Halved jalapeños filled with bacon-cheddar cream cheese, wrapped in crispy phyllo strips, baked until golden, and drizzled with sour cream for spooky mummy faces.
Wear gloves when handling raw jalapeños to avoid capsaicin irritation on hands and eyes. For less heat, remove jalapeño seeds and white membranes before filling.
Phyllo dries quickly; keep unused sheets covered with a damp towel while working. Sour cream drizzle for mummy eyes can be applied before or after baking; post-baking gives cleaner presentation.
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- fresh jalapeños (wear gloves to avoid capsaicin irritation)
- bacon (can be cooked ahead and stored)
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- cream cheese mixture (about 1 tablespoon per half)
- phyllo dough (keep unused sheets covered with damp towel)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- fresh jalapeños (wear gloves to avoid capsaicin irritation)
- bacon (can be cooked ahead and stored)
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- cream cheese mixture (about 1 tablespoon per half)
- phyllo dough (keep unused sheets covered with damp towel)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
Instructions
Prep: Halve and deseed jalapeños
Slice fresh jalapeños in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds and white membranes with a small spoon.
Make the filling: Combine cream cheese, cheddar, and bacon
Cook bacon, cooked and crumbled strips in a skillet over medium-high heat until crispy, about 6 minutes; drain on paper towels and crumble.
Mix softened cream cheese (4 oz), softened, shredded sharp cheddar cheese (1 cup), shredded, and crumbled bacon, cooked and crumbled in a small bowl until evenly combined.
Equipment: small bowl
Fill the jalapeño halves
Spoon or pipe the cream cheese mixture into each jalapeño half, mounding slightly.
Wrap with phyllo bandages
Brush melted unsalted butter (2 tablespoons), melted lightly on one side of phyllo dough sheets.
Cut phyllo dough into thin strips about ½ inch wide using kitchen shears or a knife.
Wrap 2–3 phyllo strips around each filled jalapeño half in a crisscross pattern to resemble mummy bandages, leaving a small gap at the top for the face.
Bake until golden
Arrange wrapped poppers seam-side down on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
Bake at 375°F for 15–18 minutes until phyllo is golden brown and crispy.
Equipment: sheet pan
Add mummy face details
Remove poppers from oven and let cool for 2 minutes; drizzle sour cream (3 tablespoons) over the top of each popper in thin lines to create mummy face details, then add two small dots of sour cream for eyes.
Serve
Transfer poppers to a serving platter and serve warm or at room temperature.
Before you cook
Cook notes
- • Wear gloves when handling raw jalapeños to avoid capsaicin irritation on hands and eyes.
- • Phyllo dries quickly; keep unused sheets covered with a damp towel while working.
- • For less heat, remove jalapeño seeds and white membranes before filling.
- • Poppers can be assembled up to 4 hours ahead, covered, and refrigerated; bake just before serving.
- • Sour cream drizzle for mummy eyes can be applied before or after baking; post-baking gives cleaner presentation.
- • If phyllo tears, layer two pieces together with a light butter brush between them.
- • Bacon can be cooked and crumbled 1 day ahead; store in an airtight container.
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