Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Company's Coming CREAM CHEESE JALAPENO CRESCENT POPPERS



When we have people over to our house to watch a sports event on the telly, I start thinking days and days ahead of what to make.

Besides cleaning my house like a mad-woman, the second thing that's on my mind is what sort of snack can I make.  I dwell on it literally for days.   I mean DAYS.

I know, I know.  Too late to fix me now, I'm too far gone.

So in times like this when I'm having issues, these little guys are like my double dose of Advil for a "company's-comin- over-stressed-out" headache.

So easy.

Super good pop-in-your-mouth-I-want-more kind of appetizer.

Great with an Ice Cold Beer or Margaritas (a must actually).

Sweet, Hot, Creamy, Flaky Yum-a-licious.

And last but not least, pretty darn cute.


1 tube regular Crescent Rolls
1 (4 ounce) can Diced Jalapenos (you will actually only use half of this can)
3/4 (8 ounce) cube cream cheese, room temperature
1 Tbsp. sugar

Note:  The ingredients above make 32 little Crescent Poppers.  It's easy for a grown man to shovel about 8 of these in his mouth without thinking about it.  So depending on who you're having over, you might want to get another tube of Crescent Rolls and one more cube of cream cheese.  Don't worry about the Jalapenos, you will have enough for a second batch with this one can.  Unless you want over the top spicy poppers.

Preheat oven 375 degrees.

Cut your cube of cream cheese and throw about 3/4 of it into a bowl.  Now take almost half of your Jalapenos from the can and throw in with your cream cheese.

This is the type of jalapenos I can get at my local grocery store.  They are diced up really fine and work perfectly.  But if you prefer to use fresh Jalapenos, then go for it.  I just didn't want to get my fingers all spicy in case I need to rub my eyes anytime soon.



To your bowl with your cream cheese and Jalapenos, add your Tablespoon of sugar. 



To me, this sugar addition is important.  I like the sweet, spicy taste. The sugar is not overwhelming, it's just the perfect accent.  I mean really, anyone can add cream cheese and jalapenos to a crescent roll, but not everyone adds sugar.  It's our little secret.

Take your fork and mash it all up really well.  Be sure to incorporate all that sugar in really well.

This is where I like to do a little taste test.  I prefer a bit more spicy poppers, so I added just a bit more jalapenos.


These are not really as hot as they might appear, but then maybe that's just me.  So ya better test it first.

Set your bowl of cream cheese jalapenos aside for now.

Open up your tube of crescent rolls and place on your cutting board.

Separate them into two rectangles, it should look like this, with all the little perforations.


Now pinch together the perforations to create two nice rectangles.  Sometimes I like to use my little mini rolling pin afterwards, to make it a nice and smooth rectangle.


With the back of your spoon, spread half of the cream cheese mixture, onto one of the rectangles. Save the other half of the mixture for the other rectangle.  (You will have TWO rectangles per tube of crescent rolls.)

Get to spreading.


Once you've spread your half portion of cream cheese on one of your rectangles, start with the LONG end of the roll, and get to rolling.


Once it's all rolled up, you will need to cut your log into 16 pinwheels.

Don't be nervous, I'm not very good at math, but I've found a really easy way to do this so it all comes out evenly.

Get a sharp knife. Really sharp if you have one.

Cut your log right in half. Now you should have two logs.  Then cut those two logs in half, and now you should have four logs. 

Get the idea?  I'm so smart, I amaze myself sometimes.

So now you should have four logs.


Now, cut these dolls in half and now you have eight smaller logs.

I bet you didn't think you were gonna get a math lesson did ya?



Now of course, last but not least, cut these little sweet-ums in half.

You now have 16 pinwheel poppers.

Note:  This is where you could refrigerate these little guys if you wanted to make them ahead of time.  Then just bake them right when the Gang is getting antsy.

Place your 16 poppers, standing up, on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with Pam.  Don't forget this step cause you sure don't want to be prying off your stuck-on poppers in front of your guests now do ya?

