Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers

Those who know me can attest to the fact that I love anything spicy. Jalapenos are towards the top of my list. I have jars and jars of pickled jalapenos in my pantry that I go through quite quickly. I think many of my fellow spicy-lovers can agree that Jalapeno Poppers are an amazing dish to satisfy a fiery craving. In fact, when I was pregnant, I would get extremely strong cravings for these jalapeno poppers and make a whole batch of them for myself. Don’t worry, my baby powered through all the spicy food I ate while I was pregnant with her and I think she’s stronger for it.

Bacon is a big part of this recipe because bacon makes everything better. I shy away from the traditional way of wrapping the popper in a whole bacon slice. Instead, I prefer to cook the bacon separately, crumble into small pieces and mix it with the rest of the ingredients. You’ll get a full blast of all the flavor in each bite.

One disclaimer I must mention is that you never know how spicy these poppers will turn out. It’s like a game of chance because each jalapeno is usually a different level of spicy. I personally get happy when I eat one that burns my tongue off, but that’s just me. But one thing’s for sure, no matter how spicy, these poppers are absolutely delicious and are always the first thing to disappear at a party! Follow the recipe below and let me know how yours turn out in the comments!

INGREDIENTS

• 15 fresh jalapenos
• 1 package cream cheese (8 oz)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (and extra to sprinkle on top)
• 16 oz bacon, crumbled
• 2/3 cups chives
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp garlic salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Wash and dry jalapenos. Then cut each jalapeno in half, long-ways
3. Using a metal spoon, scoop out all the insides of each jalapeno until completely empty and clean
4. Start cooking bacon in skillet until brown and crispy
5. While bacon is cooking, soften cream cheese in the microwave and chop up the chives (save some chives aside to sprinkle on top)
6. Once bacon is done cooking, let cool, then crumble into small pieces (save some bacon pieces aside to sprinkle on top)
7. In a large bowl, add the softened cream cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon pieces, chives, lemon juice and garlic salt. Mix together with a spoon until well combined
8. If you want softer jalapenos, you can bake the jalapenos EMPTY for about 8 minutes then remove from oven and fill with the cream cheese mixture. Then put back into the oven and bake for another 10 minutes
9. Otherwise if you prefer slightly crunchier jalapenos, fill the jalapenos with the cream cheese mixture BEFORE baking, then bake for about 15 minutes
10. Once done baking, remove from oven and sprinkle with additional cheese, chives and bacon.
11. Serve immediately and enjoy!

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