Appetizers/ Recipe/ Sides

October SRC Reveal: Cheesy, Spicy Bacon Poppers

I was watching a television show on the Food Network the other day and I can’t for the life of me remember which show it was or who said it but they ripped on some guy for cooking with bacon.

….I know, right?
 
Bacon-Wrapped-Stuffed-Peppers
Evidently in the professional culinary world, cooking with bacon is akin to cheating because according to “that guy”, bacon makes everything – literally, everything – better. If not the best. Therefore, it’s a cheap shot at the other cooking contestants to put bacon in his dish because if it weren’t for the bacon, someone would have surely outshone him. 
 
I call bullshit.
 
Simple-Tapas-Recipe
That’s like saying if you put eggs in your quiche, shallots in your risotto or coffee in your Bailey’s (yes, I take my Bailey’s with a side of coffee and not the other way around) you can do only wrong. As if the thing that finishes a dish should be some randomly obscure ingredient and anything that’s got a proven track record – and biological appeal – for culinary delight is nothing short of an offensive faux pas worthy of public retribution…. And you know us Canadians, we wouldn’t want to offend anybody.
 
There shouldn’t be bacon in his dish??? That’s like saying there shouldn’t be mustard on a hot dog. W.T.F.
 
If you ask me, bacon deserved to be on that plate. It deserves to be on any plate. Why? Because it’s fucking fantastic! Who doesn’t love bacon?! Even vegetarians enjoy bacon – or at least they would if they weren’t vegetarians. It’s salty, crispy, fatty, fragrantly orgasmic and ultimately, a giant mouthful of pure glee.
 
Cream-Cheese-Stuffed-Peppers
I say to that television judge, and to anyone who poo-poos their elitist hipster & holier-than-thou food ways on the rest of us, eat it. Or you’ll end up like the bacon – coarsely chopped, pan fried till crispy and set amass a bed of creamy kale, match-stick Granny Smith apples and Marcona almonds.
 
Or even better, thick cut, wrapped around cream cheese stuffed jalapeno peppers and baked to perfection. Does life get any better than cheesy, spicy, bacon? I don’t think so. Which is why I chose this dish for my Secret Recipe Club assignment this month.
 
Bacon-Wrapped-Appetizer

Melissa’s Cuisine is a food blog loaded with recipes that I could really really sink my teeth into. Her passion for food is obvious and between her beer & bacon mac and cheese and her apple bread and German style soft pretzels (I like my carbs, right?) – I really had a tough time selecting one dish. But ultimately I did, because I had to.

The only thing I changed from her Jalapeno Poppers recipe was the cheddar cheese – I didn’t have any. Instead, I used a high quality Parmesan and they were right delightful! You can bet I’ll be tugging a tray of these babies to the next pot-luck sports night I go to – which, I’ll be honest, is likely never. I’m not really a sports party kinda gal. But I’ll make an exception if it means I get to eat these again. Word. 

Print

Cheesy, Spicy Bacon Poppers

Yield 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 12 Jalapeneos.
  • 1/2 C Quality Cream Cheese, room temp.
  • 1/3 C Quality Parmesan Cheese, finely grated.
  • 12 Strips of Thick Cut Bacon, cut in half.
  • 1/2 C BBQ Sauce.
  • Toothpicks to secure.

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with tin foil. Set aside.
  2. As that heats, hollow out the jalapeno peppers by cutting them in half lengthwise and remove the seeds with a spoon by firmly scraping the inside from the bottom up. This will half the spicy factor and give you room to stuff them. Using a spoon will also help prevent the spicy seeds and pithy area from getting all over your hands. BE CAREFUL - do not touch your face or eyes until your hands are thoroughly washed or you'll get spicy pepper oil all over you and it will burn. Just ask this chick.
  3. In a bowl, mix together the two cheeses. Stuff into the peppers so they're heaping full.
  4. Wrap each stuffed pepper in a strip of bacon and secure with a toothpick.Place on prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with BBQ sauce. Place in the hot oven and bake for 20 minutes or until bacon is just slightly under crispy - you want these to be slightly pliable, not crack your teeth crunchy.
  5. Place a rack over paper towels and set the poppers on it to drain for a minute or two.
  6. Eat.

Notes

Adapted from Melissa

 

 
 
What do you think about bacon? Do you have any ingredients you consider cliche? Anything you refuse to cook with? Insist on cooking with? Share your thoughts below!

  • A Couple in the Kitchen
    October 21, 2013 at 1:07 PM

    Oohhh…our cousin brings something similar to this to our annual Mardi Gras party and everyone goes nuts for them. Will have to try these for our next soiree!

    • Kristy Gardner
      October 22, 2013 at 9:08 PM

      Please do! They were super fun (messy) but fun! 🙂 Just bring wet-naps!

  • chelsy
    October 21, 2013 at 3:42 PM

    mmmmmm love the parmesan and barbecue sauce addition to these. They look absolutely mouth watering!

    • Kristy Gardner
      October 22, 2013 at 9:09 PM

      Oh yes. They were absolutely addictive Chelsy! I think it’s the salty bacon and parm with the sweet BBQ for sure!

  • Emily Dicks
    October 21, 2013 at 9:13 PM

    Yum! Looks delicious 🙂

  • Sara
    October 21, 2013 at 11:52 PM

    OMG these look amazing! So scrumptious! 🙂 Visiting from group A!

    • Kristy Gardner
      October 22, 2013 at 9:09 PM

      Nice to see you Sara! YOU look scrumptious! 😉

  • Meghan@CleanEatsFastFeets
    October 22, 2013 at 12:58 AM

    I’m a vegetarian and even I like bacon.
    By the way, you were on fire in this post. Loved it.

    • Kristy Gardner
      October 22, 2013 at 9:10 PM

      hahahahaha. I love that you admit it 😉

      And thanks…

  • Lisa {Authentic Suburban Gourmet }
    October 22, 2013 at 1:46 AM

    This is mind kind of appetizer. Only problem is that I would eat too many of them. Glad to be part of SRC group C with you.

    • Kristy Gardner
      October 22, 2013 at 9:10 PM

      My problem too, Lisa. I (in cohorts with the bf) ate an entire pound of bacon this way.

  • Karen - Cinnamon Freud
    October 22, 2013 at 2:42 AM

    I myself am not a huge fan of baking but I respect everyone else’s right to bake and love it 🙂 These do sound amazing of the rest of the bacon loving world.

    • Kristy Gardner
      October 22, 2013 at 9:11 PM

      Hi Karen! These aren’t really baking – just baked. The rest is entirely fresh ingredients – no real “baking” involved 😉

  • Liz Berg
    October 23, 2013 at 12:00 AM

    Oh, yeah! I need to find an excuse to make these babies! They sound phenomenal!

  • Debra Eliotseats
    October 23, 2013 at 1:41 AM

    Who disses bacon users? WTH and BS, indeed. Love the parm substitution! Great SRC post!

  • Feast on the Cheap
    October 23, 2013 at 1:38 PM

    These look so ridiculously delicious. I’d bet my husband could live on these and these alone….

  • TeaLady
    October 24, 2013 at 2:58 AM

    That judge needs his/her head examined. Everything IS better with bacon. Including these.

  • Rhonda
    October 24, 2013 at 6:05 PM

    Bacon is the reason why people aren’t vegetarians!

  • Jane
    October 24, 2013 at 7:23 PM

    Yum!! These look so good!

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