Sausage and Cheese Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos

Yes, the title is a mouthful, but you will be glad to have a mouth full of these cheesy, melty (yeah, that's not a word), spicy goodness. Don't be afraid of the word jalapeno either. Consider this your training wheels for eating them since cooking a jalapeno releases much of their heat; the longer they cook, the more mild they become. Of course, you need to remove the seeds and the membrane for that statement to be true. Leave that stuff in and your mouth will be on fire, and as for your tummy...well, be warned that leaving that stuff in will cause you much discomfort if you are not use to spicy foods.

Many people will refer to recipes like this as poppers, but I believe that poppers are breaded and fried where these are not. I have made stuff jalapenos several different ways in the past, but have found this to be my favorite recipe. The addition of sausage came from my boyfriend's brother's wife; I could just say Wendy, but few would know who that was, and I like to give credit where credit is due. At first I was wondering how sausage and jalapeno would taste, but once I tried it, I was sold! It really brings a texture and meatiness to these delicious apps. I usually wrap them in bacon that is half cooked before wrapping since soggy, chewy bacon is the worst and precooking insures that the final product is crispy, but sometimes I just crumble cooked bacon over the top of them and its just as good. If you like sausage, I guarantee you will like these.

Sausage and Cheese Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos

• 7 large or 12 small jalapenos,
• 1 8oz bar cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 pound hot breakfast sausage
• 1 pound bacon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Lay strips of bacon on cooking sheet and bake in oven for 7 minutes.  Remove and set aside.Turn oven down to 375 degrees.
3. Cut jalapenos in half and remove seeds and membrane with a spoon. Wear gloves if you have sensitive skin. Wash hands immediately after.
4. Cook sausage in skillet over medium high heat until browned. 
5. Mix sausage, cream cheese, cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a medium mixing bowl.
6. Fill jalapenos with spoon until all are stuffed.
7. Wrap bacon around each jalapeno. Cut bacon into two pieces if necessary to wrap all jalapenos. Secure with toothpick if necessary.
8. Bake for 20 minutes.
9. Remove toothpick and enjoy.

Tips and Tricks

• If you like heat, cook the stuffed jalapenos for 12 minutes. This will keep the heat of the pepper.
• Use low-fat or fat-free products for a healthier version.
• You can place crumbled bacon over each stuffed pepper for easier assembly.
• These reheat very well. Heat oven to 375 and cook for 12 minutes.
• These can be prepared in advanced if needed.