Make sure you stand them up, with the cream cheese facing upward.

Aren't they so cute?


Pop these into the oven for about 13 minutes until they are golden brown.  Keep an eye on them, as each oven varies.

Once your first batch is in the oven, get to spreading and rollin and cutting the other rectangle. Man I'm bossy.

Once they are done, immediately slide them off the cookie sheet, onto a plate, walk that plate into your crowd of hungry guests, and hear the Ohhs and Ahhs.



Then watch these poppers, pop, one by one, into the mouths of your ever thankful house guests.

Thank you my little "company's-coming-headache-free" appetizers.

Now where did I put my icey cold Margarita?





74 comments:

  1. YUM!!! These look so fabulous and so perfect for a certain big game coming up!
    And, um...p.s. - I took the margarita. Sorry. ;)

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  2. Girl, You had me at CREAM CHEESE! These are lookin scrumptious.. wonder how they'd be with a Malibu and Diet!? (thats my kinda drink!!)

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  3. Sally!! I just wanted to tell you that I have awarded you with the "Stylish Blog Award"!! I have just loved your blog and appreciate all of your sweet comments on mine : ) Just come on over to my blog to see how you accept the award!

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  4. I love all your recipes! This one I have got to make!! And I won't let Siggy take your margarita - I know how to take her down...lol.

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  5. Hi Sally! Oh my lordy! I'm adding these to our Super Bowl party menu :) I can't wait to try them!! I had to laugh that you said you clean the house like a mad woman and stress about what you are making days----weeks in advance. ME TOO! Ok, we're sisters.....that's just it....we just are :) So tell me.....what else are you making on Super bowl......am I missing anything? I'm making the BBQ crescent appetizer and some pigs in a blanket for Jake.....he's not too adventurous! Happy Week! xo

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  6. Oy! Fantastic!! I just tried an uncooked and ultra spicy version of this at a Christmas party - it was cream cheese with jalapenos spread on flour tortillas and cut into pinwheels. Both of these would be awesome! Thanks for the cute blog post - now I wanna see what else you're cookin up!! :)

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  7. These look awesome! I'm going to make them for a family Christmas on Sunday! Thanks!

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  8. Thanks! So easy! Making these today! Merry Christmas!

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  9. These came out wonderfully. I am making them again for New Years Eve.

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  10. I was going to make these with bacon on the mix... But I am going to keep the bacon out and add the sugar. Thanks for the recipe!!
    Have a pretty New Year!
    Kristin

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  11. I have my first batch in the oven as we speak. In place of adding sugar, I used some of my bread & butter jalapenos that I canned. They have plenty of sugar in them...if they taste as good as the mixture does..Oh my! A new favorite for sure. Btw, I found you on Pinterest and enjoy your recipes!

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  12. Well folks....It's a keeper!! Delish!

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  13. Sally,
    Thank You So Much!!!!!! This is so much easier than the way I have been doing it! and they look better too!! Keep up the great recipes and have a great New Year!!!!
    Theresa

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  14. For some reason I had to bake mine for 25 minutes, but they turned out great. Next time I'm adding a little bacon and shredded cheese! :)

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  15. Can I get this recipe in a email? Thank you so very much. Looks delicious.

    rebaspeaks@wi.rr.com

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  16. Made these today for the family - disappeared right in front of me. So easy and yummy! Thanks :)

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  17. I am going to make these but use the fat free crescent rolls and the light or fat free cream cheese. I can see I will want to eat a lot of them, so I will feel less guilty!

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  18. OHHH My gosh. those sound amazing... How would Green chillis be instead of the peppers?

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  19. Sally, I just made these for my husband, and he devoured them faster than I have ever seen him eat anything. They were absolutely wonderful. Thank you for posting this to pinterest.

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  20. thanks for this recipe. easy, fast and yummy. i used chillis and they turned out really hot. enjoying them right now :)

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    1. Looks like you are off to a great start with the poppers! Have a great trip!buy poppers nz

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  21. Hi sally, great recipe, do you think i can get them ready tonight but cook them tomorrow? will they taste ok??

