Green Chile and Cheese Pastry Poppers
Back three decades ago, it seemed like yesterday. My mom was hosting a dinner party and served the most delicious, gooey green chile and cheese appetizers. I scarfed down so many poppers that I didn’t have room for dinner. Now, fast forward to the present. I tried recreating this recipe with a filling made of cream cheese, sour cream, mozzarella cheese, green chiles, black olives, wrapped in a sliced crescent roll. First, the crescent roll was disappointing, as it tasted artificial. So, I was on a hunt for a replacement and with luck, stumbled across Pepperidge Farm’s Puff Pastry Sheets. I also substituted cheddar cheese for mozzarella cheese and used a little salsa verde to thin out the dense filling. What resulted was the most divine poppers. Watch with delight as your guests devour them, too!
Ingredients
- 1 sheet Pepperidge Farm’s Puff Pastry Sheets
- ¼ cup + 1 T. chive and onion cream cheese spread
- ¼ cup full-fat sour cream
- ¼ cup shredded medium cheddar cheese
- 2 t. chopped scallions
- 1 T. fire-roasted green chiles
- 1 T. or more sliced black olives
- 2 T. Herdez’s store-bought or my homemade Salsa Verde, Green Tomatillo Sauce (see recipe under Central American)
Directions
- Step 1 Take one pastry sheet out of the freezer and thaw it out for approximately 40 minutes or until the sheet is pliable but still cold. Also, 20 minutes in, preheat your oven to 400 °F.
- Step 2 Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, chiles, and olives. Then, chop the scallions and add to the mixing bowl as well. Next, shred the cheddar cheese if it comes in a block and toss into the same mixing bowl. Lastly, thin the mixture down with 2 T. of salsa verde. Set the filling aside.
- Step 3 Now, when the pastry sheet is thawed, unroll it on a free rectangular surface. Then, spread the filling down the vertical, right-hand side, leaving 1 ½” from the edge. Next, take the right-hand, short edge and wrap it over the filling, rolling it up like a cigar.
- Step 4 Then, grease a 9 x 13” baking pan with a slab of butter and use a long-bladed knife to cut the roll into twelve, one-inch slices. Take each slice and place it downward like a circle on the surface of the pan. Bake in the oven for about 11 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Remove from heat and enjoy! Appetizers are best when eaten warm.
These green chile and cheese pastry poppers will melt in your mouth as the epic southwestern flavors of cream cheese, sour cream, olives, cheddar cheese, and chilies are complemented by flaky, pastry puff sheets. It will be a surefire hit of any party, as your guest will be clamoring for more!
Nutritional Information: serving size: 1 popper, servings per recipe: 12, calories: 144, total fat: 10.6 g., saturated fat: 6.1 g., cholesterol: 16 mg., sodium: 185 mg., total carbohydrate: 9.2 g., dietary fiber: 0.5 g., total sugars: 1 g., protein: 3.8 g., calcium: 61 mg., iron: 1 mg., potassium: 14 mg., vitamin D: 0 mcg.
These poppers sound really good. How do you manage them for a party? Do you think you could prep them and hold them in the fridge until guests arrive? Sounds like they should be warm, fresh baked.
Hi Tatiana. Yes, these poppers are best when served warm and freshly baked. So, I recommend that you keep them in the refrigerator until 11 minutes or so (the baking time) before serving them to your guests. Just pop them in the oven and serve them right away. If in the event your guests are late and you’re already baking the appetizers, I recommend you keep them on an oven-safe plate , covered with aluminum foil, in a warming drawer or in your oven at warm temperature. I’d just be wary of keeping the poppers in the oven while the temperature is cooling to warm, as the appetizers may overcook. You may think of taking the poppers out while the oven cools down, wrapping them in aluminum foil, and re-insert them in the oven when it has reached warm. Even when these appetizers are cool, you can’t lose; they are super delicious with the flaky puff pastry!