Easy Cheesy Cornbread Jalapeno Poppers

These Easy Cheesy Cornbread Jalapeno Poppers are such a treat! They're great on their own, or beside your favorite bowl of chili.

And they couldn't be easier to make because...

These Easy Cheesy Cornbread Jalapeno Poppers start with a great shortcut ingredient - boxed cornbread/corn muffin mix. No jumble of measuring spoons and bags of flour - everything we need for cornbread is in the box! But we'll transform our box of cornbread/corn muffin mix into something extra special by adding cheese and corn, and then bake it inside jalapeno peppers to make... Easy Cheesy Cornbread Jalapeno Poppers... Swoon!

Bake up a batch of these Easy Cheesy Cornbread Jalapeno Poppers today - I'll bet you can't eat just one!

It only takes a few ingredients to make these Easy Cheesy Cornbread Jalapeno Poppers, and they're easy to put together. My box of Cornbread Muffin Mix calls for milk and an egg - use whatever your box of mix calls for.

Ingredients - Boxed Cornbread/Corn Muffin Mix:

• 1 box of Cornbread/Corn Muffin mix
• 1 egg (or whatever your box of mix calls for)
• 1/3 C milk (or whatever your box of mix calls for)

Ingredients - Add-ins and Jalapenos

• 1-1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese (~4oz)
• 1/2 C corn (canned/drained or frozen or fresh)
• Jalapenos (at least 6, more if small)

Tools:

• Baking sheet
• Cooling rack (that fits inside the baking rack)
• Grater/Shredder
• Mixing bowl
• Measuring cup
• Spoon
• Knife (a small paring knife works well)

Optional, but recommended:

• Parchment paper
• Melon baller scoop

Notes: Jalapenos vary in size, as do boxed cornbread/corn muffin mixes. I had 6 rather large (4-5 inches long) peppers, and my boxed mix was 8.5 ounces. I had a bit of cheesy cornbread batter left over which I baked separately.

Getting your pan ready first makes assembling these Easy Cheesy Cornbread Jalapeno Poppers a breeze.

Prep:

• Line your baking sheet with parchment paper
• Place your cooling rack on top of parchment paper in baking sheet
• Preheat your oven to 350 deg F

Note: Lining your baking pan with parchment paper makes for easy cleanup later. You could also use aluminum foil for this.

The jalapenos will become the baking vessels for our cheesy cornbread. If you have sensitive skin, you may want to wear kitchen gloves for this step. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after handling the cut jalapenos, and don't touch your eyes!

Prep the Jalapenos:

• Cut each jalapeno in half from tip through stem, leaving the stem on each half
• Scoop out the seeds/ribs of the jalapeno.
• Place your jalapeno halves cut side up on your prepared pan

Notes: Leave the stem intact on each half when cutting the jalapenos as it adds stability to the cut jalapeno. A melon baller scoop works great for scooping out the seeds, but you could also use a spoon or (carefully) use your paring knife.

The cornbread for these Easy Cheesy Cornbread Jalapeno Poppers is not just plain cornbread - we'll use some add-ins to make it cheesy and extra delicious!

Prep the Add-Ins:

• Measure out a half cup of the corn (save the rest for something else)
• Grate/Shred 1-1/2 cups of cheddar cheese
• Divide the cheese into a 1 cup portion and a 1/2 cup portion

Notes: If using canned corn, drain it well. I used approximately 4 oz of cheddar cheese to get 1-1/2 cups shredded cheese

We're ready to mix up the Cheesy Cornbread. Grab a mixing bowl and spoon and here we go!

Mixing the Cheesy Cornbread:

• Place your cornbread/corn muffin mix into the mixing bowl
• Add the ingredients called for by your mix (mine called for milk and an egg)
• Mix with spoon until combined
• Add the corn
• Add 1 cup of the cheddar cheese (save the 1/2 cup portion of cheese for the next step)
• Mix with spoon until combined

Now we've got everything prepared to assemble our Easy Cheesy Cornbread Jalapeno Poppers!

Grab your baking pan with the cut jalapenos and let's fill them up!

Assembling the Poppers:

• Spoon some of the cheesy cornbread batter into each jalapeno half. Get them nice and full
• Use the remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese to top each popper

Notes: I had a little bit of cheesy cornbread batter left over after filling the jalapenos. I buttered a small baking dish and baked it up alongside the jalapenos.

We're getting close now... Let's bake them!

Now we just need to bake our Easy Cheesy Cornbread Jalapeno Poppers. They smell so good while they're baking!

Baking the Poppers:

• Place the baking sheet with your filled jalapenos in the preheated oven
• Set a timer for 20 minutes
• If you're like me, set a second time for 20 minutes :)
• When the 20 minutes are up, remove the baked poppers from the oven

Notes: You'll know the poppers are done when the tops are a rich golden brown and your kitchen smells amazing. You may want to peek at the 15 minute mark since ovens vary.

Let the poppers cool just a little bit and then plate them up and enjoy them!. These poppers are best when they're still warm.

Plate and Enjoy!

• Let the poppers cool just a couple minutes
• Plate them up
• Eat and Enjoy!

I hope you make these Easy Cheesy Cornbread Jalapeno Poppers soon. They really are a treat! So tasty as a snack on their own, or enjoy them alongside a bowl your favorite chili.

Notes: If you lined your baking pan with parchment paper, cleaning the pan will be easy. To clean the rack, remove the parchment paper (snack on the little bits of cornbread that dripped onto it), turn the rack upside down in the baking pan and fill the pan with some water - the rack will come clean easily after soaking for just a little while.

I am excited to have received a 2nd Place prize in the "Out Of The Box" challenge in February 2021 - thanks!