A Little Personal History:
Description:
| Categories: | Appetizer | ||
| Servings: | 2 dozen stuffed peppers | ||
| Time: | – Preparation: 20 minutes – Cooking: 10-12 minutes |
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| Equipment: | Cutting board and sharp knife and scissors, 2 plates, grater, measuring cups and spoons, 1 medium metal mixing bowl, spatula, toothpicks, BBQ grill, aluminum foil, weights/stones, grilling tongs, serving platter | Difficulty: | Easy |
Ingredients:
- 24 medium jalapeno peppers
- 1 Tbs olive oil
- 1 Lbs spicy sausage, cooked & browned
- 1 ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup cream cheese
- 12 bacon strips, cut in half
Procedure:
- With sharp knife, spit each jalapeno lengthwise, to allow enough of an opening to stuff with filling; scrape out seeds (if left in, peppers will be much hotter), leave stem (it’s something to grab on to). Set aside plate.
- Cut raw bacon strips in half with scissors. Set aside on plate.
- If sausage in uncooked, add oil to large skillet, pre-heat skillet, over medium heat.
- When oil is hot, but not smoking, break up sausage into small bits and add to skillet. With wooden spoon, saute sausage till cooked & browned. Set aside in medium mixing bowl, allow to cool. Note: Even if sausage is pre-cooked, I still like to saute till browned.
- Shred cheddar cheese, add to mixing bowl. Add in cream cheese and mix sausage and cheeses with spatula thoroughly.
- Stuff sausage/cheeses mixture into jalapeño’s.
- Wrap each with a piece of bacon; secure with toothpick.
- Place aluminum foil over grilling slats. Secure with weights/stones on four corners.
- Pre-heat grill to medium high setting.
- Place stuffed jalapeño’s on foil, grill each side for 3-4 minutes, rotating with tongs, until bacon is crisp.
- Transfer from grill to serving platter, remove or leave toothpicks (you may need to leave them if stems are missing) and serve.
Advanced Preparation:
- Steps 1-7 can be done in advance, covered and refrigerated till ready to grill.
Tips, Notes, and Variations:
- If sausage is fully cooked, steps 3-4 are not necessary.
- If you’d rather serve these as a more “formal” appetizer and grilling isn’t an option, you can bake them. Place stuffed peppers on a greased cookie sheet and bake in a pre-heated oven at 350°F for 20-30 minutes or until bacon is crisp (turn peppers ½ way through baking) .
