Tag: Jalapeño

Side Dishes

Recipe—Jalapeño Cheddar Corn Bread Muffins

Diva di Cucina

Today is day 3 of my hot & spicy week! My jalapeño plant has been giving me more peppers than I know what to do with so this week I will be featuring five different jalapeño based recipes. I hope you enjoy each and every one! 

Jalapeño Cheddar Corn Bread Muffins

Looking for a quick and easy side dish you can serve with your bowl of chili this coming winter? This is a great recipe I have been making for years. This takes the typical corn bread muffin and gives it a little extra kick.  In my opinion, there is no better complement to a fresh jalapeño than cheese. These go great with a spicy rubbed steak and some grilled veggies or even a side of your favorite soup. They are incredibly easy to make since you’re taking a box mix and just spicing it up with a couple simple ingredients. Perfect for busy moms, or dads, short on time.

Note: You can use any corn bread mix you prefer. I just really like Marie Callender’s. These proportions are perfect for a mix that makes a dozen muffins. You also don’t have to use the muffin pan liners as the recipe is written. I just find that sometimes the cheese adheres to the muffin pan and can make it difficult to get the little rascals out when they aren’t used.

INGREDIENTS
Marie Callender’s Original Corn Bread Mix, 16 oz
water
1 1/4 c shredded cheddar, divided
1 jalapeño, deseeded and chopped
1 jalapeño, deseeded and sliced
muffin cup liners (optional)

STEPS

  • Preheat oven to 375º.
  • Prepare corn bread mix according to instructions.
  • Stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheddar and the diced jalapeños, making sure not to over mix.
  • Prepare muffin pan with liner cups and evenly distribute the muffin mix in each cup filling up about 2/3 of the way.
  • Top each muffin with a slice of jalapeño and sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of cheddar on top of each.
  • Bake for 20–25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle.
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes before serving.

Dinners

Recipe—Shrimp Enchiladas with Jalapeño Cream Sauce

Diva di Cucina

Today is day 2 of my hot & spicy week! My jalapeño plant has been giving me more peppers than I know what to do with so this week I will be featuring five different jalapeño based recipes. I hope you enjoy each and every one!

Looking to add some spice to your life? These shrimp enchiladas will do the trick! While the enchilada filling has a good kick to it, the jalapeño cream sauce balances out the heat nicely giving the enchilada a cooling creamy exterior. I love that these are packed with some serious veggies. The sweetness from the corn goes great with the roasted shrimp. It is probably one of my favorite flavor combinations. While these are a little more time consuming to make they are well worth it! Enjoy!

Note: I would like to advise that these do pack a bit of heat so beware. You can leave out the chipotle peppers and add a teaspoon of chili powder to tone it down if spicy isn’t for you.

ENCHILADA FILLING INGREDIENTS
2 lbs medium shrimp, cleaned and peeled
4 tbsp olive oil (divided)
salt and pepper
2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 white onion, diced
2 tbsp chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 c shredded carrots
8 oz canned corn, drained
5 c baby spinach
8–10 tortillas
2 c jack cheese, shredded

JALAPENO CREAM SAUCE INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 1/2 c chicken broth
3/4 c sour cream
2 jalapeños, seeded and minced (I used 1 red and 1 green)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 c fresh cilantro, chopped

STEPS

  • Preheat oven to 400º.
  • Place cleaned shrimp on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Toss to coat.
  • Place sheet in oven and bake for 8 minutes or until cooked through.
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool.
  • Reduce oven temperature to 350º.
  • Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet or wok.
  • Add the garlic and onion and cook over medium high heat until onions are translucent.
  • Toss the peppers, oregano, carrots, corn, and spinach into the skillet and cook until the spinach just begins to wilt and reduce heat to low.
  • While the filling mixture is cooking cut the shrimp into bite size pieces.
  • Add the shrimp to the skillet and toss to combine.
  • Remove skillet from heat.
  • In a large saucepan melt the butter and whisk in the flour until light gold in color.
  • Slowly whisk in the chicken stock and cook until simmering.
  • Stir in the sour cream, jalapeños, and garlic powder and simmer until nice and thick.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro.
  • Warm the tortillas a couple at a time and place on a large flat surface.
  • Place a scoop of the shrimp filling on each tortilla and top with cheese.
  • Roll up each enchilada and place seam side down in a greased baking dish. Repeat this step until the shrimp filling is gone.
  • Pour the jalapeño cream sauce evenly over the top of the enchiladas.
  • Put finished enchiladas in the oven and bake until tortillas are golden on the edges, about 20 minutes.

