Sausage Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers get an upgrade with smoked gouda cheese and fresh chives; the perfect party appetizer for your next party!
One of Jason’s go-to recipes to make for friends are Sausage Stuffed Jalapenos. He’s made this party appetizer for football watch parties, New Year’s Eve, and over the summer to hold friends over while he’s grilling outside. It’s an especially perfect recipe this time of year because all the parties are coming up, and we’re also in the thick of football season, and raise your hand if you’re more into the football food than the football game? Homeboy loves this jalapeno recipe.
…and truth be told, so do I. I love the flavor of spice, but my taste buds can’t generally hang at the party, and most spicy foods are just too hot for me. But the beauty of roasting jalapeno peppers is that they’re still incredibly fresh and flavorful, and they still have heat, but not so much heat that I can’t enjoy them; roasting jalapenos actually allows me to enjoy them without dying, lol.
Plus, these 5-Ingredient Sausage Stuffed Jalapeños remind me of Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms which is one of my favorite indulgent party bites this time of year. Typically, Jason makes this jalapeno popper recipe with parmesan cheese or shredded cheddar, but I love gouda, so for my version of this jalapeno appetizer, I love to use smoked gouda.
With just five ingredients, this appetizer is one of the easiest you will ever make; fresh jalapeno peppers, breakfast sausage, cream cheese, gouda cheese and fresh chives; these little bites of spice and flavor will be a fave at your house too.
Optional: sometimes I’ll garnish with a few sliced green onions, but not necessary. The most time consuming task to this recipe is cleaning out the jalapeños, and honestly you can do that 1-2 days in advance, which brings that back to being an easy appetizer.
How to cut and seed a jalapeno pepper:
- First, I recommend using gloves: It’s not 100% necessary, but for most people [yours truly included], handling raw jalapeno peppers can burn your hands. And even if it doesn’t burn, if you rub your eye after cutting said jalapeno, you’ll definitely burn your eye. So just a tip for you. In a pinch, you can also use a plastic grocery bag to protect your hands.
- Halve the jalapeno pepper lengthwise: you’ll be able to see the inside [membrane, also called, “rib”] to remove the seeds with a spoon.
- Remove the seeds: Use a small spoon to scrape the seeds and rib from each half.
And that’s it! Prep in advance. Make the sausage and cheese filling the day of, and you’re ready to GO. This couldn’t be easier, friends!
sausage stuffed jalapenos
Ingredients
- 1 lb breakfast sausage (mild or hot)
- 15 medium fresh jalapeno peppers
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 8 ounces smoked gouda cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
- handful of scallions, chopped, to garnish - optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- To a medium skillet, cook sausage on medium-high heat approx 8-10 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently; drain fat.
- Using kitchen gloves or a plastic grocery bag to protect your hands, halve each jalapeno lengthwise. Remove seeds and ribs using a spoon.
- To skillet with cooked sausage, add cream cheese and gouda and chives; mix well. Fill each pepper with a generous portion of sausage mixture.
- Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 8-10 minutes, until peppers are roasted and filling is lightly browned. Top with scallions, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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First of all, thank you for adding the macros. I try to eat clean and so many “low carb” recipes never add the macros so when I go to do it myself I find out that they aren’t really low carb. But this recipe for sausage stuffed jalapenos looks totally awesome. Plus Darcee LOVES gouda so if I make this for her she will Love me even more! The only problem is how much heartburn I will get after eating them all!
I’m glad I could help, Eric! I use My Fitness Pal to calculate macros, and whatever brand gouda or cream cheese could change numbers a bit but it shouldn’t too much, if at all. Hope you enjoy!
These look great and easy!
I always touch my eye after handling jalapenos.