Oven Baked Jalapeño Pepper Poppers with make ahead & freezing instructions

Garden grown spicy jalapeno peppers are stuffed with a rich cheese and bacon-studded filling, and then finished with crispy seasoned panko. Included are make ahead instructions + also explanations on freezing pepper poppers so they can be enjoyed later.  

Oven Baked Jalapeño Pepper Poppers   Yield: 12 peppers

12 medium (1 lb.) jalapeno peppers, halved

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (4 oz.) shredded Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup (4 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

4 slices bacon, cooked and finely chopped + a extra slice or two for garnishing

2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions + an extra tablespoon for garnishing

1 teaspoon minced garlic (1 clove)

Salt and black pepper

3/4 cup+ panko bread crumbs

1 tablespoon+ olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. in peppers are to be baked after assembly
2. Wearing food grade gloves, remove seeds and ribs from jalapeños. To remove additional heat, soak the pepper in ice cold water for 15 minutes. Dry and proceed . . .
3. Transfer peppers cut side up to a parchment lined baking sheet.
4. In a medium mixing bowl add cream cheese, 2 cheeses, bacon, green onions, and garlic; season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir with a spoon until well combined.
   
   
   
5. Spoon and spread mixture into each jalapeno halve, it should be just slightly heaping. TO MAKE A DAY AHEAD: Store stuffed peppers in fridge. When ready to bake, proceed with recipe. Increase baking time by about 3 to 5 minutes.
6. In a low, flat mixing bowl using a fork stir together panko, salt to taste and olive oil until mixture is evenly coated.

   

   Adding olive oil panko allows the breadcrumbs to brown as the poppers bake.

   
   
7. Dip cheese side of each stuffed pepper into panko – cheese should be evenly covered with panko. Return to baking tray. TO FREEZE & BAKE LATER: Bake unthawed peppers as instructed below but increase time to 20 to 25 minutes.
8. Bake in preheated oven until peppers are tender and cheese is melted, about 14 to 18 minutes.
9. If desired, garnish baked peppers with extra finely chopped bacon and green onions. 
   

Recipe without photos . . . Oven Baked Jalapeño Pepper Poppers   Yield: 12 peppers

12 medium (1 lb.) jalapeno peppers, halved

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (4 oz.) shredded Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup (4 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

4 slices bacon, cooked and finely chopped + a extra slice or two for garnishing

2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions + an extra tablespoon for garnishing

1 teaspoon minced garlic (1 clove)

Salt and  black pepper

3/4 cup+ panko bread crumbs

1 tablespoon+ olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. in peppers are to be baked after assembly
2. Wearing food grade gloves, remove seeds and ribs from jalapeños. To remove additional heat, soak the pepper in ice cold water for 15 minutes. Dry and proceed . . .
3. Transfer peppers cut side up to a parchment lined baking sheet.
4. In a medium mixing bowl add cream cheese, 2 cheeses, bacon, green onions, and garlic; season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir with a spoon until well combined.
5. Spoon and spread mixture into each jalapeno halve, it should be just slightly heaping. TO MAKE A DAY AHEAD: Store stuffed peppers in fridge. When ready to bake, proceed with recipe. Increase baking time by about 3 to 5 minutes.
6. In a low, flat mixing bowl using a fork stir together panko, salt to taste and olive oil until mixture is evenly coated.
7. Dip cheese side of each stuffed pepper into panko – cheese should be evenly covered with panko. Return to baking tray. TO FREEZE & BAKE LATER: Bake unthawed peppers as instructed below but increase time to 20 to 25 minutes.
8. Bake in preheated oven until peppers are tender and cheese is melted, about 14 to 18 minutes.
9. If desired, garnish baked peppers with extra finely chopped bacon and green onions. 

 

Tex Mex Chicken & Zucchini Skillet

A skillet meal loaded with garden veggies. A tasty meal-in-one that is a quick fix! 

