2 large russet potatoes, baked
4 large jalapeños
4 pieces cooked thick bacon, crumbled
4 ounces cream cheese
1 tablespoon honey
Olive oil or bacon grease
Salt and pepper
Ideally, you would use leftover baked potatoes for these poppers, but if you need to bake a few, see here: How To Bake a Potato in the Oven. Let the potatoes cool before proceeding.
Heat the oven to 450°F. Arrange two racks in the top third and bottom third of the oven.
Cut each potato into quarters lengthwise. Use a spoon to scrape out the filling of each potato, leaving some meat next to the skin so it isn't too thin. Brush potato skins with bacon grease or olive oil and bake on the lower rack for 12 to 15 minutes, until crispy around the edges.
Toss the jalapeños with olive oil and a pinch of salt, and arrangement on a baking sheet. Roast them on the upper rack of the oven for 15 minutes until they are blistered. Turn them occasionally as they roast. When done, let rest for 10 minutes, then cut the peppers in half and and scoop out the seeds.
While things are roasting and baking, combined softened cream cheese with the honey and a pinch of salt in a medium mixing bowl. Use a mixer or large fork to beat the cream cheese until it's light and fluffy.
When potato skins are baked and crispy on the edges, top each skin with half of a roasted jalapeño and then with a dollop of whipped cream cheese. Crumble some bacon over top. Serve these while they are warm.
Recipe Notes
- Some jalapeño might be spicier than others. It's a bit like pepper roulette, but because of the cream cheese and potato, none of them should be too hot to eat.
- If the roasted pepper is slipping off the potato skins, you can add a layer of cream cheese in between the potato and pepper to secure it in place.
- Once you have your potatoes baked, you can also make these on the grill. Grill the peppers until they are tender and finish the potato skins on the grill so they get really crispy!