Jalapeño Popper Pizza

Printable version

Jalapeño poppers got their name from the marketing of the frozen snacks. The term “Popper” has been used for the last 30 years to market a variety of treats and appetizers, not just the cheese stuffed chiles though.

There are many who believe the jalapeño popper is an American adaptation of chili rellenos. Whether this is true can not really be proven, but the two are strikingly similar. Reports have surfaced that cheese stuffed breaded jalapeños were being served around the San Diego area as far back as the 1960s. But an exact origin of the popper is hard to pinpoint.

There is one thing about the popper I know for sure – I love them! They have to be one of my favorite snacks of all-time. I made my own version a while back here at Behind the Bites in which I transformed the ingredients to suit my preferences. It's my own take on the popper, but whatever the version I think it's hard to go wrong with the combination of cheese, bacon and jalapeños.

For this recipe, I take all those great flavors and distribute them on a pizza. The cream and cheddar cheeses, bacon and jalapeño help this pie burst with flavor. This is a must try for pizza or popper lovers alike - it's also a great way to ease the younger ones into more spicy foods.

BEHIND THIS BITE
I use a lot of pre-made pizza crusts to make pizza. I always keep a package in my pantry. It makes pizza a 30-minute meal or a quick lunch. I use Momma Mary’s Thin and Crispy crusts exclusively.

I think they are the best, but many pre-made pizza crusts just plain suck. I would name a few but I’m not here to bash, I will only endorse Momma Mary’s. Their thin crusts are like a soft buttery cracker delivering the toppings. When canned dough is not an option or there is not enough time and energy to make dough from scratch, the Momma can be trusted.

Like I said, I always keep a package in the pantry, and NO I’m not getting paid by Momma Mary’s to write this. I recently had some horrifically bad pre-made pizza crust and it made me appreciate the quality of their product – so I thought I would give them a shout. But, if an employee of Momma Mary's does reads this, I encourage you to tell your boss and consider sending me a case ... the Thin and Crispy style.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Make 2 12” pizzas; 30 minutes
Divide over 2 12” pizza crusts
8 oz Cream cheese
6 Jalapeños, sliced
1/2 C Bacon, crumbled
1 C Cheddar cheese, shredded

Assemble and bake pizza
On pizza crust layer cream cheese, jalapeño, bacon, and cheddar cheese. Bake in a preheated 425° oven for 7 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.