Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers

My husband really likes jalapeños and bacon, so I thought this would be a fun surprise for his birthday. But I didn't think my daughter would go for it, so I made half with baby sweet peppers instead. Turns out she didn't much care for those either, except for the bacon (which she proceeded to peel off four poppers before I gave her a cease & desist order). Looking on the bright side, now I know I can make her a big ol' pile of bacon for her next birthday and she'll be happy as a clam.

I'm not sure if these can really be considered "poppers" because you can't exactly pop one into your mouth. You need to take a few bites. I'm flirting with renaming them (I like the sound of jalapeño nibblers, but I have a feeling it won't catch on).

These are really delicious by the way. I can imagine them being very successful at a party. I'm wimpy (as many of you already know), so I only had the sweet peppers. Chuck really liked the hot jalapeños and I was very entertained watching him get up several times for drink refills while his eyes watered. (I'll never understand how anyone can think that's enjoyable.)

STUFFED JALAPEÑO POPPERS

Yield: 15 to 25

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, drained

3 large (or 6 small) basil leaves

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature

pinch of salt

15 to 25 jalapeño peppers, depending on size (larger ones are easier to stuff)

1/2 to 1 lb. pound thinly sliced bacon (smoked is great)

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1.      Preheat the grill (or preheat your oven to 375º F.).

2.      Place the garlic and sundried tomatoes in the food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the basil and process until finely chopped.  Add cream cheese and a pinch of salt. Mix until mixture is smooth enough for stuffing (it’s okay if there are still some small chunks of sundried tomato).

3.      Slice the top off each jalapeno, then slice lengthwise on one side, being careful not to cut the jalapeño in 1/2. Leave the seeds if you want them really hot (remove them with a small paring knife if you don't think you can handle the heat).

4.      Fill either a pastry bag or ziploc bag with the filling. Squeeze a liberal amount of filling into each pepper. Be careful not to overfill as the filling may spurt out during cooking.

5.      Wrap each pepper with 1 to 2 strips of bacon, securing the opening in the pepper. Secure the bacon with a toothpick (best to soak the toothpicks first, to prevent burning).

6.      Grill peppers until lightly roasted or bacon is fully cooked. Cook on foil if your peppers are cooking too fast or starting to burn. [If using your oven, cook until the peppers are lightly roasted, then increase the heat to broil and continue cooking until bacon is fully cooked.]

adapted from Joe Rao

garlic and sundried tomatoes

adding fresh basil

basil chopped

adding cream cheese

filling mixed

jalapeños

baby sweet peppers

hollowed out pepper

filling the pepper

I couldn't fill a jalapeño and take a photo at the
same time because I needed to use both hands for those.

stuffed pepper (remember to stop short of the
edge so the filling won't ooze out too much)

If you want to maximize their cuteness, you can leave the
tops on the peppers and fill them through the side slit only.

wrapped in bacon

I was in such a rush when I made these that I bypassed
cooking them at 375º F. and went straight to broiling.
They were good, but if you have the time, do bake them for a
little while first (my bacon was cooked a bit unevenly).

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