Recipe

Cortney LaCorte’s “Ridiculously Easy” Pimento Cheese Jalapeño Poppers

Name: Pimento Cheese Jalapeño Poppers
Yield: 24 poppers
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, at room temperature; 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (16 oz.); 1 (4-oz.) jar pimentos, drained, chopped, and patted very dry; 2 tbsp. mayonnaise; ½ tsp. garlic powder; Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper; 12 large jalapeños, halved lengthwise and seeded

An appetizer merger that just makes sense

Recipe by Cortney LaCorte

September 15, 2026

Photo: Emily Dorio

Stay with me: Imagine if a pimento cheese sandwich from the Masters golf tournament had a love affair with a Sonic jalapeño popper, and they had a child together. That child is the Pimento Cheese Jalapeño Popper, a spicy little overachiever that’s bold and well-adjusted despite its chaotic ingredient parents. I love these for game days (don’t ask me who’s playing, though), backyard hangs, or random Tuesdays that need a little…pop. Plus, they’re ridiculously easy to make: Slice, stuff, bake, done. No deep-frying. No oil splatters. No regrets.—Cortney LaCorte, from her new cookbook, Oversharing

Read our interview with LaCorte and get the recipe for her bourbon cider-tinis.

Pimento Cheese Jalapeño Poppers

Yield: 24 poppers

Ingredients

- 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (16 oz.)
- 1 (4-oz.) jar pimentos, drained, chopped, and patted very dry
- 2 tbsp. mayonnaise
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper
- 12 large jalapeños, halved lengthwise and seeded

Preparation

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese, 1½ cups of the cheddar, the pimentos, mayonnaise, and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper.
Lay the jalapeños cut-side up on the prepared baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the pimento cheese among the jalapeño halves. Top with the remaining ½ cup cheddar.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the jalapeños are tender and the filling has puffed slightly. Serve immediately.

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