So, I came across a recipe for Bacon Wrapped, Shrimp Stuffed, Cheesy Jalapeno Poppers. It sounded pretty good, since, I think, we all like these ingredients individually. What could go wrong???
Simple math tell you that 10 Jalapeños cut in half will equal 20 halves. One pack of bacon has 10 slices, cut in half equals 20 slices – your mom always said to do good in math class, right???
Cut off pepper stems, then cut peppers in half, top to bottom, so shrimp can lay in the half pepper. Scraping out the seeds with the tip of a spoon works quite well.
Feel free to include your children by having them de-vein the shrimp, then season them with a couple of teaspoons of your favorite seasoned salt (from prior ‘experiments’, I have found un-seasoned shrimp stuffed into peppers to be very bland).
Next, use your hands to mix the cream cheese with the shredded cheese of your choice (I used shredded cheddar).
Now, place the shrimp in a sliced jalapeño. Cover with the cream cheese mixture. Avoid using too much cheese mix, as later, it will try to melt out of the pepper while it cooks.
At this point, if your math was spot-on, the shrimp and jalapeños should have matched up with no leftovers of either. Now cut the bacon in half.
If you have 20 slices, it is all coming together nicely ……..
Take a half-strip of bacon, and stretch it a bit, then wrap around your pepper. You can use a toothpick if needed, but it should stay in place. Mine did, for the most part.
If you have a smoker, then great! Place your new creations on your smoker at about 250 degrees for 45-60 minutes. If you are grilling, grill on indirect heat (side opposite the coals or burners) for the same amount of time. Do not place over an open flame, as the bacon will drop and the flames will completely torch your hard work!
If I were to do anything different, I think next time I might brush some molasses over the top during cooking, but my family, and my neighbor, all loved them, so maybe I am being picky. As with most things, with time and patience, you can accomplish many really cool things.
Love the recipe. It’s pretty much combined all my favorite things. One tip that I find useful: when I bacon wrap anything, jalapenos, asparagus, blue cheese stuffed dates (so yummy) I learned from somewhere, and don’t ask me where, that if you half cook the bacon before wrapping, then the bacon will get crispier on the grill and the inner items will be just right. I find if I start with raw bacon then I’m waiting and waiting for the bacon to cook and the whatever it’s wrapping is already done. This is very true if you have any cheese involved in the stuffed item.
Thanks for the tip, Diane. I’ll try that next time.