Tex Mex Chicken & Zucchini Skillet     4 servings 

1 to 2 tablespoon olive oil 

1/2 medium onion, diced 

1 medium bell pepper, diced

2 garlic cloves minced

About 3/4 cup corn frozen or fresh (I used corn cut from the cob)

About 3/4 cup garden tomatoes, peeled & cut into chunks

About 1 to 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded

1 teaspoons taco seasoning, homemade or commercial or homemade taco seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin 

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Ground black pepper to taste

1 medium zucchini, seeded & cut into chunks

1 cup Cheddar or Pepper Jack cheese, shredded (or use a combo) 

1. Heat olive oil in  medium cast iron (or other heavy) skillet on low to medium heat with the.
2. Add onion, and bell pepper; sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally; add garlic after about 2 minutes. 
3. Add corn, beans, tomatoes, cooked chicken, taco seasoning, cumin, salt & pepper. Stir, cover and cook on low-medium for 10 minutes; add zucchini after about 5 minutes (add now to avoid overcooking). 
   

   
   
4. Sprinkle with cheese, cover and cook for a few minutes or until cheese has melted. 

   



Recipe without photos . . . Tex Mex Chicken & Zucchini Skillet     4 servings 

1 to 2 tablespoon olive oil 

1/2 medium onion, diced 

1 medium bell pepper, diced

2 garlic cloves minced

About 3/4 cup corn frozen or fresh (I used corn cut from the cob)

About 3/4 cup garden tomatoes, peeled & cut into chunks

About 1 to 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded

1 teaspoons taco seasoning, homemade or commercial or homemade taco seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin 

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Ground black pepper to taste

1 medium zucchini, seeded & cut into chunks

1 cup Cheddar or Pepper Jack cheese, shredded (or use a combo) 

1. Heat olive oil in  medium cast iron (or other heavy) skillet on low to medium heat with the.
2. Add onion, and bell pepper; sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally; add garlic after about 2 minutes. 
3. Add corn, beans, tomatoes, cooked chicken, taco seasoning, cumin, salt & pepper. Stir, cover and cook on low-medium for 10 minutes; add zucchini after about 5 minutes (add now to avoid overcooking). 
4. Sprinkle with cheese, cover and cook for a few minutes or until cheese has melted.
















Crispy Potato Crust Quiche

Forget about making traditional  pie crust. You don’t need it for this unique quiche. And the bonus is that you have potatoes, eggs and meat (if you add it) all in one dish! This recipe comes from Jane Medina as adapted from Creme de Colorado, p. 115 with a few additional adaptations on my part.

I often keep the prepared and baked crusts on hand; they freeze well. 

Crispy Potato Quiche    6 servings

1 (24-oz(. pkg. frozen shredded hash browns, thawed (use as much as needed depending on size of pie pan

1/3 cup melted butter

1  cup shredded hot pepper cheese (Monterey Jack with jalapenos or substitute plain 

Monterey Jack)

1 cup shredded Cheddar (or Colby) cheese

1 small (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies

1 cup diced ham (or use bacon, sausage, etc,) - optional

1/2 cup half-and-half+

2 to 3 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt or Tex-Joy seasoning

1. Press thawed hash browns between paper towels to remove moisture. Fit hash browns into greased 10” pie plate, forming a solid crust.  
   
   
   
2. Brush crust with melted butter, making certain to brush top edges.  
   
3. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes. Remove from oven.  
   
4. Sprinkle cheeses, chilies, meat (if using) evenly over bottom of baked crust. 
   
5. Beat half-and-half with eggs and seasoned salt.  
6. Pour over cheeses and ham (add more half-and-half and eggs if needed to fill pan).  
7. Bake uncovered at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Allow 5 or 10 minutes cooling time so it will set up.

Recipe without photos  . . .

Crispy Potato Quiche    6 servings

1 (24-oz(. pkg. frozen shredded hash browns, thawed (use as much as needed depending on size of pie pan

1/3 cup melted butter

1  cup shredded hot pepper cheese (Monterey Jack with jalapenos or substitute plain 

Monterey Jack)

1 cup shredded Cheddar (or Colby) cheese

1 small (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies

1 cup diced ham (or use bacon, sausage, etc,) - optional

1/2 cup half-and-half+

2 to 3 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt or Tex-Joy seasoning

1. Press thawed hash browns between paper towels to remove moisture. Fit hash browns into greased 10” pie plate, forming a solid crust.  
2. Brush crust with melted butter, making certain to brush top edges.  
3. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes. Remove from oven. 
4. Sprinkle cheeses, chilies, meat (if using) evenly over bottom of baked crust.  
5. Beat half-and-half with eggs and seasoned salt.  
6. Pour over cheeses and ham (add more half-and-half and eggs if needed to fill pan).  
7. Bake uncovered at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Allow 5 or 10 minutes cooling time so it will set up.

