Piquillo Pepper Poppers

Preheat oven to 425° F

Remove peppers from their canning liquid, rinse under running water, pat dry and reserve.

Combine the olive oil, panko and salt in a small sauté pan. Set heat to medium and cook the crumbs, stirring constantly, until light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer toasted panko to a plate and reserve.

To make the cheese filling, in a small bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, softened goat cheese, garlic paste and capers.

Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture deep into the cavity of each pepper, being careful not to tear the flesh.

In a small bowl, beat together the egg and milk. One at a time, dip each stuffed pepper into the egg and dredge in the toasted panko crumbs, pressing to coat and pinching the open end closed. Place the crusted peppers on the prepared baking sheet and bake until the exterior is browned and crunchy, 8-10 minutes.

* Panko crumbs are Japanese style bread crumbs found on the Asian aisle of the supermarket.

• 1 (9.9 oz) jar Napoleon Piquillo Peppers
• 3 Tbsp Napoleon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ¾ cup panko bread crumbs*
• scant ¼ tsp salt
• 4 oz cream cheese – softened
• 4 oz goat cheese – softened
• 1 tsp Napoleon Garlic Paste
• 1 Tbsp Napoleon Capers – drained and rinsed
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp milk