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  22. I bet these would taste yummy with Tastefully Simple Jalapenos Jam. YUMMY

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  23. Don't you just love the versatility of crescent rolls? Really, there are SO many variations using cream cheese and I <3 cream cheese. I do a similar recipe except I add a few of those red pepper flakes (like those that come in packets to put on your pizza) and some shredded cheese (Mexican mix). I have found that even with a sharp knife, these little guys can be hard to cut so here's a tip if you guys haven't already figured it out: after you roll into a log, roll it up in either wax paper or plastic wrap and pop it in the freezer for an hour or so and use a serated knife. Also, another great crescent snack is using sausage mixed with cc (and shredded if you want just don't overdo or it will be too greasy) and then use the same roll and cut method. I can't wait to try your version using jalapenos! Thanks for sharing :)

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    Replies
    1. Another easy way to cut these or anything like cinnamon rolls is to use a piece of thread. Cut it pretty long, slide under the rolled up recipe, cross the thread and pull. Works awesome!

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  24. Perfect for our upcoming poker party!! Thanks :)

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  25. making them for our poker night at Tappan Lake Campground .....can't wait to pop some down with some ice cold beer!

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  26. Making these this week at the beach..you crack me up...thank you so very much for sharing

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  27. Can't wait to try these!!! Thank you :))

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  28. I love this recipe, mine are currently in the oven, I added some shredded cheese and bacon bits, can't wait to try them!

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  29. I'm going to make these to snack on while we are stuck indoors awaiting the hurricane to hit. I'm going to add some cooked ground sausage to them.

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  30. I am constantly lookin for game day snacks. Cant wait to try them this weekend for the first game of the season. I do just like you and start looking days ahead on what to serve. Thanks for this recipe.

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  31. I just made these and everyone loved them. I added fried up bacon bits to the cream cheese, then put a little of that aside to make some for my mom who can't handle the spicy jalapenos. Added the jalapeno's to the rest of the mixture and they went like greased lightning. Can't wait to make some more this weekend when I go to visit my kids.

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  32. Holy Jalepeno Maria! These are AMAZING! My kids and I made these for a work pot-luck and I think I'm going to have to make another run to the store to get more stuff because we ate the first 3 batches! My 3 year old is sweating and sucking air in through her little mouth and then grabbing another one. YUMMMM!

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  33. Thinking of taking these to a brunch - are they still good cold (don't think I can manage to keep them warm)?

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  34. Thanks for the good article. I have new ideas up. The article was really special.

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  35. Making these now. My husband loves jalapenos. I think he will love these..thanks

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  36. Just made these using neuf chatel cheese and they turned out delicious!! And minus 1/3 of the fat from cream cheese. So yummy!!! Thanks for the recipe!

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  37. Making these for a Christmas Party this weekend! Thank you!

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  38. Replies
    1. It makes 32. I understand your confusion though because at the end of the recipe she is only talking about 16 poppers. However, at that point she still has another rectangle of crescent rolls to spread, roll up, and cut, so there would be another 16 poppers giving you a total of 32. Hope that helps! :)

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  39. Thank you for the recipe! I've made three batches in the past week for the holidays and they were gobbled up fast. I used low fat cream cheese and added a small sprinkle of sharp cheddar over the spread cream cheese mixture, and it was so good! I also saved some time because I found those seamless dough rolls from Pillsbury. My husband even made a batch no problem. Great recipe :)

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  40. These are great! I tasted them before I cooked them and decided I needed a few more peppers! I forgot that the peppers would get hotter as they cooked!!! I am sweating as I eat them but they are still great! I will just use less next time!

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  41. “Then watch these poppers, pop, one by one, into the mouths of your ever thankful house guests.”---- I love poppers so much! It’s super tempting and irresistible! Swear! :D It’s a great choice. This is the reason why poppers are always present in every food party that we have.

