Fried Jalapeno (w/ bacon, sausage, etc...) Bombs

Yum. That is one word to describe these cheesy, gooey, delicious treats. I first made them (based on this recipe) on New Year's Eve and they were a hit, so my friends requested I make them again for our Superbowl get together. They aren't too difficult, perhaps a little time consuming, so I happily complied - I also enjoy eating them!

Now, these little beauties are not your average jalapeno poppers. In fact, I was at a loss of what to call them (the original blogger called them jalapeno bombs, as per the title of this post) because in fact, jalapenos are only one of many ingredients found inside. My friends and boyfriend have bounced back and forth between calling them jalabombs, jalapeno balls, and a personal favorite: mexican-inspired-crab-rangoon-of-sorts. Whatever you call them, they are delicious and addictive! This recipe is actually a double of the original and makes about 4 dozen, so if you don't have a big group of people you may want to half it. Or don't and gorge yourself on these delicious snacks, no judgement here.

Ingredients:
2 (8oz) blocks cream cheese, softened
1 lb spicy sausage, browned and drained
7-10 jalapenos, chopped
1 can Rotel tomatoes & green chiles, drained
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese (I use finely shredded)
4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
3/4 cup flour (roughly)
1 Tablespoon Paprika
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1/2 Tablespoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk w/a squirt of lemon juice (or buttermilk if you have it, I never do)
2 Tablespoons hot sauce
Panko bread crumbs - I didn't measure, but probably about 3-4 cups
Vegetable (or other) oil for frying
Salt for sprinkling at end

Necessary Ingredients

First things first, brown your sausage and fry your bacon. I chose to saute my jalapenos a little bit to soften them, but you definitely do not have to. I just wiped the pan I made the bacon in out with a paper towel and used the leftover bacon grease to soften them up for a few minutes over medium-low heat.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together cream cheese, sausage, bacon, jalapenos, Rotel tomatoes & green chiles, and mozzarella cheese.

I probably needed a bigger bowl...I made a bit of a mess.

Once it is thoroughly mixed, start rolling. I rolled mine into 3/4"-1" balls and then put them on a piece of wax paper. Refrigerate balls for about an hour (or up to 24 hours, as I did) to harden them up. I just slid a cutting board under the wax paper, but you could also do a baking sheet or if you're making a small batch, just a plate.

They're definitely easier to eat if they're small, but if you make them
too small they won't have a bit of everything in them, which you want!

Next is battering them, there are three stations. Bowl One: flour, paprika, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. Bowl Two: eggs (lightly beaten), milk, hot sauce. Bowl three: panko bread crumbs.

I should probably invest in some bigger bowls so I don't have to use
my cereal/soup ones. Oh well. 

Roll the hardened balls in flour first, then dip them in egg (shaking gently to get the excess off), then cover them with Panko bread crumbs. I do all of this and then put them on a new sheet of wax paper, but you could do it as you fry them if you wanted to bread and immediately put in the hot oil.

Pour enough oil in a deep pan so that a cream cheese ball can be completely submerged, probably about 1.5-2" deep, I use a large pot so for me that is an entire quart of vegetable oil. Over medium heat, bring the oil up to about 350 degrees F. Invest in a thermometer! I didn't have one for the longest time and it made frying things much more difficult and I was always unsure of whether my foods were getting done or not, seriously you can get one at Wal-Mart for about $3.

Fry your balls for 2 minutes, stirring once or twice during that time. Do not put too many in the pan at one time, this lowers the temperature of the oil and will cause issues with the finished product. My pan was large and I could fit about 8-10 in without overcrowding.

Be sure to turn on a fan or something, you don't want your kitchen to
smell like a diner...

Remove to a pan or plate to keep warm, maybe with a paper towel on the bottom for excess oil (probably won't be a lot). Sprinkle with salt. I lined the crock from my crock pot with aluminum foil and kept them in there since we were traveling, but if we were eating them at home I probably would have turned the oven on to warm and kept them on a pan in there.

Enjoy your hard work and pig out on these babies!

Seriously, yum.