Three Cheese Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers….

This is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy.  Like most people, I love fried foods but avoid them.  Try these, you will not know the difference!  Remove the seeds and membrane and you should eliminate most of the heat.  Leave a bit in if you want a little more “kick.”  The sauce is super simple, raspberry preserves cut with a little rice wine vineagar…YUM!

Oven Fried Three Cheese Stuffed Jalapeño Peppers

18 jalapeno peppers, blanched, halved, and seeded

Kosher salt

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 ½ cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

4 ounces goat cheese

¼ cup piquillo peppers, minced or any sweet red pepper

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon water

2 cups panko bread crumbs(Japanese Bread Crumbs)

Sweet and sour sauce

1 cup raspberry preserves

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1)  Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat.  Add 1 teaspoon salt.  Once boiling, add whole peppers to pot and boil for 2 minutes.  Drain and immediately place peppers into a bowl of ice water.

2)  Preheat oven to 400’.  Non stick foil line a cookie sheet and evenly coat with 2 teaspoons of olive oil.  Set aside.

3)  Once peppers are cool, cut in half and carefully remove the seeds and membrane.  I highly recommend wearing gloves.  Season pepper halves generously with salt.

4)  In a medium size mixing bowl, beat the goat cheese, cream cheese and Worcestershire sauce.  Add the cheddar and the minced piquillo peppers.

5)  Stuff each pepper with cheese.  Dip into beaten egg and then into panko crumbs, coat well.  Place on prepared cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake for 15 minutes.  While the peppers are baking, whisk the raspberry preserves and rice wine vinegar together.  Serve stuffed peppers with sauce.

*can be made a day ahead, refrigerated, then baked.