Bacon Wrapped, Cheese Stuffed, Jalapeño Poppers

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Is there really anything better than recipes that have cream cheese…or bacon….or cheese? What about all three together? Can I get an Amen?! These bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers are stuffed with a combination of cream cheese and shredded cheese along with smoked paprika and garlic powder to give you the perfect bite!

It’s actually a funny story of how I came to make these. Have you ever used the Walmart Grocery Pick-Up? If not, I highly recommend it, especially if you are a parent. If you are new to the grocery pick-up and want to try it, just click the link above and enter your email to get $10 off of your first order. ***If you do this, I will also get $10 off of my next order when you purchase.*** It’s a win-win for both of us!

We don’t have a Walmart in our little town, but there is one in a town nearby that does this. Dustin works near that Walmart and we also have monthly appointments in that same town. I always place my order around those appointments so that I don’t have to make a special trip just for groceries. It’s nice not to have to drag my cranky toddler inside and spend one to two hours fighting through the crowd and forgetting what I came for. Another perk, is that I can keep track of what I’m spending and plan things out better. Plus, they load your car for you at no extra charge to you! It’s awesome! The pick-up is totally worth it if you ask me. I have personally never had any issues with it, and I have been doing it for several months now.

Okay, now back to my story. Can you tell I get distracted easily? So I ordered (or at least I thought I ordered) only ONE jalapeño. I needed it to make some fresh, homemade Guacamole dip. I get home with my order and realize I did not have one jalapeño….. but I had thirteen. THIRTEEN! What was I going to do with the other 12 I didn’t need?! I’ll tell ya what…jalapeño poppers. I don’t like to waste things, especially food. So I looked in the fridge and I had a block of cream cheese, a pack of bacon, and some shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Ummm….yes, please!

This recipe is SO simple and can be quickly thrown together. Before I show you how I made them, here are some quick tips that are helpful:

• Use gloves when handling jalapeños (or any other peppers, onions, or meats) so that you don’t get them on your hands and accidentally touch your eyes. It will burn….and you will more than likely cry.

• Use a small spoon to scoop out the seeds and membrane. It is so easy and it all just comes right out. I use one of these tiny spoons that came with our silverware set when we got married and they are the perfect size!

• If you have kitchen scissors, use them to cut your bacon in half. For me, it’s easier than using a knife and so much quicker.

• Line your baking sheet with tinfoil and place a wire rack on top to place the jalapeño poppers on. This will make clean-up way easier and also help your poppers to cook more evenly all the way around.

Now to the good stuff! Always wash your vegetables before you cook/eat them. After you wash and pat your jalapeños dry, cut them in half, and scoop out all of the seeds and membranes (this is where the heat is so be careful if you are touching them with your bare hands).

Once all the seeds and membranes are removed, lay them on your baking rack. If you do not have a baking rack, just lay them straight onto the tinfoil covered pan. They will be fine, don’t worry!

Add the smoked paprika, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt to your softened cream cheese and mix well. I just use a rubber spatula to do this and I love using these mixing bowls. They come with lids for easy storage and in different sizes.

Next add your shredded cheese and mix well. It doesn’t have to be sharp cheddar like what I used. You can use whatever cheese you like!

Now it’s time to stuff those Jalapeños. I use the same kind of small spoon that I used to scoop the seeds out, but if you don’t have a small spoon like that, any spoon will work!

We save the best for last. BACON! Wrap each jalapeño with a half slice of bacon. You should have 24 half pieces to wrap your 24 jalapeños. When buying the bacon for these, I suggest staying away from thick sliced bacon and bacon that has more fat. The thinner the bacon, the crispier it’ll cook. I just used what I already had, so my bacon was a little more fatty than I would have liked but they still turned out great!

If you need to, place a toothpick into each one to hold the bacon in place when cooking. The bacon will shrink some and slide off on some of them if you don’t. I didn’t use toothpicks, so I know from experience. Oops. If you are using them for a party as an appetizer, the toothpicks will also make them easy to grab and look nicer.

Bake them at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. For the last 2-3 minutes of baking, I switched the oven to broil to crisp up the bacon a little more. These are straight out of the oven! Try to resist and let them sit a few minutes before taking a bite. They will be HOT but they are so worth the wait.

I sent most of these to work with Dustin to share with his work buddies. He text me at lunch and told me they disappeared in less than 5 minutes and everyone really loved them! Then he told me to write this one down so I don’t forget. He knows I forget everything. Which led me to this blog post to share with you.

They are perfect for any appetizer or finger food at a party, shower, family or church gathering, or at home for yourself just because you love bacon. Plus you won’t have to share!

Here are a few ideas for substitutions:

• Use sweet peppers instead of jalapeños.
• Use a different kind of cheese (smoked, Colby jack, pepper jack…whatever floats your boat).
• Try using regular paprika instead of smoked paprika.
• Use fresh garlic instead of garlic powder. If you use fresh garlic, you can add more than the recipe calls for, to taste.

There are so many variations as to what you can do. You can even adjust the amount of seasonings to your own taste. This is just how I made them and they were a huge hit!

If you try them, I would love to know how they turned out for you!

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