The Genius Reason You Should Make Jalapeño Poppers In A Bundt Pan

Jalapeño poppers make for a party-friendly recipe, with satisfying bites of creamy heat packed into a crispy exterior of crunchy, cooked peppers. And with so many flavor variations that can upgrade a basic recipe, this fun appetizer knows no bounds when it comes to answering the call of a spicy snack craving. Making the finger food isn't always a clean affair, however, and if you're not careful, melty cheese fillings can seep out of their hollowed pepper containers and end up on pans, ooze over the sides of the poppers, or — in the worst case scenario — burn on the bottom of your oven.

Thankfully, a Bundt pan can come to the rescue. While it's usually used to make baked goods, it may soon become a prized asset in your party-hosting arsenal. The size and shape of these baking containers are perfect for stacking and cooking filled peppers vertically, particularly if you anticipate many hungry mouths at your party. Plus, the Bundt pan can act as a container that holds prepared peppers prior to baking. Simply cover filled peppers with saran wrap, place in the fridge, and remove to cook before the party starts.

The assist from the Bundt pan means you can prep your peppers in a less messy way, too. Instead of slicing the jalapeños in half from the sides to pack with your choice of filling — and then trying to cram the halves back together — you can simply cut the top off each pepper, hollow out the insides, and fill each empty pepper vessel with your mixture of creamy cheese, crunchy bacon, and spices. If you have trouble getting them to stand on their ends in the Bundt pan even when packed together, you can ball up pieces of aluminum foil to fill in gaps and create a sturdier base for the peppers to remain vertical while cooking.

For a flavorful twist, use this unique cooking approach to your advantage and top the lined-up peppers with extra shreds of cheese and sprinkles of chopped chives or bacon, and finish with crunchy flakes of salt, flakes of dried red chili peppers, or extra dustings of smoked paprika. Not only will your kitchen be cleaner after this convenient assembly, but you'll also have fewer dishes to clean if you use the Bundt pan to present the appetizer to guests at your party.