STRATEGY SESSION: Georgie Fear’s strategic ally in this recipe is substitution: Reduced-fat cheese replaces full fat. She combines 2 different varieties of cheese to restore some of the flavor lost with the excess fat.  

 

I’ve never been a fan of processed or reduced-fat cheese. I simply want the real thing– if only a bite or two. My skepticism notwithstanding, I was moved to test this recipe because 1) Georgie is my pal and 2) my son loves all things spicy. To my surprise and joy, it’s delicious! Just as the jalapeño starts to ignite your tongue, a soothing coat of creamy cheese comes to the rescue; when the cheese disappears, a tingly memory of the spark remains. If  ”Betcha can’t eat just one” has a healthy application, this is it. 

In the spirit of collaboration, I did make a couple of tiny changes in the original recipe– though not in the usual direction. I actually increased the amount of cheese ever so slightly and used 50% reduced-fat cheddar instead of Georgie’s 75%, which was a little  too Spartan– even for me. To compensate for these extravagances, I reduced the serving size. Although Georgie makes 5 peppers for 2 people, I prefer this dish served in little appetizer portions– 2 pepper halves per person– as part of a much larger meal. It would be a great addition to the chips and dips at your Super Bowl Party. I assure you it will hold its own.

Georgie says: The longer you bake these, the milder they become. So if your first nibble is too spicy, let them cook 5 minutes longer. If you prefer not to use a conventional oven, a toaster oven will easily accommodate 4 peppers at a time.

Note: Georgie and I are of one mind on the handling of jalapeños and other chile peppers. WEAR GLOVES!!!

 

Jalapeño Poppers 

• 8 jalapeño peppers
• 8 wedges Laughing Cow Light cheese, original Swiss
• Cooking oil spray
• 2 ounces Cabot 50% reduced fat cheddar cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut each pepper in half, and carefully remove the seeds and inner membranes. (Be careful not to touch your face until you’ve washed your hands thoroughly.)
2. Spread the Laughing Cow Light cheese evenly into the pepper halves, using half a wedge per half-pepper. Place the stuffed pepper halves on a cookie sheet that has been coated with cooking oil spray. Bake for 35 minutes.
3. While the peppers bake, grate the cheddar cheese. After 35 minutes, remove the peppers from the oven and top with grated cheese. Return to oven for 4-5 minutes longer to melt the cheese. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool before eating. (If they are too spicy, bake 5 minutes more, and taste again.)

Makes 8 servings

Per serving: 57 calories, 3 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 14 mg cholesterol, 2 g total carbohydrate, 0 g dietary fiber, 5 g protein, 303 mg sodium.