Looking for that perfect dish for the holiday pot luck? Something easy to prepare, portable, but a little unusual? Try this warm, rich, satisfying takeoff of a favorite holiday appetizer. Who doesn't like a Jalapeno Popper?
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Ingredients
- 1/2 lb breakfast sausage (I use turkey sausage)
- 3 c. frozen southern-style hash browns
- 3 c. chicken broth
- 1 T. chicken bouillon granules or powder
- 1 T. dry minced onion
- 2 c. half and half or evaporated milk
- 6 T. Ultra Gel* (available at Amazon or carnetfoods.com)
- 3 oz cream cheese (cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cups diced green peppers and jalapeno peppers--adjust proportion to your family's tastes, but don't skimp on the jalapenos!
- Diced peppers for garnish.
Instructions
- Combine frozen hash browns, chicken broth, bouillon, and onion in a heavy saucepan or four-quart slow cooker on high heat setting.
- Meanwhile, brown sausage in a shallow pan. Add to saucepan/slow cooker when browned. Turn slow cooker to low if desired.
- Cover and cook until potatoes are tender, but not mushy (about 2 hours on high or three on low if using a slow cooker.)
- Add half and half or evaporated milk and stir to combine.
- Stir in Ultra Gel gradually with a wire whisk.
- Add cream cheese cubes and parmesan cheese and heat until smooth and hot (protect from boiling).
- Adjust thickness by adding more Ultra Gel if too thin; more milk or chicken broth if too thick.
- Add diced peppers just before serving for the popper "crunch". Garnish with reserved diced peppers.
Add chicken broth to heavy sauce pan or slow cooker
Add southern style hash browns. In different areas of the country, these may be called by a different name, but they are frozen, packaged, cubed potatoes that have not been fried.
Add chicken bouillon
and dehydrated minced onion.
Brown sausage in a frypan. I'm using turkey sausage and there is very little fat. If excessive fat accumulates during cooking, pour off and discard.
Cook until the potatoes are tender, then add the evaporated milk.
Gradually stir in the Ultra Gel. The product will begin to thicken. Add the parmesan cheese and cream cheese cubes and stir until smooth.
Add the sausage.
Seed and devein desired number of jalapenos, then dice. Do not add to soup until ready to serve to get the jalapeno "crunch"! I wish I could give you an exact amount of jalapenos to use for the perfect degree of flavor and heat, but there are too many variables. Some jalapenos are just hotter than others, even when you buy them from the same box. And different people like different degrees of heat. Rest assured, however--the milk base of this soup will temper any heat, so don't worry too much about getting it too hot.
Green peppers also provide crunch! And without the heat. Again--don't add until just before serving.
