Deliciously Pop-Able New Year’s Treats!December 29, 2011

Filed under: Recipes - greenacres @ 4:29 PM

The breaded and deep-fried version of this dish is a nutritional nightmare, but this version, with spicy pepper flavor and generous amounts of cheese, has only 84 calories per popper. Try swapping out the Parmesan for cheddar, jack, or your favorite smooth-melting cheese for a whole new taste.

Grilled Pepper Poppers

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) soft goat cheese
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) fat-free cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup finely chopped seeded tomato
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 16 jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• Cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.  Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well. Spoon about 2 teaspoons cheese mixture into each pepper half. Place pepper halves, cheese side up, on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill peppers 5 minutes or until bottoms of peppers are charred and cheese mixture is lightly browned. Carefully place peppers on a serving platter. Sprinkle with cilantro.