Tailgate Food for Homecoming!

My high school did not have a football team.  So Saturday will be my first football game where I cheer for the school I attend. To say I'm excited is an understatement... and as you can see I have already cooked some tailgate themed food to celebrate.

My friend Devin told me he was going home for the weekend and that he would bring me back some jalapenos from his garden.  I thought, great! I'll make some salsa, maybe some biscuits. It turns out Devin invented Miracle Grow, because he brought back over 30 jalapenos.  Most recipes use 1-2 jalapenos maximum because they are so spicy.

So jalapeno poppers were the perfect fit to both celebrate homecoming and use massive amounts of jalapenos! However, fried food is pretty hard to do in a dorm, because you need a ton of oil, and preferably... a fryer.  So I decided to go the healthy route and bake them.  I filled them with low fat cheese, salsa, and light cream cheese so that they are less fattening than your average bar's jalapeno poppers.  Then instead of a thick breading, I topped them with crushed pretzel bits, to add crunch and saltiness.  The verdict... amazing!

Baked Jalapeno Poppers with a Pretzel Crust

• 18 jalapenos
• 1 cup light cream cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded monterey jack or cheddar
• 3 tbsp salsa
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 mini bag of pretzels, crushed

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Slice jalapenos in half and take out the seeds
3. Aline on a foil covered sheet tray
4. Place a pinch of shredded cheese in each halve
5. Mix cream cheese, salsa, cilantro and honey in a bowl
6. Place a dollop of the cream cheese mixture into the peppers
7. Top with a sprinkle of shredded cheese
8. Cover with crushed pretzel bits
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes, serve with salsa