Jalapeno Bella Poppers with Cilantro Lime Aioli
#BLENDABELLA #ZESTYMEXICAN #APPETIZERS
It’s contest time and I have the right recipe for feeding the family a spicy and tasty appetizer. My kids all love jalapeno poppers. I will never forget the time my oldest daughter was enjoying the stuffed jalapenos I had made on the grill. The first couple were delicious and oh so good. The next one was full of fire and lit up her pain receptors like crazy. I suggest you cut your jalapenos in half and then clean out the membrane and seeds as well as you can. But note, I have been told to stay away from jalapeno that have the little white lines on the outside skin. Check out this article on picking out the right jalapeno .
Photo from Simply Recipe website
The bloggers challenge is from Giorgio Foods BLENDABELLA. Their products are a blend of diced portabella mushrooms, vegetables and herbs. The pay off could be up to $2500.00. I have never seen a portabella mushroom blend like these. All of them are preservative free, gluten free and delicious. I decided to work with their Zesty Mexican blend first.
Judging: The winners of the contest will be determined by judging all qualifying entrants’
submissions based on the following criteria:
● Visual Appeal: 25%
Does the recipe show well on a plate or in a bowl? Do your eyes make you want to eat
this recipe before you even smell or taste it?
● Creativity: 25%
Does your recipe show originality? Is this recipe reflective of unique twists to ingredient
usage? Have you incorporated your personal touch to this recipe?
● Taste: 50%
Does this recipe taste great with every bite? Would you want to make this recipe over
and over again based on taste alone? Does it contain interesting, yet gratifying flavor
combinations?
Winners will be selected as follows: One Grand Prize winner will be
awarded $1,000.00; One appetizer category winner will be awarded $500.00. One side dish
category winner will be awarded $500.00. One entrée category winner will be awarded 500.00
The filling for the jalapeno poppers is so easy, just room temperature cream cheese and Zesty Mexican BLENDABELLA. Wrap each with bacon and into the oven they go.
I like to use thin sliced bacon with wrapping poppers so that the bacon becomes crispy! While the poppers are in the oven, you can make a quick Cilantro Lime Aioli dip. This dip can also be made ahead of time. In fact, the poppers can be filled and wrapped and refrigerated until you are ready to back them. Once they are done baking, you can plate them and the dip. Add a touch of crumbled queso fresco cheese and chopped cilantro for garnish.
The cream cheese and BLENDABELLA mixture get all hot and creamy in the oven. Each jalapeno popper is its own fun little bundle just waiting for the Cilantro Lime Aioli dip. The queso fresco adds a bit of saltiness and the chopped cilantro adds a fresh finish.
You can find more information and recipes using Zesty Mexican BLENDABELLA on their website here.
You can purchase BLENDABELLA online here.
You can follow BLENDABELLA on their social media platforms for more inspirational recipes using their products.
Website: http://blendabella.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BLENDABELLA/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BLENDABELLA?lang=en
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blendabella/
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Jalapeno Bella Poppers with Cilantro Lime Aioli
Number of servings: 20
A creamy Zesty Mexican Portabella Veggie blend stuffed in a jalapeno and wrapped in bacon. A cool Cilantro Lime Aioli is ready for dipping. #BLENDABELLA
Ingredients
- 10-11 Jalapenos, cut in half and deseeded
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- ¾ cup Zesty Mexican BLENDABELLA Portabella, Vegetable and Herb blend
- 20-22 slices thin cut bacon
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 4 teaspoon fresh minced garlic
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup roughly chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup crumbled queso fresco cheese
- Chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large bowl, blend together the room temperature cream cheese and the Zesty Mexican BLENDABELLA. Fill each jalapeno half with the cream cheese/BLENDABELLA mixture.
- Wrap each jalapeno with a slice of bacon.
- Arrange the filled jalapenos on a foil or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Use two baking sheets if your jalapenos halves are large.
- Baked 400 for 30-35 minutes, rotating the pan(s) every 10 minutes for even baking.
- While the jalapeno poppers are baking, add the mayonnaise, garlic, sour cream, lime juice, kosher salt and ¼ cup roughly chopped cilantro into a blender and mix until smooth. Pour into a bowl to serve with the poppers. This dip can be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator until serving. The cold dip goes very well with the hot poppers.
