Monday, October 6, 2008

Stuffed Jalapenos


Do you like spicy foods? If you live in Texas, you probably do. One of my favorite things is stuffed jalapenos. I first made them when we hosted my husband's 50th birthday party (that's a whole other post with some great ideas).

Since that party, we've varied them a bit, but they're always a hit with guests. And if you're not too picky, they make a meal unto themselves, since you have your meat, dairy and veggie all rolled into one! (I'm going to forewarn you that this is a very labor-intensive dish, so if you're not crazy about jalapenos, you might prefer to make something else).

Here's the recipe:
Preheat grill (You can also bake them on a cookie sheet at 375)
Fresh jalapenos (quantity depends on how many people you're feeding and how well you like them)
1 brick cream cheese -- room temperature
1 pound grated cheddar cheese
1-2 packages of bacon
Toothpicks or skewers
Note: There are several variations of these on the Internet. This recipe is what we've determined to work best for us.

First and foremost, get yourself some thin rubber gloves like doctors wear. You can thank me for this tip later.

Wash jalapenos thoroughly, cut off tops and slice in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. (The heat from jalapenos comes from the seeds, so if you're a lightweight, be sure and get ALL the seeds). Put halves back together, and set aside.

Blend cheeses together. If you're lucky enough to have a stand mixer, use the same tool you'd use for mixing cookie dough. If you don't have a stand mixer, you might want to slip on another pair of rubber gloves and blend with your hands.

Slice bacon strips in half. We microwave them for a minute or two, because we've found they don't get quite done enough if not precooked a bit first.

Put a little ball of cheese, about an inch in diameter (depends on the size of your pepper), into each jalapeno and put halves back together. Then wrap with a half-slice of bacon. Secure with a toothpick, or put on a skewer.

We put a brick on each end of the grill and rest the skewers end to end on the bricks. Grill (or bake) till bacon is done, cheese is melted, and peppers are a bit roasted and soft.

Variations:
We bought a jalapeno corer that works great if you want to cut the tops off and keep the pepper whole. I can't find that particular one online, but I did find this one from Cabela's.
You would want a jalapeno corer if you decide to also use a jalapeno stand that can be placed on a grill -- also available at Cabela's.

I've seen this recipe with just cream cheese or cream cheese and parmesan. You could also add a little shrimp or scallop. Instead of bacon, you could use proscuitto. Any way you choose, this is a crowd-pleasing dish!

15 comments:

Linda@ Lime in the Coconut said...

Oh. My.

Do they taste as good bakes as grilled?

Decadent looking little morsels!

sandra/tx said...

Either way, they're really, really good. :-)

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

Now that looks good! So, if you scrape out all of the seeds ( yes, I am a light weight-lol) they still will be a little hot, right? I think I might just try these someday!
Penny

sandra/tx said...

Right, Penny. Most of them will actually be pretty mild, but every now and then, you get a really hot one, even without the seeds.

Lisa said...

I wish I had a few of these right now! Yum.

Amber Cargile said...

Lord, I just gained 5 lbs AND passed out from too many margaritas just looking at that photo. Oh wait, that was the last time I was at your house! ;-P

Anonymous said...

YUM! Sandra these look goooood! I will have to try those along woth your margs, haven't had those in a while!

sandra/tx said...

Lisa, I think we're going to have some of these sometime while you're at my house. Amber, you too!

suzette said...

Holy Jalapeno Sandra! Those are beautiful, but I think I'll have to pass. (I ate three Tums just reading your post... :-( ) I will take one of your margs though... ;-)

sandra/tx said...

Funny, Suzette! LOL

Nola said...

Girlfriend, I could eat those for breakfast! Do you ever make Armadillo Eggs? They are j's stuffed with sausage and cheese, rolled in shake-n-bake and baked in the oven? They ARE a whole meal. If you don't have the recipe (but I figure you do, since you're in TX, and j's are one of the basic food groups), let me know, I'll post it. I may have already posted it way back at the first of my blog, I'll check.

Nola said...

Sandra, The armadillo eggs were posted on my blog on Aug 5, the post is titled HOT. There are some other recipes there, too. Enjoy!

The Stricklands said...

Yummy looking! I think my Mason and Madelyn would even like them. Molly would refuse to touch them because they are green :) Now....where is my grill?

cindy santiago said...

Those look so good! I don't think my mouth has ever watered as much as when I looked at that photo! Seriously...those look sooooo good! I may have to try those this weekend. I'm never going to lose weight...I might as well give up! haha

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