Appetizers

Recipe—Queso Fundido

Diva di Cucina

Today is day 1 of my hot & spicy week! My jalapeño plant has been giving me more peppers than I know what to do with so this week I will be featuring five different jalapeño based recipes. I hope you enjoy each and every one!

Planning a fiesta anytime soon? If so, this is a perfect appetizer sure to start the party off right. It is quick and easy. I have made this for two social gatherings in the last couple of weeks since jalapeños are in abundance at our house and both times the dish was practically licked clean. It is one of those appetizers that you just can’t get enough of. Just serve it up with your favorite tortilla chips and watch it disappear.

Note: If you have a small appetizer sized crock-pot you can put the finished queso fundido in it on low heat to stay warm.

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tomato, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 jalapenos, deseeded, deveined, and finely chopped
3 tbsp tequila
2 c jack cheese, shredded
1/4 c milk
1/4 fresh cilantro, chopped

STEPS

  • In a medium saucepan heat oil over medium high heat and add tomatoes, onions, and jalapeños.
  • Cook until onions are translucent and soft, about 4–5 minutes.
  • Carefully add in tequila and simmer for 2–3 minutes.
  • Mix in cheese and milk and stir until melted and smooth.
  • Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.
  • You can serve as it is OR you can put the cheese mixture in an oven safe dish and finish off under the broiler for 3–4 minutes or until just starting to turn a golden brown on top.

Appetizers

Recipe—Western Bacon Jalapeño Poppers

Diva di Cucina

Recipe—Western Bacon Poppers

With the Super Bowl coming up this weekend I thought I would share one of my favorite finger food recipes. There are many variations of jalapeño poppers out there, but these are my favorite. They are absolutely evil and they are sure to start your Super Bowl party off with a bang. These are perfect balance of spicy, salty, and tangy. Make three times more than you think you will need, just trust me on that. Most people end up inhaling several. They really are that good.

Note: Poppers can be prepared a day ahead of time and kept in the fridge right before cooking if needed. These can also be finished off on the bbq instead of the oven to give them a nice smoky flavor.

INGREDIENTS:
5 jalapeños, seeded and deveined based on desired heat
5 slices (about 1/4” thick) of cheddar cheese cut in half lengthwise
5 slices of bacon cut in half
1/4 c of your favorite bbq sauce

STEPS:

  • Preheat oven to 400º.
  • Place bacon in a large pyrex dish so that the slices do not overlap.
  • Pre-cook the bacon in the oven for 8 minutes flipping once halfway through. You do not want the pieces to be overcooked. They should still be partially raw and flexible so that you can easily wrap the slices around the poppers.
  • While the bacon is cooking, place a block of cheddar cheese in each jalapeño half. You may need to cut the cheddar block slightly shorter to fit within the pepper’s cavity. The pepper will fill in with the cheese once melted.
  • When all of the jalapeños are filled, and the bacon has cooled, wrap the half slice of bacon around each jalapeño. Secure the bacon with a toothpick if necessary.
  • Place wrapped poppers on a baking sheet and dab with bbq sauce.
  • Cook in the oven for 10–14 minutes or until bacon looks cooked through and cheese is melted and bubbly. If you want to give the bacon a little extra crisp turn on the broiler for a minute before removing from the oven.
  • Dab with additional bbq sauce before serving.