Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers!!

My friend Autumn treated me to some delicious hot Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers the other weekend. Her recipe is wonderfully simple and she grills them to capture that all so good smoky flavor. Addicting to say the least! I helped her remove the seeds and neglected to wear gloves to protect my skin--I woke up in the middle of the night to two hands that felt like they were on fire....wear gloves!! I shot a few quick photos and am happy to share her recipe along with another filling recipe option which I have used often in making poppers and stuffed mushrooms and stuffed baby red potatoes--easy appetizers that are always a hit at parties. A party hint when serving these treats that tend to disappear all too quickly, set out 1/3 of them at a time throughout the party to help ensure later arrivals don't miss out!

Autumns Recipe

Ingredients:

24 jalapenos, seeds removed

24 toothpicks

Filling:

1-2 package of softened cream cheese (depends on how big your peppers are)

1 package of bacon (any kind of bacon, peppered or maple bacon is awesome with poppers)

Directions:

Wearing latex gloves, wash jalapenos. Using a small paring knife make a slit on one side of pepper from top to bottom. Remove the seeds. With a teaspoon, fill each cavity with softened cream cheese. Tightly wrap 1 slice of bacon around each filled jalapeno. Secure with toothpick. Repeat process until all of the peppers are filled. Place on baking sheet and place sheet onto hot charcoal grill, gas grill with lid closed or 325 degree oven on bottom rack on broil with oven door slightly ajar. Make sure to flip the poppers when they turn crispy and golden on the bottom, watch out for grease splatters. Once done, drain on paper towels and enjoy!

My filling Recipe (use for 24 bacon wrapped jalapenos, 35 large white button mushrooms, 4 medium zucchini boats or 24 baby red or Yukon potatoes)

Ingredients:

11/2 packages of softened cream cheese

1 cup crispy bacon bits (real bits not imitation bits)

1 green onion, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup cheese, shredded or crumbled (cheddar or blue cheese)

Optional Herbs if stuffing potatoes, zucchini or mushrooms: 

1 teaspoon dried rosemary/1 teaspoon diced fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon dried parsley/1 teaspoon fresh parsley, diced

Directions:

In medium mixing bowl place all filling ingredients and mix by hand or with electric mixture until well blended.  If stuffing jalapenos, see directions above. If stuffing mushrooms, remove stems and fill caps. If stuffing zucchini hollow out some of the raw zucchini before stuffing. If stuffing potatoes, boil the potatoes until cooked, drain excess water and let cool. Hollow out part of the potatoes and fill the cavity. Place on baking sheet and place sheet onto hot charcoal grill, gas grill with lid closed or 325 degree oven on bottom rack on broil with oven door slightly ajar. They're done when they turn a nice golden brown on top (approx. 15 to 20 mins.), no need to flip unless making jalapeno poppers. Transfer to serving tray. If making zucchini appetizers, cut each zucchini boat into finger sized food portions, about 1 1/2" cuts.