Party bites that are bursting with flavour!
Superbowl is upon us again, and I had to create something new for the occasion I was told, or I would let down my readers. I figured I better get in the kitchen and figure something out!
These chicken and jalapeño party bites are a perfect finger food for the big game. Crispy on the outside and bursting with flavour when you bite into them, they’ve got just enough heat to give a little kick!
Start by softening a package of cream cheese. I tossed it in the microwave for one minute to make it easier to blend.
Notice the dent where I checked to make sure it was soft enough?
You’ll need two cups of finely shredded cooked chicken. For mine, I used two chicken leg quarters that I had boiled while making a broth.
Shred the chicken with your fingers so the pieces are very small.
Add 1 tbsp of chili powder, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 3 finely sliced scallions and two tbsp of finely diced jalapeño peppers. I used pickled jalapeño because I wanted the tartness as well as the heat. You can use fresh if you prefer and add more or less according to your taste.
When I make these again, I’ll use a third tbsp of jalapeño. These turned out with a nice heat, but a bit mild for my taste.
Mix the ingredients thoroughly. You want to make sure the flavours are evenly blended so every bite will have a bit of everything. Once you’ve got the mixture well blended, add 1 1/2 cups of grated cheddar.
You HAD to know I wouldn’t be satisfied with just cream cheese in a recipe?
Once you have the cheese well blended comes the somewhat tedious part of this recipe; wrapping the mixture in wanton skins to make tidy little bundles. You may want to curse me halfway through this process, but I promise you it’s worth it!
Place a scant tablespoon of filling near the center of a wonton wrapper. Moisten the edges of the wrapper with water, and fold the bottom up over the filling. Press the ends tightly together.
When filling the wontons, make sure the filling doesn’t get between the edges you are sealing together. Without a clean seal, your bundles will burst in the hot oil and you will lose your filling.
Moisten the top of the wrapper that is over your filling, and fold the open edge over it. Use a bit of extra water to run your finger along the seam to seal without pressing too hard. Seal the edges with a good pinch.
Seal all of your edges tightly so they won’t burst when they hit the hot oil. Repeat until you have used up all of your filling. My batch made 28 rolls.
Using a heavy skillet, heat about 2 inches of oil until it’s at 375 degrees, or until the end of a wooden spoon inserted causes spirited bubbling.
These will fry up VERY quickly so don’t put too many in your pan at one time or they’ll overcook before you have time to turn them all. Don’t crowd them either or they will stick together.
Don’t put too many in the pan at once since they cook very fast, and cooling the oil too much will produce soggy rolls.
Flip the bundles once they’re golden brown, which only takes about a minute.
Flip when the first side is golden. You’ll have to work fairly quickly with these. Drain them on paper towels and repeat until they are all fried.
That’s all there is to it! When you bite into these crispy and light party bites, they burst with the flavours of the creamy filling and the slow heat of the jalapeño. Sure to be a big hit at your Superbowl party!
Game Day Chicken and Jalapeno Party Bites ready to be devoured!
Hehehehe…. Thank you Tami!! And I’ll be on my way to buy the necessary ingredients!!! It looks great and I’m convinced it will taste great as well!!
I think you’ll love them! They’re decadent!!!
These DO look good Tami! Would they work if you boiled gently then lightly browned them? I know – why do I have to be so difficult? They look good regardless, I just look for a way to reduce calories when I can.
You could totally cook them that way… just like potstickers
If your oil is hot, and you drain them though, it’s not much worse than frying in oil so they don’t stick. If you want a lighter version, I would toss them in a non-stick pan with about a quarter cup of water, tight lid… after about two mins, remove the lid and toss them until the water evaporates and they brown.
Yum, sure beats my halftime chili!
Halftime chili is great too!!!
Hi Girlfriend,
I figured you would come up with some tasty dishes to honor the Super Bowl. Since you know what you are doing, I am placing my order right now. Please send me three orders of Game Day Chicken with plenty of Jalapeno Party bites. In fact make that an extra portion of Jalapeno Party bites, and please have them delivered by today at four PM German time.
If they show up, I’ll be the happiest woman in the world. Seriously, great job, Tami. I really enjoy reading your column. For a person like me who never read cookbooks and ran miles away from them, you have made me a believer.
Have a great Sunday.
Ciao,
Patti
Patti, you have no idea what your words mean to me
I still say you need to book a visit to Canada and I’ll cook anything you want the whole time you’re here!! xoxo
Yum!
Thank you MA!! Hope things are going well for you!! xoxo
I’m obsessed with finding a cool title, now. Obsessed, I say… Lol!
Pingback: Comfort Food : Chicken and Creme Cheese Roll | Maniniyot
I made a little twist of your recipe and it was really good. Thanks for sharing.
Here is my version: http://samokan.wordpress.com/2013/02/07/comfort-food-chicken-and-creme-cheese-roll/
Yours looks great too!! Thank you so much for sharing, and for trying my recipe!
Hello,
I have given you the Most Influential Blogs 2012. If you’d go to my blog post and have a look at it…
http://raaniyork.wordpress.com/2013/02/12/most-influential-blogs-2012/
The rules are very simple and easy to follow.
Well done!! I think I gave it to the right person and writer!!
Raani
Thank you so much Raani, I’m honoured! xoxo