Recipe: Jalapeno Poppers (with freeze-ahead instructions)

Be very careful when halving and seeding the peppers. Use rubber gloves and don't touch your eyes while you're working with jalapenos or any hot peppers. If you're making these ahead, freeze them WITHOUT frying them, then bake until hot when you want to serve them.

JALAPENO POPPERS

12 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese
25 jalapeno peppers, seeded, cut in half
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups dried packaged breadcrumbs
Oil for deep frying

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and pepper jack cheese; blend well.
In a pot of barely simmering water, blanch the pepper halves for 2 minutes, drain and dry thoroughly with paper towels.

Spoon the cream cheese mixture into jalapeno pepper halves

Place milk and flour into two separate shallow bowls. Dip the stuffed jalapenos first into the milk then into the flour, making sure they are thoroughly coated. Place the coated jalapenos on wire racks and let dry for about 10 minutes.

Dip the jalapenos in milk again and then roll them in breadcrumbs to coat. Let coated peppers dry, repeating the dipping in milk and rolling in breadcrumbs if necessary.

In large skillet, heat the oil to 365 degrees F. Deep fry the filled and coated jalapeno peppers 2 to 3 minutes each, until golden brown. Remove and let drain on a paper towel.

To freeze, DO NOT FRY PEPPERS. Place on cookie sheet and freeze until hard, then package in single layer in plastic freezer containers.

To eat, place on cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 20-23 minutes until hot all the way through, golden brown, and crisp.

Makes 25 appetizers