Complementary Proteins combine in . . . Black Bean & Corn Salad

     My dad, and probably the majority of men of his day, didn’t consider it a meal if there wasn’t meat on the table! Even when my mom fixed a big pot of beans, she cooked them with meaty ham hocks. If we ate a meatless meal, it was usually when my father was not going to be home.

     When Diet for a Small Planet was published (early 1970s), vegetarian eating certainly was not mainstream – many associated the idea with love beads, peace signs and hippies! But, that publication and others, started to get people thinking and, in some cases, caused them to look at earlier forms of nutrition and dishes that have helped sustain people (and the environment) all over the world.

     This meatless dish combines foods to create what is known as complete protein. It is also high in heart-healthy fiber as well.

Black Bean & Corn Salad    Makes 2 or 3 main dish servings or use it as a size salad

Vary ingredients or amounts to suit your taste.

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained & rinsed

¼ to 1/3 of an orange or yellow pepper, diced

½ of a large tomato, diced

1 tablespoon+ white or yellow onions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons+ fresh cilantro, chopped

1/8 to ¼ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

Juice of 1 small lime

¼ cup Comeback Sauce (if you don’t have it, mix some mayo or sour cream w/ salsa)

Salad greens to line the plate

¼ to 1/3 cup cubed Pepper Jack cheese

1.     Combine all ingredients, except salad green and cheese cubes, and lightly mix. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes to infuse flavors if time allows.

Combine and lightly mix ingredients before chilling.

2.     Arrange salad greens on a serving plate, spoon on the salad and top with cubes of cheese.

Proteins are essential in the human body; they rebuild cells, tissues and organs and are made up of amino acids which are often refered to as the building blocks of the body. There are 20 different amino acids that join together to make all types of protein. Some of these amino acids can't be made by the body, so are referred to as essential amino acids. Essential because they must be obtained from the daily diet. Any food substance (such as meats, fish, poultry) that happens to contain all of the essential amino acids is termed a complete protein. Dairy products, grains, nuts & seeds, even some vegetables and fruits also contain protein, but in most instances they do not contain all of the essential amino acids, and are referred to as incomplete proteins. However, with a little planning it is possible to combine incomplete proteins (corn, beans and cheese for example) and end up with all of the essential amino acids. 

For additional information, check out these sites:

Savvy Vegetarian

Center for Disease Control and Prevention   

Cortney Does It Again with . . . Olive Crostini

Photo provided by Cortney

     These toast bites, a modified olive tapenade on French bread, are addictive! Cortney Schields brought them to USD 435’s Support Services April gathering. They were delicious and if you are a green olive fan, I highly recommend them . . .as did most everyone that was in attendance.

     She found the recipe on Perfecting the Pairing blog; it also has some other delicious pairing besides this one (click here –Olive Crostini- for the actual recipe and comments posted at that blog).

     Another memorable posting, provided by Courtney, is her aunt’s recipe for Panna Cotta.

Cortney Schields, RD, LD, Food Service Director,
for Abilene Public Schools, at her desk.

     In just a couple of months Cortney will be leaving Abilene where she has been the Food Service Director for Abilene Public Schools the last couple of years. She informed me that she will soon be Cortney Clark from Courtland, Kansas -- try saying that real fast several times!

     Abilene’s loss will definitely be Courtland’s gain. But, hopefully Cortney will stay in touch and continue to share her recipes via email. 

Olive Crostini

1 (4.25 oz.) jar green olives with pimiento, drained and chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, loosely packed

4 oz. (1 cup) pepper jack cheese, grated

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 baguette, sliced thin

1. In a medium bowl combine the first six ingredients. Stir until evenly distributed.

2. Top each baguette slice with about 2 tablespoons of the olive mixture.

3. Line up crostini on a cookie sheet.

4. Broil in the oven until the bread starts to brown and the cheese melts.