Saturdays on the Hungry Dater tend to be slightly eclectic. But the standard themes of a Saturday night tend to be two things for me: dates and dinner parties. Sometimes they go hand in hand, but always they include some great food.
Today’s recipe is a great one for appetizers at any kind of get-together from a BBQ, to a Cinco de Mayo party, to a Fall dinner.
I used to hate spicy things. Actually, I have a great story about jalapenos. When I was little, my parents and I spent Thanksgiving with our family in Las Cruces, New Mexico. My aunt spent her time there gardening and cooking. This meant she had amazing (and hot!) peppers, and she knew exactly what to do with them. My dad and I have always disagreed on what is spicy. He thinks things are mild when I can hardly palate them. So when my mom was making turkey sandwiches the day after that Thanksgiving in New Mexico, I knew we’d likely have totally different ideas of what a good sandwich would be. Of course, dad wanted jalapenos on his. My mom was always so aware of my aversion to spicy things and so nice about fixing things for both of us, which is why she cut everything for my dad’s sandwich after mine while she was making our sandwiches. However, when she cut the two sandwiches, she cut dads first with a single swipe and then cut mine. I’m not certain that I cried, but I do know I had my lips in a glass of milk for 30 minutes after taking that first bite of my sandwich. I’m sure I was a total brat about the whole thing, but it was definitely an experience I’ve remembered ever since. It’s only been recently, but I have gotten so much better regarding my aversion to spice–I actually like medium flavored things now, and honestly, these are even less spicy than I would have appreciated!
I cooked these in two different ways: One on the BBQ and one in the oven–so that way you’ll be able to enjoy them any time you can get fresh peppers. In the future, I would make sure to put a toothpick through the ones on the BBQ to hold the bacon on.
Recipe
- 24 Small Jalapeno Peppers
- 8 oz. Softened Cream Cheese
- 8 oz. Shredded Mexican Cheese
- 12 Slices Applewood Smoked Bacon
Cut peppers in half down the middle and discard veins and seeds.
Mix Cream Cheese and Mexican Shredded Cheese in a medium bowl.
Cut bacon in half.
Preheat oven to 400 or turn on BBQ.
Stuff peppers with cheese mixture and wrap with a half slice of bacon. Bake or BBQ Poppers for approximately 15 min. Go mostly off of site and smell though. When the bacon is cooked to your satisfaction, remove the poppers and let cool 10 minutes before serving.
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