How to make cheesy Mexican crumpets

Why just have cheese on your crumpets when you can fill them with molten cheese sauce bursting with spicy Mexican flavours, smother them in even more melted cheese then bake until bubbling and golden.

½ small sweet white onion, finely diced

½ small red pepper, seeded and finely diced

1 fat garlic clove, chopped

1 teaspoon oregano

¼ bottle of beer

50g cheddar, grated

50g Monterey Jack, grated

40g cream cheese, at room temperature

1 teaspoon chopped pickled jalapeños

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

50g grated mozzarella cheese

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander

Preheat your oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

In a large sauce pan, over a medium heat, sauté the onion and pepper until soft. Add the garlic and oregano and continue to cook for a few minutes.

Splash in the beer, stirring constantly to deglaze the pan and simmer for a minute or two, while you drink the rest of the bottle. Add the cheeses, one at a time, and whisk after each addition until the mixture is smooth.

Add the cream cheese and continue stirring until completely combined. Mix in the jalapeños, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Leave to one side.

Lay the crumpets out on a cutting board. Using a pastry cutter, and being careful not to go all the way through, press out a large disk in the centre and carefully pull out the middle of the disk so that you have a well and the base of the crumpet is still intact - this is best done with a teaspoon.

The size of the hole is up to you, the bigger the hole the more cheese sauce you’ll need to fill it!

Put the crumpets onto a baking tray and fill each well up with cheese sauce, don’t worry if it overflows a little. Top each with some grated mozzarella cheese and a dusting of ground cumin and smoked paprika.

Cook the crumpets in a pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes until crispy and the cheese is bubbling and golden.

Stack the crumpets onto serving plates, sprinkle over some chopped fresh coriander and finish with plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.

Find more of Beverley's recipes here. Follow her on Instagram @thelittlechelseakitchen for more inspiration.