 ozs. Mexican blend cheese, shredded
- 8 ozs. pepperjack cheese, shredded
- 8 ozs. cream cheese
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp. granulated garlic
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
- 5 slices cheddar cheese
- 5 slices pepperjack cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- While wearing rubber gloves, slice the stems off of the jalapenos. Run the tip of a knife around the inside of the pepper and scrape out the seeds. Rinse to remove any remaining seeds.
- Place the jalapenos top side up in a bundt pan.
- Cook the bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. When cool enough to touch, crumble the bacon and add it to a large bowl.
- To the bowl, add the shredded cheeses, cream cheese, mayonnaise and spices. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Using a small spoon, fill each jalapeno with bacon cheese filling. Place the jalapeno back in the pan.
- Cover with foil. (You can refrigerate the poppers at this point up to 3 days. Continue with the next steps when ready to entertain.)
- Bake covered in a 375-degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove from oven. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.
- Remove the foil and top with a single layer of cheddar cheese slices
- followed by a single layer of pepperjack cheese slices.
- Bake in a 425-degree oven for 15 minutes, until the cheese begins to brown around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and serve with skewers or toothpicks.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What is the best way to store the leftovers and how long will they last?
Store them in an airtight container in the fridge. It’s okay to lay them flat. They’ll last for 3-4 days.
Are they served directly from the bundt pan?
Yes. It’s easiest to serve them that way.