My husband Dan has been working really hard on a project at work. He’s been putting in a lot of extra hours, going in early and coming home late. After a long day, he still manages to spend time with the kids, mow the lawn, and fix all the things around the house that need his attention. Since I know the way to his heart is with really good food, I decided to make him a special dinner last weekend, complete with Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers as an appetizer. Dan loves bacon with anything and I had a surplus of jalapenos from the garden, so I thought this would be the perfect treat. I scored some major points, folks! He’s been asking for a repeat all week!
The Filling
The jalapenos are actually really easy to make. Start the cheesy filling by mixing together 8 ounces of cream cheese, 1/4 cup of minced fresh chives, and 1/4 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Then add in 3/4 teaspoon of garlic powder.
Mash it all together with the back of a fork until everything is distributed evenly.
Grab 10 jalapenos and cut them in half lengthwise. Then use a spoon to scrap out the seeds and vein. The heat from the jalapenos comes from the seeds and vein, so if you like them extra spicy, leave a few inside. I recommend using a spoon and not your fingers when scraping the jalapenos because it is easy to transfer the “heat” to other parts of your body. Once I got a seed caught under my fingernail and it burned for days. Another time I unwittingly touched my eye and all hell broke loose in my kitchen as I ran around like a sobbing blind woman.
They don’t call these jala-PAIN-os for nothing! (Come on guys, that was a good one!) 🙂
Take a scoop of the cream cheese mixture and stuff it inside the jalapeno poppers.
The Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
Now take half of a piece of thick cut bacon and wrap it around the jalapeno poppers. Use a toothpick to secure the bacon in place.
Poke the toothpick into the side of the jalapeno so it makes it easy to flip in the pan. In other words, not directly into the cream cheese part.
Heat the jalapeno poppers in a large frying pan for about 5-6 minutes on each side, or until the bacon is browned and crispy.
I highly suggest getting a grease splatter screen if you don’t have one already. This will keep your stove and counters free of oily splatter and keep hot grease from burning your skin. They really make clean-up a breeze. I always use them with bacon and for lots of other dishes too.
Remove the jalapeno poppers from the stove and set them on a paper towel to absorb any excess grease. Look how crunchy that bacon looks! My mouth is watering just looking at these again!
The Hubs
Here’s Dan being a goofball while I was trying to take pictures. This is actually a really good behind-the-scenes picture because I usually have a mess of dishes in the sink and Dan is always trying to dig into my food before it’s ready. The peppers hadn’t even cooled yet and he was trying to jam them into his mouth.
These are seriously AMAZING, people! I managed to snag three of them before Dan polished off the rest of the plate. They definitely have a kick to them, but just when you think you’ll need to reach for a glass of water, the cream cheese cools your mouth and you’re left wanting another.
Jalapeno poppers would be perfect for a party, game day, or appetizer at your next BBQ.
Here’s my main squeeze and best friend! I love that he’s always up for whatever I’m cooking and he never complains. I’ll make him jalapeno poppers anytime he wants! If you’d like more delicious recipes, check out my Recipe Index or follow me on Pinterest. Happy cooking y’all!
Easy Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
Heidi Davison
These delicious bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers are stuffed with a cheesy filling and wrapped in crispy bacon. They make the best appetizer or finger food!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 20
Ingredients
- 10 jalapeno peppers cut in half lengthwise and seeded
- 8 oz block cream cheese
- 1/4 cup minced fresh chives
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 10 strips thick cut bacon cut in half
- 20 to othpicks
Instructions
Cut the stems off the jalapenos, cut in half lengthwise, and remove seeds and veins.
In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, chives, garlic powder, and cheddar cheese.
Mash with a fork until evenly distributed and then stuff into jalapeno halves.
Cut 10 pieces of thick cut bacon in half.
Wrap the bacon around the jalapeno popper and secure with a toothpick.
Stick the toothpick into the side of the jalapeno, not the filling.
Fry in a fry pan for 5-6 minutes each side, or until the bacon is crispy and brown.
Remove the poppers to a paper towel to absorb any excess grease.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
