Jalapeño Poppers in a Blanket

This was a huge hit in my house. If you are looking for a make ahead appetizer for the 4th of July this is a good one to try. I didn’t really taste the bacon in there so you can leave that out if you wanted. I would also maybe cut each pepper in half to make smaller bites so they will last a little longer. I did make them ahead of time, stuffing them and then wrapping them with the pastry the day I baked them, but if you have fridge space you can have them on the baking sheets and bake as needed.

Jalapeño Poppers in a Blanket
(Adapted from Carter Family Recipes)

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1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1 package (17.3 ounces) Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets, thawed
1 package (8 ounces) light cream cheese, softened
¾ cup finely shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese blend
4 cloves roasted garlic, mashed
3 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
12 medium Jalapeño peppers, cut in half lengthwise and seeded

Heat the oven to 400°F. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork.

Unfold 1 pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface.

Roll the pastry sheet into a 9-inch-by-12-inch rectangle.

Cut into 12 (3-inch) squares. Repeat with the remaining pastry sheet.

Stir the cream cheese, shredded cheese, garlic and bacon in a medium bowl.

Spoon about 2 teaspoons cheese mixture into each pepper half.

Place 1 filled pepper half diagonally, cheese-side down, onto each pastry square. Fold the pastry up over the pepper and press firmly to seal.

Brush the filled pastries with the egg mixture. Sprinkle with additional shredded cheese, if desired. Place the pastries onto 2 baking sheets.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Let the pastries cool on the baking sheets on wire racks for 10 minutes.

Ingredient Note: You can use store-bought roasted garlic or make your own. To make your own, cut ¼ inch off the top of a whole garlic bulb. Place the garlic onto a square of aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap tightly and bake at 400°F. for 30 minutes or until the garlic is very soft. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of the peel to use in this recipe.