Fun Food
While Armadillo Eggs may not be fine dining, they taste amazing. There are many different stuffing options, but I like to keep it simple since this is fun food. Some people wrap the sausage with bacon before smoking.
Breakfast sausage is seasoned with sage and takes on a wonderful flavor when smoked; however, if you prefer another bulk sausage, go with that one. When I smoke brisket, ribs, or pork shoulder, I throw in several other foods to offer variety and utilize the smoker as much as possible.
Control the Heat
When using jalapeños, you can control the level of heat easily. First, remove all pith and seeds for a less spicy result. Alternatively, spice up the dish by chopping the core and seeds and adding them to the cheese stuffing. If I have some of my Southern Style Pimento Cheese made up in the fridge, I will stuff the peppers with that or (as in this case) mix in a bit of goat cheese and sharp cheddar.
Serve Armadillo Eggs at any casual event. They are great on game day and freeze well for an addition to a summer BBQ or party.
Buy the jalapeños fresh and get the widest you can find.
Remove the tops and (with a small paring knife) remove the seeds. If you want a spicy Armadillo Egg, chop the pith and seeds and add them to the stuffing mixture.
Once all of the jalapeños are prepped and cleaned, move on to the cheese stuffing mixture.
Today I’m using a bit of goat cheese and sharp shredded cheddar. Cream Cheese works well too, but I like the tang of goat cheese.
You can stuff the jalapeños by hand or pipe the filling into the peppers by loading the stuffing into a plastic ziplock bag with a corner tip cut out.
Cheese stuffed fresh jalapenos.
Using the heel of your hand, press out a jalapeño sized portion of the sausage. Since the sausage may stick to the cutting board, use a knife to scrape underneath to work it free. Next, roll and press the sausage over the jalapeño, covering the entire surface. Finally, pay attention to the top of the pepper with the cheese.
Using two hands, roll the sausage completely around the jalapeño to form the Armadillo Egg. You can wrap this in bacon if you wish, but I feel the sausage is enough.
Spray a wire cooling rack with non-stick oil, then place all Armadillo Eggs on the rack. Next, put the Armadillo Eggs into a (240°F or 115°C) wood smoker or a preheated oven of the same temperature. I like post oak, but hickory, apple, or maple work. (If using an oven, bake for the same amount of time.)
After approximately 40 minutes in a low-and-slow smoker, the Armadillo Eggs will be firm to the touch and ready to remove. Let them rest 6-8 minutes to cool. Resting will keep the cheese mixture from running out when sliced. (Depending on how much sausage/bacon you’ve wrapped around the Armadillo Eggs, the cooking time will vary.)
While beer is the obvious choice (Pilsner, Kolsch, or Bavarian Marzen) for sausage, if you prefer wine, try Pinot Noir, 2017, Sebastopol Ridge, Russian River Valley, CA, Prosecco,2015, Veneto, Italy.
Armadillo Eggs
Equipment
- cutting board
- Sharp Knife
- mixing bowl
- gallon zip lock or pastry bag (optional)
- smoker (optional)
Ingredients
- 6 whole jalapeños, stemmed and cored
- 2 lbs sausage, breakfast roll
- 8 oz goat cheese or cream cheese
- 4 oz sharp cheddar, shredded
- 6 slices bacon (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the Smoker or Oven
- Prepare a wood smoker to (240°F or 115°C) degrees. Alternatively, you can make these in a regular oven without smoking. Just bake the Armadillo Eggs at (240°F or 115°C)for around 40 minutes or until the sausage is cooked.
Prepare the Jalapeños
- Remove the goat or cream cheese from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature (about 20 minutes). Warming the cheese is crucial when mixing and stuffing the peppers so that the cheese is soft enough to work.
- Cut the stems off of the jalapeños. Using a pairing or small thin knife, remove the pith and seeds from the chili. While holding the chili, gently knock out any remaining seeds onto your work surface.
Spiciness
- Option 1 (spicy): Chop up the pith and seeds to add to your cheese mixture.Option 2 (mild): Remove and discard the jalapeño pith and seeds.
Prepare the Stuffing
- In a small mixing bowl, add room-temperature goat cheese or cream cheese. Mix with shredded sharp cheddar. The cheddar gives the yolk color to the eggs when they are cut open.
- Next, add the cheese mixture to a pastry bag or a plastic gallon Ziploc bag (snipped off on one corner) to make it easy to pipe the cheese mixture into the jalapeños. Alternatively, I've stuffed the peppers by hand with a flexible spreading knife.
Wrapping the Jalapeños
- Starting with the filled jalapeños, measure out enough bulk sausage to wrap around each jalapeno. Next, use the heel of the palm of your hand to make a thin-ish layer of sausage on your work surface. Use the jalapeño to determine the size.
- Next, use a knife or spatula to scrape up the sausage off the work surface and, with your hands, form the sausage around each jalapeño, covering the entire surface. (If you wish to wrap the eggs with bacon.)
Cook
- Place the Armadillo Eggs on a smoker-safe pan (preferably a cooling rack sprayed with oil) and place them into the smoker at (240°F or 115°C) for approximately 40 minutes. Alternatively, you can do these in a regular oven for the same amount of time.
- Check the Armadillo Eggs often towards the end of the cooking cycle. Since you will be eyeballing how much sausage you will be using, and the size of the jalapeños may differ, the cooking time may take longer or shorter given these variations.
- After 40 minutes, remove the Armadillo Eggs from the smoker or oven and allow them to rest for 8 minutes. Armadillos Eggs are best warm (not hot). If you have any leftovers or you made extra, refrigerate promptly or freeze them for later use.
Alternatives
- You can add more flavors to the cheese mixture if you desire, such as finely minced garlic or roasted garlic, fired roasted diced red pepper, dry ranch dressing mix, and for a California-style version, add chopped black olives. However, I like the original version best.