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  42. I'd like to make these but I am also wondering how to keep them warm as I have to bring them to someone's house for a Super Bowl party. I'm thinking I'll just take them out of the oven just before we leave and wrap in tinfoil. Also, I plan to add cooked bacon to them.

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    1. Hi Jillian - I actually have taken them to a party, and what I did, was line my Crockpot with tinfoil, and placed them in there. Keep the Crockpot on warm, and that should do it. Not as good as "right out of the oven" but they are still Poppin Good. OR, if you have one of those nifty warmers that Walmart and Target sells now, they are a warming tray basically with a silver tray that sets on top. Those are nifty, but a pain to transport to a friends house. Hope this helps! Sally

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  43. Yum! I will make these lil yumbuns tomorrow for the superbowl! The way to a mans heart is thru his tummy right!?!? Thanks!

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  44. So glad I tried these - you are right - the sugar makes all the difference! I added shredded chicken - yum!!

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  45. can you make these a head of time or do you have to serve them right after they come out of the oven

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  46. These were delicious! They were a hit! Quick, easy and yummy! Thanks!

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  47. I added bacon too. Turned out great. I recommend cutting with kitchen scissors instead of a knife; it's much cleaner.

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  48. If don't want to cook them right away, how long can they stay in the fridge before you have to cook them?

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  49. OMG! I am salivating just looking at them. I can't wait to try them!

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  50. Made them and they were great!

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  51. I pinned this recipe a little while back but never got around to making them. NOW Philadelphia makes a jalapeno cream cheese!! I'm going to try being lazy and making them with this new cream cheese (though I suspect it won't be spicy enough for my taste.)

    I just wanted to let you know that Philly makes this now, in the small tub, not in a brick.

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  52. They went over big but I also add chopped black olives.

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  53. Made this for a party over the weekend and it was a HUGE hit! thank you for a fabulous recipe!

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  54. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  55. I'm getting ready to make these for the third time in three weeks. They are perfect! So glad I found your blog! :)

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  56. Really tasty, thanks! It's helpful if you pop the roll into the freezer for a few minutes after the spreading and rolling and before the cutting.

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  57. Amazing! Can these be made ahead of time and frozen or refridgerated after cutting?

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  58. can these be reheated? I want to make ahead of time to take to a party wonder if i can reheat riight before we go?? Sounds yummy thanks

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  59. I folded them the wrong way! Is that going to be an issue?

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  60. These would be perfect for football season. Soooo yummy!

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  61. These look awesome and I have everything in the fridge.

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  63. I recently had the pleasure of indulging in some absolutely divine Jalapeno Poppers at one of the fantastic restaurants in Lower Hutt, and I couldn't resist sharing my delight! These little bites of heaven were a symphony of flavors that left my taste buds dancing.

    The perfect combination of the crispy outer layer and the ooey-gooey cream cheese filling was truly a taste sensation. But what elevated the experience was the subtle heat from the jalapenos – not too overwhelming, but enough to add a tantalizing kick. It's evident that the chef's expertise played a crucial role in balancing these elements to perfection.

    What struck me most was the creativity and innovation that went into these Jalapeno Poppers. Instead of being a generic appetizer, they were a gourmet delight, showcasing the culinary prowess of the restaurant. It's experiences like these that make dining in Lower Hutt's restaurants an absolute joy.

    The restaurant's commitment to quality ingredients and expert preparation was evident in every bite. The freshness of the jalapenos and the richness of the cream cheese spoke volumes about the attention to detail. This culinary gem in Lower Hutt has truly mastered the art of creating memorable dishes that leave a lasting impression.

    For anyone in or around Lower Hutt with a penchant for delightful appetizers and a desire to explore the culinary scene, I highly recommend trying the Jalapeno Poppers at one of the local restaurants. It's a flavorful journey that perfectly encapsulates the essence of dining in Lower Hutt's diverse and thriving food scene. Trust me; your taste buds will thank you!
    Lower Hutt Restaurants

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