In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, and garlic powder.
Next, stir in the cooked bacon pieces.
Slice the stem off the jalapeño peppers. Next, slice the jalapeños in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, remove the seeds and membranes. Place cut side up on a baking sheet lined with either parchment paper or aluminum foil.Pro Tip: The spice in jalapeños is found in the seeds and inner membranes. To reduce this heat, clean out all of the light-colored membranes inside the peppers and the seeds. If you'd like a little bit of heat, leave a little bit of the membrane intact.
Spoon the cheese/bacon mixture into each pepper.
In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter and Panko breadcrumbs. Spoon over the tops of each pepper and place on a baking sheet.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the tops are golden. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Read through the entire recipe and the Ingredient Notes section of the post and gather your ingredients. This small batch jalapeno poppers recipe comes together quickly so it's a good idea to have everything ready before beginning.
To avoid burning your hands while handling jalapeños, wear gloves or use a small spoon to remove the seeds and membranes.
Purchase large jalapeños that are all the same size. Pick peppers that are all roughly the same size and avoid any that are wrinkly or dull.
Feel free to leave some seeds in the peppers to make them spicier. This recipe instructs you to remove all of the seeds before filling them with the cheese mixture, but you can leave a few seeds in if you want your jalapeño poppers to be a bit spicier.
Let the poppers cool for a few minutes before eating. Letting the poppers cool a bit allows the cheese in the filling to set which makes them easier to eat.