Grilled Spinach Dip Stuffed Jalapenos
These Grilled Spinach Dip Stuffed Jalapenos feature peppers stuffed with creamy homemade spinach dip and topped with cheddar cheese. They’re a delicious appetizer for summer grilling!
This Grilled Spinach Dip Stuffed Jalapenos post is sponsored by Cabot Creamery, but the recipe and opinions are entirely my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Spiced!
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These Grilled Spinach Dip Stuffed Jalapeños are quite possibly the perfect party appetizer. We love appetizers around our house, so the competition in this category is pretty steep. But imagine this: halved jalapenos stuffed with homemade spinach dip and topped with shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Grill those jalapenos until the peppers soften up a bit, and you’re all set. Delicious easy summer appetizer!
Last weekend, our friends invited us over for a last minute potluck. One of those types of things where you say, “I’ve got hot dogs and a bag of chips” and they say “Perfect, we’ve got extra buns. Come on over!”
As we were standing around waiting on the grill to warm up, our friend walked in with a plate of grilled stuffed jalapenos. “Woah – wait! Where did those come from!?” This last minute potluck just turned into a legit party! I told him he shouldn’t have spent all that time making the stuffed jalapenos. He just laughed and said it took about 10 minutes.
Grilled Spinach Dip Stuffed Jalapenos
“10 minutes!? How? ” He commented that all he did was cut the jalapenos in half and stuff ’em with store-bought spinach dip. Add a sprinkle of cheese on top and then grill ’em up for 10-12 minutes. That’s it. I took a bite (and then another 4) and decided we needed to recreate this recipe back at home.
For this version, I reached back and grabbed a recipe for homemade spinach artichoke dip (I just omitted the artichokes, although you could certainly leave ’em in there if you choose). Store-bought dip might be easy, but homemade dips always taste better. And truthfully this homemade spinach dip really isn’t very difficult to make at all.
When I was at the store picking out the best looking jalapeno peppers, I noticed a bag of mini sweet peppers right next to their spicier cousins. I thought, “Hmmm, I bet we could do a mix of jalapenos and sweet peppers.” I removed the seeds and ribs from the jalapenos, but you can still get an odd spicy pepper here and there. The combination of peppers is perfect as you can go back and forth between spicy and sweet.
The spinach dip filling is made with Cabot Cream Cheese combined with sour cream, mayo, chopped spinach and seasonings. It takes all of about 5 minutes to mix it together! Cabot’s Cream Cheese is super creamy, and it perfectly balances the heat from the jalapenos. For the sweet peppers, the tangy flavor of the cream cheese pairs wonderfully with the sweetness from the peppers.
This spinach dip could easily be eaten by itself with crackers – we’ve done that many times. However, spooning that dip into jalapeno halves and then sprinkling sharp cheddar cheese on top? That’s setting up to be one heck of a delicious recipe! Add in the smoky grill flavor, and you’ve got an appetizer recipe that’s sure to become a family favorite. (I know we’ll be keeping this recipe nearby this summer!)
As noted above, we used Cabot Cream Cheese for the spinach dip. We also sprinkled a generous amount of Cabot’s Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese on top of the peppers before they went to the grill. We are huge fans of Cabot here in our house. Our friends know that we’ve always got plenty of Cabot cheese stocked in our fridge! Just slicing up a block of cheese and serving it with crackers is a good time, but using that cheese to make a recipe like grilled jalapeño poppers? Well that’s just next level entertaining!
Cabot’s Seriously Sharp Cheddar is one of our all-time favorite cheeses. It pairs well with…well…everything. And that cheese on top of these Grilled Spinach Dip Stuffed Jalapenos? Absolutely irresistible! This is a party appetizer that will certainly be making many more appearances in our house. Summer party? Let’s fire up the grill for some burgers and hot dogs…and of course another batch of these stuffed jalapenos!
Substitutions
While we used Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese on top of these jalapenos, you could easily mix it up and substitute other Cabot cheeses. I suspect Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack would be fantastic in this recipe. And for an extra spicy kick, Cabot’s Habanero Cheddar Cheese would certainly bring the heat! Experiment with different varieties and see which one you like the best.
Looking for Cabot products in your area? Check their product finder here!
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover stuffed jalapenos should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, place in a 350°F oven for 6-8 minutes, or until heated through. Leftover peppers can also be reheated in the microwave.
If you’re looking for a fantastic summer appetizer recipe, then put these cheesy stuffed jalapenos on the list. I hope you enjoy these as much as we do…and good luck eating just one!
Did you make this Grilled Spinach Dip Stuffed Jalapenos recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag Cabot (@CabotCreamery) and me (@Spicedblog) – we’d love to see your version!
Grilled Spinach Dip Stuffed Jalapenos
Ingredients
- 1 10-oz. package frozen spinach, thawed
- 8 oz. Cabot cream cheese softened
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1½ tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 20 large jalapenos or mini peppers
- 1 cup shredded Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese can substitute Cabot Pepper Jack cheese
- chopped fresh parsley for garnishing
Instructions
- Place thawed spinach in a large bowl and drain excess liquid. Using several paper towels, press the spinach firmly to drain as much liquid as possible. Coarsely chop the spinach and return it to the bowl.
- Add softened cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise; stir until well combined.
- Add garlic, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper; stir until well combined. Set bowl aside.
- Cut jalapenos (or mini peppers) in half lengthwise. Using a paring knife, scrape out seeds and remove the ribs inside of the peppers. (Note: For a spicier version, feel free to leave seeds and/or ribs.)
- Preheat grill to medium heat (~350°F).
- Using a spoon, fill each halved pepper with spinach dip.
- Sprinkle tops with shredded cheese.
- Grill stuffed peppers for 12-15 minutes, or until peppers have softened.
- Remove peppers from grill and sprinkle chopped parsley on top.
- Serve hot.
Looking for more cheesy appetizer recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
I need to try this soon for me BTW cant wait to make your recipes soon for me
These stuffed peppers are absolutely delicious, Ramya – I hope you make a batch soon!
I love appetizers too – especially stuffed jalapenos! Totally agree, homemade dip is far better than store bought, and these jalapenos with spinach dip and a smattering of cheese are mouthwatering!
Homemade is always (!) better, and these stuffed peppers are the perfect example. A batch of these is a great way to celebrate a summer backyard party! Cheers, Shashi!
Oh yes i agree about dips. Homemade is just so much better. This sounds great David. I am very fond of jalapenos, so this would be fab.
sherry
Oh you should totally make a batch of these peppers then, Sherry – they disappeared rather quickly around here! 🙂
Interesting! I love stuffed and baked sweet peppers, but I’ve never tried doing the same with jalapenos. This definitely looks so inviting and delicious (a generous amount of cheese does help). For the last few years we’ve got quite an abundance of jalapenos peppers in our garden – and we don’t even eat them a lot – so I’m saving this recipe for August.
The stuffed jalapenos are incredibly tasty, Ben! I did scrape out the seeds and cut out the inner ribs of the peppers, though – those are the hottest parts. The creamy spinach dip pairs so well with the spicy peppers…and of course the cheese just makes it perfect! This is definitely a good recipe for all those jalapenos. Don’t let those go to waste!!
Wow, these must be packed with flavor David! Perfect to get the old appetite going…
Oh these were such a fun grilled appetizer, Frank! The plate was empty before I could even turn around. 🙂
I can see myself endlessly nibbling on these
Haha – they do make the perfect appetizer, Raymund! Thanks!