With Italian sausage, Parmesan, mozzarella, and cream cheese, these Stuffed Jalapenos are extra cheesy with just the right amount of heat. Serve these on game day and watch them quickly disappear!
Years ago, I was introduced to these Italian-style stuffed jalapeños at a potluck party. Packed with juicy Italian sausage and three types of cheese, this fun appetizer was the biggest hit of the evening! The recipe quickly became a game day tradition for my family. Like jalapeño poppers and armadillo eggs, these stuffed jalapeños are cheesy, spicy, and so irresistibly addictive.
To please those who like the wonderful kick of a jalapeño pepper AND those who don’t (our girls), I make this stuffed jalapeños recipe with both hot peppers and mild, colorful mini sweet peppers. It’s a win-win! They’re delicious any way you stuff them and always gone in a flash. For another Italian and Tex-Mex mash-up, you might like these taco meatball subs.
Why Stuffed Jalapeños Are a Favorite Game Day Snack
Parmesan cheese, mozzarella, and Italian sausage give these homemade jalapeño poppers an Italian-inspired spin. You could just as easily swap the sausage with ground taco meat for a more traditional, Tex-Mex version.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:
- Bring the heat, or don’t. I usually make a portion of these stuffed peppers with mild mini peppers (for those sensitive to spice) and the rest using spicy jalapeños. You can even color-code them “spicy” and “not spicy” based on the pepper colors.
- Easy to prep. These cream cheese stuffed jalapeños are prepped, baked, and ready to serve in under an hour.
- Make them ahead. I often stuff the peppers in advance and then pop them into the oven when guests arrive. It’s an easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer that’s perfect for parties and get-togethers.
A few more game day favorites for you: Baked Reuben Dip, Banh Mi Meatballs, Olive Cheese Balls, and my mom’s Shrimp Dip!
What You’ll Need
These are the ingredients I use to make this Italian take on stuffed jalapeños. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for exact measurements.
- Jalapeno peppers – Cut them in half, then seed and devein them for this recipe.
- Olive oil – Or your choice of cooking oil.
- Italian sausage – I use mild sausage for this recipe, but feel free to use a hot variety for even more heat.
- Red onion, red bell pepper – Veggies that add flavor and texture to the filling. Feel free to use mild white or yellow onion instead of red, and any color of bell pepper.
- Garlic – If you don’t have fresh garlic, substitute 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder per clove.
- Cream cheese – For a wonderfully creamy texture and a little tang.
- Shredded Parmesan – Adds a nutty, salty flavor. I like to add extra as a garnish before serving as well. You can also use another hard Italian cheese, like Pecorino.
- Mozzarella cheese – Blistered mozzarella gives those satisfying cheese pulls everyone loves. Provolone, cheddar, or another meltable cheese will work here, too.
- Fresh Italian parsley – For garnish, if you like. Basil or chives also go well.
Deseeding the Jalapeños
Deseeding the jalapeños helps to tame the heat (the seeds are where most of the spice is) and also makes space for the cheesy sausage filling. First, I slice the jalapeños down the middle. Then, I use the knife or the edge of a spoon to gently scrape out the seeds and clean the membranes from inside the peppers. I usually wear gloves when handling hot peppers and wash my hands well afterward.
How to Make Italian Stuffed Jalapenos
These baked Italian stuffed jalapeños come together in just a few steps.
- Roast the peppers. Slice the peppers in half and remove the seeds (see above). Then, roast the halved jalapeño peppers at 350ºF for 10 minutes, until nicely softened. Allow the peppers to cool completely.
- Make the filling. Meanwhile, cook the sausage, onion, pepper, and garlic until the sausage is browned and the vegetables are softened. Let that cool, and then stir together the sausage mixture, cream cheese, and parmesan.
- Stuff the peppers. Now, add a heaping tablespoon of the sausage mixture to each jalapeño half. Top each half with shredded mozzarella.
- Broil the peppers. Place the stuffed jalapeños under the broiler and toast until the filling is melty and the cheese is blistered/browned.
- Garnish & serve. Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan and garnish with chopped Italian parsley or chives. Serve hot or warm.
Make-Ahead
To prepare these stuffed jalapeños in advance, follow the instructions to fill the peppers, but don’t bake them. Instead, place the stuffed jalapeños in a single layer in a covered container in the refrigerator. Allow them to come to room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. Transfer to a baking sheet, add the shredded mozzarella, and bake for 5 minutes. Then, place the peppers under the broiler to finish.
BRENDA’S TIPS FOR THE BEST Stuffed Jalapeños
- Allow the sausage mixture to cool. To prevent the cream cheese from melting immediately, allow the sausage mixture to cool before combining it. You can place the sausage in the fridge to speed up the process.
- Handle the peppers with caution. Take care when cutting and handling jalapeño peppers (or any hot peppers, for that matter), and avoid touching your eyes and mouth. The oils from the peppers can burn. I recommend wearing disposable kitchen gloves if you have them. Wash your hands thoroughly afterward.
- Watch the broiler carefully. Everyone’s broiler is different, and food can go from toasty to blackened quickly. Keep an eye on the cheesy stuffed jalapeños so they don’t burn.
Can I Make These Less Spicy?
Cream cheese stuffed jalapeños are addictive. However, not everyone loves spicy food. And I get that. I was once that girl!
The solution I’ve found for my family is to use colorful mini sweet peppers instead of jalapeños. Just note that the mini sweet peppers usually have thinner walls, so you’ll need to roast them for a bit less time. I’ve included that in the recipe card instructions.
