Here is a fun and easy recipe for a great appetizer. Very easy to prepare, and quite the tasty treat! I call them “Quickie-Poppers,” because they’re so easy to make, but they are actually jalapeno halves stuffed with three kinds of cheese, then bacon wrapped and baked. Get your “Yummo” on!
INGREDIENTS:
8 strips bacon, slices cut in half
8 jalapeno peppers (will make 16 poppers)
2 oz – (about 4 TBSP) Vermont Cheddar Cheese
2 oz Boar’s Head Parmesan Cheese
2 oz Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese
PREPARATION:
Pre-heat oven to 400° F.
1. Cut the 8 bacon strips in half (to get 16 half-strips), and lay them out on a cutting board or other work area. If you have plenty of room, you can do them all at once, if not work on just a few at a time.
2. Cut the stems ends off the jalapenos, then slice lengthwise, and seed them. (Reserve 1 jalapeno half; dice it up finely, as you will use it for garnish; set aside)
3. Lay the jalapeno halves down perpendicular on top of each bacon strip.
4. Using a spoon or a table knife, smear a small amount of cream cheese on each jalapeno half, followed by a sprinkling of cheddar cheese, and finally Parmesan to top it off. Think “small” amounts – you want enough to be flavorful, but not to much so that it runs over the side when you bake it.
5. Using your thumb and forefinger, sprinkle a small amount of the finely diced jalapeno on each “popper” on top of the cheese blend.
6. Wrap the bacon around the jalapeno. (You shouldn’t need toothpicks to hold the bacon in place, it should lay there just fine). Place them on a cookie sheet which has been sprayed with oil or well-greased.
7. Bake at 400°F for 30 minutes, or until bacon is lightly browned. Check on them after about 20 minutes to make sure they’re cooking properly, you don’t want to burn them. When done, the bacon should be a light brown and the jalapenos with just a bit of a roasted look.
8. Serve hot! Goes great as an appetizer with practically any meal.
*Notes – If the amounts of cheese seem to small, feel free to adjust. Experiment! Just remember, too much cheese will make them bubble over.
** You can also use two half slices of bacon on each popper if you prefer.
*** For the photos on this post, I only had a few jalapenos, so I used what I had. A couple of the poppers are wrapped with two half bacon slices. You can actually make fewer or more poppers, simply adjust the ingredients accordingly.
And finally — if you really want them hot — just cut of the stem ends and leave them whole – don’t seed them either. Mix the three cheeses and the diced jalapeno garnish into a blend, and using a small spoon, stuff each jalapeno with the mixture. Then wrap with bacon and bake. If you choose this method, just remember, without being seeded, they are going to be quite a bit hotter!
Buon Provecho!
Will
from my kitchen to your kitchen 