Jalapeno poppers!

Hey everybody! Just a quick post for today. However, nonetheless delicious. Jalapeno poppers have become a staple hors d'oeuvre in our house whether we are having company over or not. They are very versatile as they work great for everything from tailgating to higher class dinner parties. They truly are pleasing to the palate because first, you get the crunch and sweetness of the grilled bacon, but then gooeyness of the melted cream cheese, and then finally the palate is washed over with a light heat from the jalapeno. However, the heat is not too much because the cream cheese is there to balance it out. I definitely recommend trying it out!

First, you want to start by halving jalapeno peppers. If you see in the picture above, the white, or light green part of the pepper that the seeds are held on by is called the membrane. It is a common misconception that the heat from peppers is all in the seeds. However, although the seeds do contain a minimal amount of capsaicin, the chemical that makes peppers hot, the membrane actually has higher levels of capsaicin than the seeds do. Therefore, you are able to control how much heat you want the pepper to have by regulating how much of the membrane you remove.

Next, scoop out the seeds and membrane of the pepper. I usually take out as much of the membrane as I can, as there are still some traces of capsaicin in the pepper's flesh, in order to avoid overpowering the popper with heat. However, if you can handle and enjoy the heat, go for it. Go big or go home, I suppose!

After you're removed the insides of the pepper, fill it with cream cheese. There are many variations of cream cheese on the market, such as chive, onion, etc. Choose one of those if you'd like. I, however, like to stick with the classics and change up my bacon preference. 

Next, you want to select the bacon that you are going to use. Do not use the kind that comes basically pre-cooked that you just heat up in the microwave. It will cook far too fast on the grill, and you wont get the right texture. I chose to use maple bacon, because, as my brother says, "Even vegetarians like maple bacon." 

After you've chosen what type of bacon you want to use, wrap your cream cheese stuffed jalapeno in it and secure it with a toothpick like shown above.

Next, just toss them on the grill and turn them over once until the bacon is cooked. It should look something like the above. Definitely try this recipe out and let me know how you like it!

Until next time, 

K