If you like hot and spicy, you’ll love this recipe!  This recipe was adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe.

Ingredients:

10 to 20 (depending on size) jalapenos or other hot peppers, with stems

1 (8 ounce) package Philadelphia Cream Cheese

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 ounce hidden valley ranch dressing mix (about 3 tablespoons of the dressing mix)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Cut each jalapeno pepper in half and remove the entire contents of the inside of the pepper.  Leaving some of the membranes and seeds will result in a hotter pepper, so how you clean out the insides is totally up to your taste.  Wearing disposable latex gloves while doing this will protect your hands from hot pepper juice.
2. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
3. Soften the cream cheese in the microwave for about 20 seconds or leave it out on the counter for a half hour.
4. Place the cream cheese in a bowl.
5. Add the ranch dressing powder and the grated cheese to the bowl with the cream cheese.  Mix well.
6. Fill jalapeno halves with the cream cheese/ranch dressing/grated cheese mixture.
7. Cook at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes, but be sure to keep an eye on them.  This can also be put on a grill – it will take far less time, but will demand your constant attention if done on the grill.