What to Serve With Stuffed Jalapeño Peppers
I serve these Italian stuffed jalapeños warm from the oven, when the cheeses are at their soft and gooey best. They’re best enjoyed with a crisp, cold beer or a refreshing glass of non-alcoholic blueberry lemonade. Pair these cheesy peppers with more easy finger foods like crispy butterfly shrimp and stuffed mushrooms, or pizza dip to stick to an Italian theme!
How to Store & Reheat
- Refrigerate. Store any leftover stuffed jalapeños in the fridge for up to 4 days. Cover with foil or keep in an airtight container.
- Reheat. To enjoy the stuffed peppers warm, pop them into a preheated 300° F oven for a few minutes. You may want to cover the pan with foil to prevent burning. You can also very easily microwave the peppers for a quick and easy game day appetizer repeat!
More Game Day Appetizers You’ll Love
Italian Stuffed Jalapeños
Ingredients
- 15 large jalapeño peppers cut in half seeded and deveined
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage
- ⅓ cup minced red onion
- ⅓ cup minced red bell pepper
- 3 large cloves garlic minced
- 16 ounces cream cheese
- ⅓ cup shredded Parmesan plus more for garnish
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- minced fresh Italian parsley and/or chives for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place halved jalapeños on a rimmed sheet pan. Line the pan with aluminum foil first, for easy clean-up, if desired. Roast for 10 minutes, or until nicely softened. Remove from oven and let cool.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil. Once the oil is warmed, add the sausage and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, breaking it up occasionally. Add onion, pepper, and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Once the sausage is thoroughly browned, remove the mixture to a large bowl. Cool to room temperature (place in refrigerator to speed up cooling, if desired).
- Add cream cheese and Parmesan to cooled sausage mixture. Fold thoroughly and then season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Place about 1 heaping tablespoon (depending on the size of your jalapeños) of mixture into each jalapeño half, and top with a bit of mozzarella cheese. Repeat until all halves are stuffed.
- Place the pan of stuffed jalapeños under the broiler and cook until the mozzarella cheese is melty and blistered/browned. Remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle with a bit more shredded Parmesan, and then some fresh Italian parsley and/or chives. Serve hot or warm.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
This post was previously published in 2011. Photographs and some of the text were updated in 2020 and 2022.
My neighbor makes these Jalapeño poppers for Gameday and they go very fast. I’m glad to find the recipe! I want to try this way and with Chorizo in place of Italian sausage.
Great to hear! Enjoy!
ummmmm….. I need to try the stuffed jalapenos. They look fantastic!
So delicious! Have a crisp cold beer close! ;)
Great take on jalapeno poppers!
Thanks, Kevin – they’re delicious!!
omg that looks so yummy! i would love to try this recipe without the sausage.
Thanks, Jasmine. This recipe could definitely be changed up with different ingredients – enjoy!
I made these for a friend’s Super Bowl party also. HUGE hit! A little spicy for some people but they were gone very quickly! All of the guys were in love with them. I think an exact quote was “Who brought the stuffed peppers? … Absolutely incredible!” Thanks for the recipe. And I’m glad to see that I can freeze the stuffing, I had a lot left over also.
Hi Linda, thanks for letting me know these went over so well! I know there’s still quite a bit of stuffing – so this works great for a larger party. I even cut down the quantity from the original recipe!
We made these yesterday for the Super Bowl and they were a hit! I had a lot of the stuffing leftover as my jalepenos were a bit small. So I just threw it in the freezer, you figure it will be ok to use later?! And we made the buffalo chicken dip AND mint brownies! YUM! Thanks for the great ideas!
Wow, Caroline, I feel like I was watching the game with you! Thanks for trying all these recipes – that makes my day! I’ve actually frozen the stuffing myself. It works fine, just let it thaw completely in the refrigerator before using it.
I’m a day late on those jalapeno poppers! But that’s OK, I printed & stashed for an upcoming party, they look amazing. Great game-day post, everything in fact looks delicious.
There’s plenty of time to make these, Steph!! Great to hear from you!
I have never seen jalapenos stuffed like this. These would for sure be a hit at my Super Bowl Party. I love your photos.
Thanks, Jenn – great to hear from you!
We tried stuffed peppers for the first time over the holidays……this sound delicious!!
Thanks for linking up! I featured your post in my wrap up post http://tidymom.net/2011/projects-by-you/
Thanks so much, Cheryl – I’m Lovin’ It. :)
Yummy!!! We love stuffed jalapenos at our house and can’t wait to try this version. Thanks for sharing!!
You’re welcome – would love to hear what you think of them!
I was just asked to bring something to a Super Bowl party we are going to. I’m thinking it will be these, they look delicious!!
You just can’t go wrong, Amelia – they’re always a hit!
Ok, I thought I was following you on Twitter and somehow wasn’t! Anyhoo, I’ve corrected that and just tweeted this. Sounds perfect for an appetizer or SuperBowl. Thanks so very much for linking to Saturday Swap with this!!! Have a great weekend…
Thanks much, Kim!
these look awesome!! I love stuffed jalapenos but have never seen a version like this. I bet they are DELICIOUS!
found you on Saturday Swap!
Wonderful to hear from you, Aggie – thank you!
It all looks fabulous!
All of these delicious looking appetizers and treats may just make me become a football fan!
Absolutely not!