Spicy Fiesta King Cake

This week we’re making our spicy, savory take on a King Cake! Though used primarily for a sweet Mardis Gras treat, this is our savory take on the classic.

Ingredients

• 16oz Velveeta Queso Blanco
• 20 oz (2 cans) Rotel Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
• Medium Aluminum Baking Pan
• 1-1.5 cups Shredded Cheese
• 1 block softened cream cheese
• Garlic Powder
• Ground sea salt
• 4-6 Jalapeño Peppers
• Johnsonville® Jalapeño Cheddar Sausage
• 3 cans of Pillsbury® flaky or buttermilk crescent rolls
• Smoke ‘n Magic Pork Rub
• 1 bag plain chicharrones pork rinds
• Crema
• Cilantro
• Baking Sheet
• Parchment or Butcher paper

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Instructions

1. Prepare Your Queso
   • Slice your Queso Blanco into pieces and spread along the bottom of your aluminum baking pan
   • Give your Rotel a “quick drain,” pouring out some, but not all, of the liquid
   • Pour the Rotel tomatoes over the top of your queso
   • Bake at 300-350° F to start melting the cheese while we work on the next steps

2. Prepare the Insides of the King Cake
   • In a large bowl, add your 1-1.5 cups of Shredded Cheese, and 1 block of softened cream cheese, mix well
   • Sprinkle Garlic Powder and ground Sea Salt to taste
   • Slice the tops off your Jalapeños, then slice in half and remove the seeds and membranes
   • Fill your jalapeños with your cheese mixture
   • You should be able to fit about half of a Johnsonville Jalapeño Cheddar Sausage link into each Jalapeño “boat.” Add them to each Jalapeño and press firmly into the cheese
3. Make the Crescent Roll Ring
   • Add a layer of butcher or parchment paper to an aluminum baking sheet
   • Open your cans of crescent rolls and unroll the dough
   • Take each triangular crescent roll and lay them out in a circle on your cookie sheet, alternating the direction of each one. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but try to get a general donut shape with a hole in the middle.
   • Place your Jalapeño boats on top of the crescent rolls in a circle
   • Folding the dough over each Jalapeño boat to “tuck them in”
   • Pull over and pinch close any open spots until the dough completely covers all of the jalapeños
   • Sprinkle Smoke ‘n Magic Pork Rub over the top to add some more sweet heat
   • Cook at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until the crescent rolls are nice and golden brown.
4. Add the Queso Topping
   • Remove your King Cake from the oven
   • Melt a stick of butter and baste it over the top of the King Cake
   • Remove your Queso from the oven or smoker, and mix well. Take a spoon or ladle and pour over the top of the King Cake. Allow it to run down the sides of the King Cake
   • Crush up a bag of plain Chicharrones pork rinds, and sprinkle over the top for a nice crunchy texture
   • Top your King Cake off with a helping of homemade crema and cilantro for an extra punch of flavor!
   • Slice and enjoy!

This is the perfect crowd-pleasing dish for Cinco de Mayo next week, if you make one use hashtag #smokenmagicrecipes so we can check it out!

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