Video Recipe: Indiana-Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers

DIRECTIONS

Chop two strips of bacon into small pieces. Fry bacon pieces in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chopped shallot to the pan and saute while the bacon finishes cooking. When bacon pieces are crisp, remove and pat dry with a paper towel. In a bowl, thoroughly mix cream cheese with the chopped bacon, garlic, and shallot; place in the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours. Once chilled, remove from fridge. Place one heaping spoonful (about 1 teaspoon) of filling into each jalapeño half. Wrap the jalapeño in a full strip of uncooked bacon and secure with toothpicks. Place the peppers on a hot grill (400 degrees) and cook for 8–12 minutes, or until bacon is crisp. During the last two minutes of grilling, drizzle a small amount of honey over each jalapeño, turning with tongs to ensure all sides get coated. Remove from grill and serve warm.

INGREDIENTS

8 fresh jalapeños, halved and seeded
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 pack Indiana Kitchen bacon (from Delphi; indianakitchenbacon.com)
½ small shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons orange-blossom honey (optional)

TASTING NOTE

In this perfect marriage of flavors and textures from Squealers’ Jeff Yater, cream cheese cuts the bite of jalapeño, bacon adds crunch, and honey brings the sweetness.

Photo by Tony Valainis

This article appeared in the August 2013 issue.