I love jalapeno poppers and make them for different occasions, but unless I’m hosting a party I don’t make them. So one day, while on the hunt for some new and exciting chicken recipes (because lets face it, chicken can get pretty boring) I came across a recipe for Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken from SkinnyTaste and knew I had make my spin on them.

My jalapeno popper recipe calls for cumin and I love that flavor so I decided to add it to this recipe. You could definitely leave it out off you don’t have it or do like it but I think it adds something special! I also prefer to shred my own cheese, mainly because it melts better. For the breading I like to mix both regular breadcrumbs and panko breadcrumbs to add a bit of extra crunch. If you want to cut some calories you can use reduced fat or fat free cheeses, but they just doesn’t melt as well.  I also decided to omit the bacon and the scallions from the original recipe just because I didn’t feel they added anything vital and I prefer for just the simple ingredients to shine. I like things pretty spicy so I kept about half of the jalapeno seeds in. If you want to tone down the heat, take all of the seeds out. Or, if you have no feeling in your mouth, then by all means, leave the seeds in! WOWZA!

Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients

thin sliced chicken breast fillets

1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1/4 cup of panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup lime juice

3 tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil

1/4 block (2oz) cream cheese, softened

1 heaping cup of shredded cheddar cheese

3 small/medium or 2 medium/large jalapenos mostly seeded and diced fine

1/2 teaspoon of cumin

salt and pepper

cooking spray

Directions

In a bowl, combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, jalapenos, and cumin and mix well to make a thick cheese spread.

Make a breading station by combining oil and lime juice with salt and pepper in one small bowl and combine two breadcrumbs in another small bowl.

Lay each breast fillet down and place two heaping tablespoons of cheese filling in the center.

Roll the chicken breast fillet starting with the narrow end of the filet  towards the middle and secure with toothpicks.

Dip the stuffed chicken “roll” in the olive oil/lime juice mixture and then toss in breadcrumbs to coat.

Place each breaded piece on a foil-lined and greased baking sheet.

Spray the top of each filet with cooking spray to assist with browning.

Bake in a 425 degree oven for 20-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Much Love,

M