Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

Tayler Bradley For The Sentinel

February is not only a month for love; it is also the month when two professional football teams battle it out for a championship on Superbowl Sunday. This day is filled with so much fun, great friends, and, of course, yummy food. The best foods to serve on this iconic Sunday are finger foods. They are easy to grab so you don’t miss a second of the game. I love quick-grab snacks because I can pop them right in my mouth, and no one knows how many of them I eat. These are usually the best tasting, and that seems to be my weakness. One of my favorites is baconwrapped jalapeno poppers. They have a nice little kick of heat with a cheesy filled center. Of course, the bacon wrapped around them is the perfect salty finishing touch. I will make these throughout the year even when there isn’t a party because they are so good.

When I do make these, I have to split the pan in half because my family likes to add a sprinkle of brown sugar to the tops of some of them. It knocks down some of the heat and gives them a sweet touch. My mom likes them like this because she doesn’t really enjoy spicy things.

Bacon-wrapped jalapenos poppers never last very long at our house, that’s for sure.

This coming Sunday we already know you will be making these poppers to take to the party. The real question, is what team will you be cheering for?

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces of cream cheese, softened

• ½ teaspoon of garlic powder

• ½ teaspoon of onion powder

• ½ teaspoon of salt

• ¼ teaspoon of black pepper

• 8 ounces of Mexican blend shredded cheese

• 10 - 12 medium jalapeno peppers

• 14 - 20 pieces of bacon (this usually equals about 1 package)

• Optional brown sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2. Line a sheet pan with wax paper or aluminum foil (makes for easy cleaning; you can also give it a little spray with non-stick spray to keep it from sticking.)

3. Take your jalapeno peppers and cut them in half. Devein them, take out all of the seeds, and set aside.

4. In a large bowl add your softened cream cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder and cream together. Add in the shredded cheese and mix so it is fully incorporated.

5. Fill each jalapeno half with a spoonfull of the cream cheese mixture. I usually push it in a little and level it out so it is not overflowing.

6. Wrap a piece of uncooked bacon around the filled pepper. Place it on your cooking sheet.

7. Repeat steps 5-6 until all of the peppers are filled and wrapped.

8. This is the time when you can put the optional sprinkle of brown sugar on top of the bacon. I usually do half and half.

9. Bake for about 25 minutes. Then broil for about 3 minutes to help the bacon crisp up.

10. Let them cool, serve, and enjoy!

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