Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and place a wire rack on top if you have one. This helps the bacon crisp and the fat drip away. If you don’t have a rack, use the lined baking sheet on its own.

Wearing disposable gloves if possible, slice each jalapeño in half lengthwise. Use a small spoon or the tip of a paring knife to gently scrape out the seeds and white ribs. For spicier poppers, leave a bit of the rib behind; for milder ones, scrape them very clean.

In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar, shredded Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack, sliced green onions, minced garlic (or garlic powder), onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Stir until smooth and well combined. The mixture should be thick but spreadable.

Using a small spoon or a piping bag (a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off works well), fill each jalapeño half with the cheese mixture. Keep the filling just slightly mounded and avoid overfilling to minimize overflow while baking.

Wrap each stuffed jalapeño half with one half-slice of bacon. Start at one end and spiral it around so most of the filling is covered. Place each bacon-wrapped jalapeño popper seam-side down on the prepared rack or baking sheet. If needed, secure with a toothpick.

Bake in the preheated oven for 22–28 minutes, or until the bacon is browned and crisp and the cheese is bubbling. Thicker bacon may need closer to 30 minutes. If the cheese is browning too quickly, move the pan to a lower oven rack.

If the bacon needs more crisping, switch the oven to broil for the last 1–3 minutes of cooking. Watch very closely, as bacon can go from crisp to burned quickly.

Remove the poppers from the oven and let them rest on the pan for about 5 minutes so the cheese can set slightly. Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley and a pinch of smoked paprika, if desired, before serving.