Cheese and Chorizo Stuffed Jalapeños Recipe
Matt's first cooking job had him stuffing jalapeños in a steamy North Carolina kitchen at the tender age of 14. Between the mountains of cheese, the thick blankets of batter, and the inevitable pile of oil-soaked peppers that emerged from the deep fryer, it was an eye-opening introduction to the sometimes unfortunate excesses of the restaurant world. Those specific excesses are still on full display in most of the family-style restaurants and sports bars all across America, but we found a way to harness the heat of jalapeños and the creaminess of cheese without shackling you with a full day's worth of calories. In this healthy stuffed jalapeños recipe, we pull back on quantity and add in quality ingredients that will pack a flavorful punch and harness the heat of the jalapeños, rather than slathering it in unnecessary fat and calories.
Nutrition: 250 calories, 19 g fat (9 g saturated), 620 mg sodium
Serves 4
You'll Need
4 oz fresh Mexican-style chorizo, casings removed
1 cup cremini or button mushrooms, diced
1⁄2 onion, minced
1⁄2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1⁄2 cup whipped cream cheese
Salt and black pepper to taste
12 jalapeño peppers
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Cook the chorizo in a skillet over medium heat, using a wooden spoon to break up any clumps that form.
- Once cooked through, remove the meat and drain off all but a thin layer of fat. Add the mushrooms and onion to the pan and cook for about 3 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the mushrooms are lightly browned.
- Stir back in the chorizo.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the chorizo mixture, cheese, cream cheese, and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
- Halve the jalapeños vertically.
- Use a paring knife to cut and scrape out as much of the white membranes and seeds in each pepper as possible. (This is where the real heat of the pepper comes from; be sure to wash your hands carefully after.)
- Stuff each pepper half with a spoonful of the cheese-chorizo mixture.
- Line up the stuffed peppers on a baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the peppers soften and the cheese browns and bubbles.
This recipe (and hundreds more!) came from one of our Cook This, Not That! books. For more easy cooking ideas, you can also buy the book!
