Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Grilled Jalapeños

Tags: cheese, Mexican Cuisine, peppers, sausage

A Little Personal History:

If you’d like to make some HOT appetizers, look no further than these bacon wrapped, stuffed grilled Jalapeños! Here’s my tried and true recipe.

Description:

 

Categories:	Appetizer
Servings:	2 dozen stuffed peppers
Time:	– Preparation:   20 minutes – Cooking:         10-12 minutes
Equipment:	Cutting board and sharp knife and scissors, 2 plates, grater, measuring cups and spoons, 1 medium metal mixing bowl, spatula, toothpicks, BBQ grill, aluminum foil, weights/stones, grilling tongs, serving platter
Difficulty:	Easy

Ingredients:

• 24 medium jalapeno peppers
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 pounds spicy sausage, cooked & browned
• 1 ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ cup cream cheese
• 12 bacon strips, cut in half

Procedure:

1. With sharp knife, spit each jalapeno lengthwise, to allow enough of an opening to stuff with filling; scrape out seeds (if left in, peppers will be much hotter), leave stem. Set aside plate.
2. Cut raw bacon strips in half with scissors. Set aside on plate.
3. If sausage in uncooked, add oil to large skillet, pre-heat skillet, over medium heat.
4. When oil is hot, but not smoking, break up sausage into small bits and add to skillet. With wooden spoon, saute sausage till cooked & browned. Set aside in medium mixing bowl, allow to cool. Note: Even if sausage is pre-cooked, I still like to saute till browned.
5. Shred cheddar cheese, add to mixing bowl. Add in cream cheese and mix sausage and cheeses with spatula thoroughly.
6. Stuff sausage/cheeses mixture into jalapeño”s.
7. Wrap each with a piece of bacon; secure with toothpick.
8. Place aluminum foil over grilling slats. Secure with weights/stones on four corners.
9. Pre-heat grill to medium high setting.
10. Place stuffed jalapeño”s on foil, grill each side for 3-4 minutes, rotating with tongs, until bacon is crisp.
11. Transfer from grill to serving platter, remove or leave toothpicks (you may need to leave them if stems are missing) and serve.

Advanced Preparation:

• Steps 1-7 can be done in advance, covered and refrigerated till ready to grill.

Tips, Notes, and Variations:

• If sausage is fully cooked, steps 3-4 are not necessary.
• If you”d rather serve these as a more “formal” appetizer and grilling isn”t an option, you can bake them. Place stuffed peppers on a greased cookie sheet and bake in a pre-heated oven at 350°F for 20-30 minutes or until bacon is crisp (turn peppers ½ way through baking) .