Oven-roasted Jalapeño Poppers

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Cut tops off chiles and, with a tomato corer or a paring knife, scrape out seeds and ribs. (Always use food-safe gloves when working with hot chiles.) Combine cheeses and fill each jalapeño. You can use a small spoon or a pastry bag for this. Don’t overfill them, as cheese will bubble out as it cooks.

Stand jalapeños upright in a jalapeño roaster that’s been placed on a baking pan. (see note)

Roast upright peppers for about 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling over and chiles are starting to get tender. Let cool a bit before eating.

Special notes:

If you don’t have a specialty roaster, try this: Take a “disposable” rectangular aluminum roasting pan and turn it over. For each jalapeño, cut an “x” about 1-inch wide into the aluminum (so, 12 jalapeños = 12 “x’s”). Set the inverted roasting pan on a sheet pan. Push each jalapeño into its “x”, standing it upright. (Don’t dispose of the roasting pan afterward. Instead, save it for your next round of poppers.)

NOTE ON CHEESE:
These are just suggestions for cheeses. If you want to mix it up, keep the cream cheese, but use your favorite firm or semi-firm cheese in place of the Manchego and Gouda. Other suggestions might include white cheddar, P’tit Basque, Fontina, Monterey Jack or a touch of blue cheese.