Jalapeno Popper Pigs in a Blanket are everything you could want in a snack. These spicy, cheesy appetizers are perfect for your next party or game day! These spicy, cheesy appetizers are perfect for your next party or game day!
Narrowing down my Super Bowl menu has been next to impossible this year. Not only because I think I have some seriously scrumptious recipes in my repertoire (so humble, I know), but mainly because I am the most indecisive human of all time. For evidence of this, take note of the post from earlier this week in which I made 4 wing sauces because I couldn't choose just one.
Though I haveĀ finally gotten it whittled down to only about 3 times more food than necessary for the number of guests I'm expecting, so I guess that's progress.
I spent like 3 days debating one of my hardest food decisions to date: would I makeĀ JalapeƱo Poppers ooorĀ Pigs in a BlanketĀ for the party? With the long list of appetizers I'd already solidified, making both would be excessive. I asked friends, but the results were split. I flipped a coin, but I forgot to designate which side was which. In all honesty, I really just didn't want to choose between them. So I took the ol' fallback route.
I combined them. Hello,Ā JalapeƱo Popper Pigs in a Blanket! Goodbye, self-control. What I mean is that I ate a ton of these last night. Right before bed. It was maybe not the best course of action for my body butĀ a major win for my soul.
Luckily there were still enough to freeze two big freezer bags full, so if you're coming to my house on Sunday, expect some of these bad boys. And if you're not, I highly recommend making some for yourself.
They're very simple to put together. First, you have to slice jalapeno peppers in half, remove the seeds, and then cut them into pieces that are the same size as Lil Smokies or cocktail wieners. Then, mix together cream cheese and cheddar cheese, and fill the jalapeno pieces with the cheese blend. Once they're filled, press the cocktail wieners on top and you're ready to roll.
You can use crescent roll dough if you'd prefer, but I personally love puff pastry. I think it gets fluffier and flakier, reheats better, and looks nicer, so I use 3 sheets of puff pastry for wrappingĀ theĀ JalapeƱo Popper Pigs in a Blanket. Just roll 'em up, one at a time, sealing the edges with a bit of egg.
Then brush the tops with more egg for good measure and sprinkle theĀ JalapeƱo Popper Pigs in a Blanket with some pretzel salt, sesame seeds, or poppy seeds, if you'd like. You don't have to sprinkle them with anything, but it's a great opportunity to boost the flavor of the snacks and make themĀ look even tastier.
And then just stick them in the oven until the puff pastry is browned and cooked through.
Some of the cheese will ooze out in the process. No biggie. Just let theĀ JalapeƱo Popper Pigs in a Blanket cool slightly and then use a knife to easily detach any burnt cheese bits. There will still be plenty of cheese in each bite, I promise!
From there you can freeze them, serve them as-is, or serve them with a marinara dipping sauce.
And then dig in, of course.
WATCH THE JALAPENO POPPER PIGS IN A BLANKET VIDEO
JalapeƱo Popper Pigs in a Blanket
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 36 JalapeƱo Popper Pigs in a Blanket 1x
Description
Idea adapted from OneKitchen
Ingredients
- 18 jalapeƱo peppers
- 36 lil smokies or cocktail wieners
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 6 ounces extra sharp cheddar, shredded
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
- 3 sheets puff pastry, thawed
- 1 large egg
- Pretzel salt, for sprinkling, optional
- Marinara sauce, to serve, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400Ā°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Cut the tops off of the jalapeƱo peppers and then each pepper in half. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and membranes and discard them. Place a cocktail wiener on each scooped out pepper half and cut the pepper to be the same size as the cocktail wiener. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the cream cheese and cheddar cheese until well-combined. One at a time, remove the cocktail wiener from each pepper segement and fill each jalapeƱo pepper segment with the cheese mixture. Then, top each cheese-filled jalapeƱo pepper segment again with the cocktail wieners. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg.
- On a lightly floured surface, unroll 1 puff pastry dough sheet. Cut it into 6 equal strips, and then cut those strips in half, cross-ways, to create 12 equal-sized pieces. Roll each stuffed pepper piece in 1 puff pastry strip, then seal with the egg wash. Place the wrapped jalapeƱo pieces on the prepared baking sheets. Repeat until all no jalapeƱo pieces or puff pastry remains.
- Brush the puff pastry tops with the remaining egg and sprinkle lightly with pretzel salt. Bake until browned, about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Some of the cheese filling will have spilled out, but don't worry. Allow the JalapeƱo Popper Pigs in a Blanket to cool slightly and use a knife to gently scrape away the cheese that's oozed out onto the baking sheet. There will still be plenty of cheese left inside.
- Serve warm with marinara sauce, for dipping.
- Prep Time: 40 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
CakePants says
These look beyond fantastic! They say that necessity is the mother of invention, but I think indecision could give necessity a run for her money...and I'm not complaining!
ColleenB. says
Both my son-in-laws would love these
Can these be made ahead of time and freeze and then bake when the time comes? If I froze these, was just wondering how soft the pepper would get or would it be best to make a day ahead of time, refrigerate, and then put in oven the next day?
Betty Choquette says
Which did you prefer, smokies or weiners?
Kathryn says
Is it better to freeze unbaked?
Brittney Mo says
These are super easy, super delicious, and a super hit! Iāll definitely be making these again.
Linda says
Took these to a BBQ. They were a hit. Delicious
None left to take home. Only complaint is because they were so good everyone was filling up on these and not that hungry for dinner. They are a heavy appetizer.
Cassie Hillegass says
Could you use croissants instead of puff pastry? I am unable to find puff pastries anywhere! If so, would you still use the egg wash?
Chelle says
I made these for a football game gathering, they were delicious and a big hit. Will definitely make them again..I would change anything about the recipe.
Charlene Leonard says
So good!!! I modified a little just for my taste by using onion and chive cream cheese and sprinkled the tops with Everything but the Bagel seasoning. My family gobbled them up. (So did the dog....she got up on the counter when no one was looking and had her fair share!)