Herbed Up Jalapeno Pepper Poppers
Backstory:
I wanted a lighter and fresher alternative to classic jalapeno poppers and this is where I landed.
Ingredients:
18 jalapenos (roughly)
1 lb plain chevre aka soft goat cheese
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
2 tsp minced fresh sage
zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves of grated garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper, more to taste
1 cup of crushed tortilla chips
Method:
Preheat oven to 450 F. Crush your tortilla chips into a large crumb. You can do this in a food processor or in a bag with a rolling pin.
Nip the stem off the top of the jalapenos. Split jalapenos in half and remove seeds and ribs. Place on a baking sheet leaving a little space between each one. If they will not sit flat you can create a cradle with crumpled aluminum foil to hold them level.
Place your chevre into a large mixing bowl. Be sure the chevre is room temperature or mixing in the ingredients will be a nightmare. Add your minced parsley, sage, lemon zest, microplane grated garlic, salt, and black pepper. Mix until everything is evenly combined.
Using a silicone spatula fill each pepper to level with the top of the pepper with the chevre mixture. Press the pepper chevre side down into the crushed tortilla chips. Place the pepper back on the baking sheet. Repeat until all peppers are filled and topped.
Place baking sheet into the upper third of the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Once baked set the oven to high broil and toast the tops of the pepper poppers until desired crispiness is reached. Roughly 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to burn them in this phase.
Allow to cool slightly then serve!