Jalapeño Poppers with Pastrami, Apple Butter and Grilled Onions Recipe is a sweeter take on a classic Pastrami Sandwich that is, quite frankly, darn good.
Jalapeño Poppers with Pastrami, Apple Butter and Grilled Onions
While I was making my Jalapeño Poppers version of a traditional New York Deli Pastrami Reuben Sandwich (Click HERE Now for the Recipe) I decided to go ahead and experiment a bit more with the pastrami.
I looked online and found a sandwich idea that I knew I had to try.
Adapting recipes is fun – but it is not an exact science for me. Most of the time I do hit a single or a double — especially if I am starting with a good recipe. Occasionally I get the triple. And, yes, occasionally I do strike out (you don’t get to see those. 😉 ) But every once in a while, when everything works just right, I hit the home run.
This recipe is an Out-of-the-Park HOME RUN!
About the Recipes
One thing you will notice immediately is that most of our recipes do not have quantities listed for the ingredients. This is by design.
Jalapeños come in many different sizes and shapes (often depending upon the time of year). Their size, the cut you choose (see below) and your own personal tastes will determine how much cream cheese, bacon or other ingredients you put into each pepper. Use your tastes and be sure to experiment a bit.
You will also notice that most directions call for cooking the poppers in an oven. This is because that is the easiest and quickest way for most of us to cook and enjoy jalapeño poppers year round. But if you want to grill, smoke or cook your poppers any other way – Almost every recipe we have will work. We will let you know if it won’t.
How to Cut and Clean Jalapeños for Poppers (With Pictures)
Click the links below to how to make any style Jalapeño Popper cut.
- How and When to Do a Boat Cut Jalapeño Popper
- How and When to Do a Canoe Cut Jalapeño Popper
- How and When to Do a Cone Cut Jalapeño Popper
- How to Spread Cream Cheese in a Jalapeño for a Jalapeño Popper
Remember to wear disposable gloves when cutting and cleaning jalapeño peppers – and don’t touch your face.
Jalapeño Poppers with Pastrami, Apple Butter and Grilled Onions Recipe
I adapted this recipe from a Pastrami Sandwich recipe I saw on Damn Delicious Blog (damndelicious.net) called Open-Faced Apple Butter Pastrami Sandwiches. The creator of the site and recipe, Chungah, developed the sandwich for Musselman’s Apple Butter from a recipe she saw on Bon Appetit.
I don’t have a contract with Musselman’s or Bon Appetit (Yet! Contact me! I’m available! 😉 ) but I do know a good pairing when I see one — and this is a very good pairing.
Apple butter is more earthy tasting than apple jelly or baked apples. So it goes well with the salty, earthy taste of the pastrami. I changed the cheese from white cheddar to sharp cheddar because I thought it would hold its own better against the jalapeño. I added sautéed onions to the mix on a whelm at the last minute because I thought they would taste good. And — Woo HOO! — I was right.
Jalapeño Poppers with Pastrami, Apple Butter and Grilled Onions Recipe
Jalapeño Poppers with Pastrami, Apple Butter and Grilled Onions Recipe is a sweeter take on a classic Pastrami Sandwich that is, quite frankly, darn good.
Ingredients (See Box Above, "IMPORTANT - About Our Recipes" for Information about Quantities)
- Jalapeño Peppers
- Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
- Cream Cheese
- 1 tablespoon Butter to sauté the onion
- Onion sliced
- Pastrami sliced thinly
- Apple Butter
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese sliced
- Bacon extra long strips preferably
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cut the jalapeños into a boat cut. (Click the link above to see how to do a Boat Cut.)
- Sprinkle insides of cut jalapeños lightly with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Place the jalapeños on a cookie sheet. Place sheet in preheated oven. Cook for about 10 minutes. (Skip this step if you prefer your finished jalapeños to be more raw and crunchy.)
- Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly so you can handle them.
- Add cream cheese to each jalapeño to cover the bottom, leaving a concave "well" to place other ingredients. (Click the link above to see pictures of this step, if the instructions are unclear to you.) Set jalapeños aside.
- In a medium pan over medium high heat, add the butter and onion. Sauté the onion until it is just starting to turn soft. It will cook further in the oven later. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Place a generous slice of pastrami into each jalapeño. Press down into the boat.
- Smear a good helping of the apple butter over the pastrami. The taste of the apple butter will tend to fade as it is cooked and be overwhelmed by the stronger ingredients (I couldn't taste it as all in my first attempts), so make sure you use a good amount.
- Add a second slice of pastrami and another smear of apple butter.
- Repeat the layers once more if your jalapeños are large enough. Heck, do it 3 or 4 more times if you like. I did three layers.
- Place a spoonful of the sautéed onions on top of the last layer.
- Place a couple slices of cheddar cheese on top of the onions.
- Wrap bacon around each jalapeño. Secure with a toothpick, if you like.
- Place jalapeños back on cookie sheet and place back in oven.
- Cook, watching closely, until cheese is hot and bubbling and bacon is done, about 25 - 30 minutes. Check to make sure jalapeños and bacon are done to your liking. If not, place back in oven for more time.
- Remove from oven when done and enjoy hot.
Recipe is original. Credit for recipe idea is given and source linked to in the article. Additional Information Courtesy of Wikipedia and is used by permission.
