Fennel & Proscuitto Flatbread + Jalapeno Poppers

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Fennel & Proscuitto Flatbread + Jalepeno Poppers

My brother Jeff and sister-in-law Bridget have started joining us monthly for good food and fun entertainment (games or quirky movies.) Jeff & Bridget tackled the main course this month, which left me with appetizer and dessert courses. I decided to put some effort into the appetizers and came up with these fun recipes. The Fennel & Proscuitto Flatbread features roasted fennel, crisped proscuitto and an Italian 5 cheese blend on a pre-made thin crust. Then it’s topped with snipped fennel fronds, crushed red pepper, a sprinkle of salt and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. A very wine friendly match!

The Jalapeno Poppers are stuffed with a mixture of minced cooked chicken, cream cheese and seasonings. I swapped out the cilantro for basil to please my sweetie. Then I added some cumin to give the mixture a little more Mexican flavor. With just a pop of heat, this warm appetizer pairs well with icy Margaritas.

Popper Pointers

You can make the filling for the poppers and prep the peppers in advance. Then fill them, wrap with bacon and bake just before serving. My peppers were larger and more narrow. The still tasted great, but a medium-sized, wider pepper would work better. The bacon should cover about 1/2 of the popper with a little bit of  jalapeno peeking out on either side.

Just Desserts

Since I fussed with the appetizers, I decided to make Lemon Ice Cream & Gingersnaps, an easy made-ahead dessert. This rich and intensely flavored lemon ice cream is perfect with crisp spicy gingersnaps. Flavored with crystallized ginger, and a hint of coffee, these cookies are great with ice cream or all on their own!

Fennel & Proscuitto Flatbread + Jalapeno Poppers

* Fennel & Proscuitto Flatbread features roasted fennel, crisped proscuitto & balsamic glaze.

*Jalapeno Poppers poppers are stuffed with chicken, cream cheese, wrapped in bacon and baked. 

*Both are great appetizers for a cocktail party!

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer

Keyword: Bacon, fennel, flatbread, jalapeno, pizza, proscuitto

Servings: 6

Author: myrecipes

Ingredients

Fennel & Proscuitto Flatbread

• 1 12″ pre-made thin pizza crust – like Boboli or other brand
• 2 fennel bulbs
• 2 1/2 tbsp. olive oil divided
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
• 2 ounces thinly slice proscuitto
• olive oil cooking spray
• 1 1/2 c. shredded 5 cheese blend mozzarella, provolone, Romano, Asiago and Parmesan
• dried crushed red pepper to taste
• Kosher salt to taste
• 1 tbsp. balsamic glaze see note for making your own

Jalapeno Poppers

• 12 medium jalapeno chilies
• 1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
• 1 c. finely chopped cooked chicken
• 2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro or substitute basil + 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1 1/2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 12 slices bacon cut in half
• 24 wooden toothpicks

Instructions

Fennel & Proscuitto Flatbread

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Trim and discard root end of fennel bulbs. Trim stalks and feathery top from bulbs, and snip fronds to equal 1 tbsp. Thinly slice fennel bulbs lengthwise, and place on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tbsp. olive oil, sprinkle with thyme and oregano and toss to combine. Bake at 425° for 20-25 minutes or until edges are golden brown and fennel is tender. Decrease oven to 400 degrees.
• Cook prosciutto in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until browned and crisp. Break prosciutto into large pieces.
• Spray pizza crust with olive oil cooking spray, place directly on oven rack and bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned.
• Top crust with shredded cheese, roasted fennel, and prosciutto. Broil 1 minute. Sprinkle with dried crushed red pepper, reserved chopped fennel fronds, and coarse sea salt. Drizzle with balsamic glaze.
• Note – you can make your own glaze by reducing 1/3 c. of balsamic vinegar on medium heat until it thickens to a syrupy consistency, about 3-5 minutes.

Jalapeno Poppers

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut each chili in half lengthwise; remove seeds and membranes.
• Stir together cream cheese, chicken, cilantro (or basil + cumin), lime juice and salt. Spoon 1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons chicken mixture into each chile half, spreading to fill cavity. Wrap each chili with bacon strip half and secure with toothpick. Place poppers on a lightly greased wire rack in an aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven until bacon begins to crisp and chilies are softened, about 25 minutes. Increase oven temperature to broil, and broil until bacon is crisp, 2-3 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.