Jalapeno Poppers
Let’s spice up the kitchen today, with two versions of jalapeno poppers””Armadillo Eggs and Texas Twinkies.
Armadillo Eggs
When I buy jalapenos, I like to get the brightest green color I can find. Sometimes, they have little white veins in them and those will really make your blood pressure go up, ’cause they are hot.
Take the seeds out of the jalapeno.
So, take the jalapeno, reach in with a knife and cut the seed off the stem. You can use the back of a spoon to clear out the rest of the seeds. Don’t cut them, just reach in the back so the pepper remains whole.
Stuffing the Jalapenos
We got some cream cheese that’s been softened. Mash it around a little and add some of your favorite cheeses. I’m using a little Monterey and a little Cheddar. Then, we’re going to add a little onion powder and some roasted garlic, and mix it up really well.
Now, let’s stuff them peppers. And when you’re stuffing, fill ’em up from one end to the other. Make sure you load that gun all the way.
Stuff the peppers with the cheese mixture.
We’re going to use some J.C. Potter sausage and cut it into four pieces, about an inch thick each. Take some wax paper, put a piece of sausage in the middle, cover it and mash it flat. You can use your hand or you can roll it with a utensil, like a rolling pin, for example. We need to get this sausage pretty thin so you get even cooking time. We did the same in our Scotch Eggs recipe. You can see it here.
Wrap Them Up
When you roll the jalapenos in the sausage, make sure you roll them up really well. Leave the stem out and fold at the tip. You might want to roll it over in your hands to make sure everything but the stem of the jalalpeno is covered with sausage.
When wrapping the peppers in sausage, leave the stem out.
Now, here comes the secret ingredient that’s going to make our crunchy topping . . . potato flakes!
Take the rolled up jalapeno by the stem end, roll it in an egg wash, then give it a good coating of potato flakes. To get that good crunch, go back to egg wash for a second time and then give it another roll in the potato flakes.
Give them a coating of some ‘tater flakes.
Time to Fry Jalapeno Poppers
We have our Finex Dutch oven and we poured in about 2 1/2- inches, maybe a little more, of good frying oil, that we heated up to about 350 degrees F. Carefully put the peppers in there to fry, and don’t forget to roll them around from time to time so they brown evenly. When they’re done, take them out and place on a rack to let that oil drain.
Fry the poppers in the 350F degrees hot oil.
Texas Twinkies
Now you’ve seen our Armadillo Eggs, so it’s time to talk about Texas Twinkies, our way. We’ll start this version the same way, taking out the seeds and using the same cream cheese and cheese mixture.
Mix the cream cheese, Monterey Jack and Cheddar with some smoked brisket.
But, with this version, we’re going to add some smoked brisket to the cheese mixture. Now, you don’t have to put BBQ sauce in it, but I sure like the flavor it adds. You can use however much meat you want in it, and you don’t have to use brisket. You can use other meat like a leftover steak, or some pork, or whatever makes you happy.
Incorporate the cream cheese mixture and brisket together and stuff it into the jalapeno, just like we did with the Armadillo Eggs. You’ll want to make sure to pack both ends to get the peppers as full as possible, ’cause next, we’re gonna wrap them in bacon.
Wrap the stuffed jalapenos in bacon.
After the peppers are stuffed, it’s time to wrap them up on bacon. And don’t skimp on the bacon. Use the really good bacon for the best flavor. Start at the stem end and wrap a strip of bacon around the pepper, overlapping a bit to make sure everybody gets sealed up. Pin it with a toothpick at the end of that bacon, so it stays in place and is nicely sealed.
Cooking Texas Twinkies Jalapeno Popper
We’re going to cook our Texas Twinkies in a 14″ Dutch oven, but I don’t want you put them directly in the oven. Put a rack in there first and place the peppers on that. Now, it’s time to get ’em to the fire and get to cooking.
Make a hot circle of coal around the oven and load heavy on top.
We had us a pretty good pile of hardwood lump that we raked off to one side then made a pretty good ring of coals. ring. It was hot on the outside, so we kept it backed off a little, but put heavy coals on top because we want to get that bacon to sizzling.
After 15 minutes, when the bacon begins to crisp up and them peppers start bulging open, we’ll take the oven off the bottom heat but leave the top on to let the bacon crisp up a little more.
Let them cook off before serving.
Here comes a little bonus!
When everything is nice and crispy, we’ll take them off the fire and let ’em cool. Meanwhile, we’re going to mix us up some sauce.
So, what does it start with? Some good honey, then a packet of ranch dressing mix, Worcestershire sauce and some horseradish, all mixed up together.
Important Tip!
I’ve got one very important tip for you. A lot of folks would be telling you to use canned pickled jalapeno for this recipe.
But, I take them peppers way before I start and put them right over the burner to blister ’em until they begin to pop just a little. The blistering is only for the armadillo eggs. The Texas Twinkies are on the fire long enough that the peppers will become soft.
So, folks, that is a done deal. Please watch the video recipe to see our tips and tricks in action. And don’t forget to share the food and recipes with your friends and neighbors, ’cause that is what it’s all about! Enjoy these jalapeno poppers!
Armadillo Eggs - Cowboy Kent Rollins
Ingredients
- 12 jalapenos
- 3/4 to 1 8-ounce block cream cheese softened
- ½ cup cheddar shredded cheese or your choice
- 2 teaspoons roasted garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 ½ pounds ground pork sausage
- 3 large eggs beaten
- 2 cups instant potato flakes
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- With a knife, cut out a long and narrow slit from the top of each pepper to remove the seeds. Keep the stems attached.
- Roast the peppers over a burner until they just begin to blister and soften.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, shredded cheese, roasted garlic and onion powder. Stuff the peppers with cheese mixture.
- Cut the sausage into 12 equal slices. Take one slice and roll out thinly between two pieces of waxed paper.
- Place a pepper in the center of sausage round and form around the pepper, leaving the stem out. Repeat with the remaining peppers and sausage.
- Place the eggs in a bowl and roll the wrapped peppers in the egg wash then coat generously with the potato flakes. Repeat in the egg wash and potato flakes for a double coating.
- Add 2 to 3 inches of fry oil to a deep fryer or Dutch oven and heat to 350 degrees Fry the peppers for about 4 minutes, turning occasionally, until a deep golden brown and crispy. Remove and let cool slightly on a paper towel or wire rack. Serve warm.
Texas Twinkies - Cowboy Kent Rollins
Ingredients
- 12 jalapeno peppers
- 1 cup chopped brisket
- BBQ sauce optional
- 12 strips thick-cut bacon
- ¾ to 1 8 ounce block cream cheese softened
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons roasted garlic
Instructions
- Preheat a conventional oven to 400 degrees F.
- With a knife, cut out a long and narrow slit from the top of each pepper to remove the seeds. Keep the stems attached.
- Combine the brisket and BBQ to taste, if using. Stir in the cream cheese, onion powder and garlic in a medium bowl.
- Stuff the peppers with the brisket mixture and and then wrap each pepper with one slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick.
- Place a wire rack on top of a cookie sheet and arrange the peppers on top of the rack. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the bacon is crispy and the peppers have softened. Allow the peppers to cool to warm and serve.