Ingredients
1 pkg of thin sliced bacon
20 medium or large Jalapenos
1-2 packages of cream cheese
1 cup of gorgonzola or grated parmesan
Optional – Roasted garlic
Directions:
Cut Jalapeno’s in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds and pith (the white part)
Cut bacon in half so you have double the strips
**make your cream cheese mix** you can create your own flavored cream cheese mixture by adding gorgonzola, parmesan, garlic, etc. to your taste
Fill each jalapeno half with cream cheese mixture
Wrap a slice of bacon around each filled half, secure with a toothpick and place on a baking sheet lined with foil
Repeat for all your remaining jalapeno and bacon.
Bake at 375F until bacon is crisp
Remove and serve warm
Variations – try pepper jack, blue, gouda or cheddar or just use plain cream cheese
The Story:
I have never been a fan of spicy food. I can handle some heat, but it was never my preference if given a choice. However, I found that I could tolerate Jalapeno’s if they were deseeded and fairly mild. In addition, understanding the relationship of Capsaisin to milk on the taste buds gave me some courage to try a few things out. One of those things was jalapeno poppers. They are really popular and most of the family loves them. The problem I always had with them was they are breaded and deep fried after having been frozen, (and they are way too large!) not a fan of grease bombs despite my size. I will also admit, none of the ones at bars, pubs and restaurants had bacon. I tried making my own at home, even got those special little stands for them, but they were still too big. The ratio of filling to jalapeno just wasn’t right. So, I started taking them apart and mixing some different cream cheese fillings to put in them. I’m a favor of tangy so I tend to use stinky cheese and I found that was perfect! Not to mention, no breading, its all fresh, and it isn’t deep fried. Plus. Bacon!