Pairing jalapeños and milk

I’m actually embarrassed to say how many of these jalapeño poppers I ate. I mean, you’re supposed to eat these fresh, right? There’s no waiting when it comes to poppers, as far as I’m concerned. You have to catch that cheese in all it’s oozing glory.

My son was a little concerned when he saw me making them. After all, they’re supposed to be breaded or wrapped in bacon, mom. They were way too green for his liking but I really didn’t want to make something so heavy. I followed this amazing recipe from Gimme Some Oven for healthier poppers. I promised him they would be just as delicious and decadent, and they did not disappoint. We turned on the TV (hello, Football season) and had ourselves a little popper party (the Eagles won) with a tall glass of milk. Yes, milk!

From my morning cafe con leche to our lunch and dinner, it’s no secret that we drink our fair share of milk in this house. But milk with peppers? Sure, why not? The Panko breadcrumbs and crispy bacon gave these poppers the perfect amount of crunch to go nicely with a cold glass of milk.

Most people wouldn’t drink milk with a regular meal. It’s usually reserved for sweets. And rightfully so! I mean, hello, milk and brownies? That’s pretty much what I call heaven. It’s up there with my other favorite – a warm blueberry muffin with a tall cold glass of milk. It helps blunt sweetness by washing away sugars and coating the tongue.

But milk isn’t exclusive to desserts. We don’t discriminate. I think it can be paired with many things and is perfect for many different profile flavors. For savory foods, the emulsifiers in the milk attract themselves to the fat, dissolving them and allowing them to go down more easily. And did you know that the casein found in milk eases the bite from spicy foods?

Give it it try. And if you’re already a milk fanatic looking for something fun to eat while you kick back and watch your favorite TV program, you can find the recipe for these poppers here.