Today, I have a little Texas fire within me! So, I will let you in on a yummy, yummy treat that you can make as an appetizer or a main dish. However, I will warn you, these are a bit spicy. So have a tall glass of water with lemon ready.

When I was young, my mom would make these all the time. So, they are not only comfort food for me, they are a normal little filling southern snack and they are gluten free. Also, spicy foods are good for the metabolism, so you should not feel too guilty indulging in this little creamy popper.

The yummy filling!

Hot peppers (such as jalapeno and cayenne peppers) increase the body’s release of certain hormones (adrenaline), which stimulates the metabolism and increases calorie burn (Self Magazine).

You will need: 10 medium size jalapenos, 1 package of light cream cheese, ½ cup shredded cheese, 2 tbsp. cumin, 1 bundle fresh cilantro, 1 tbsp. chili powder and ½ tbsp. onion powder.

First, carefully cut the jalapenos in half (included a little picture of what they should look like). You want to remove any inking of seeds inside the flesh. These are really hot and will be really hot in your mouth if you leave even one inside. So trash those.

About to go in the oven!

Set your little poppers on a cookie tray and then mix up your filling. In a bowl, add in the cream cheese, shredded cheese, spices and fresh cilantro. You can add in dried cilantro; but, I think fresh tastes so much better.

Use a fork to mash all these ingredients together. Taste it before you fill your jalapenos. You may want to add a little more cumin or chili powder – to create that perfect bite!

Preheat to 400. Use a spoon to fill each little popper boat. And then place them in the oven for 25 minutes or until lightly golden brown and enjoy!