Cheesy Jalapeño Poppers with Sausage

Preheat the grill to 400-425°F (204-218°C). If you're baking the poppers, preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

Using a sharp knife, slice the jalapeños in half length-wise through the stem. You can remove the stems if you'd like, but I usually leave them attached as a little handle. Then, use a teaspoon to scrape out the seeds & ribs. Feel free to leave some of the seeds in the peppers for extra spice.

Next, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the sausage, breaking it up into crumbles with a wooden spoon. Cook until the sausage is no longer pink and has caramelized spots on the edges. Transfer the sausage crumbles to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up any extra grease. Once it's cooled, chop the sausage into small crumbles.

In a large bowl, combine the sausage crumbles, cream cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, BBQ rub, and green onions. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Then, using a hand mixer, stand mixer, or rubber spatula, mix the filling until it's well-combined. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Use a rubber spatula or butter knife to evenly spread the filling between the halved jalapeños.

Gril: grease the grates of the grill with neutral oil. Line the jalapeño poppers on the grill and bake for 6-10 minutes, until the filling is melty and the jalapeños are slightly softened. Sprinkle with extra green onions or chives, for garnish.

Bake: place the poppers in a single layer on the prepared sheet pan. Bake for 16-20 minutes, until the peppers are softened and the filling is bubbly. Garnish with extra green onions or chives.

Combine the ranch dressing and Sriracha in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Taste and add more Sriracha, if desired. Serve the Sriracha ranch with the warm jalapeño poppers and enjoy!