For tailgating, prepare the filling at home and transport in a plastic container. Cut the jalapenos when ready to grill and stuff them on site.
The combination of sweet and spicy is a taste touchdown!!
Servings: 24 stuffed jalapenos
Ingredients
12 jalapenos-cut in half and deseeded
8 ounces cream cheese - softened
½ pound maple bacon cooked or recipe for candied bacon below
½ pound bulk pork sausage cooked
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 tablespoon honey
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
CANDIED BACON
1/2 pound bacon
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Preparations
After cooking the sausage and the bacon, chop the bacon into small pieces and mix it with the cheeses, sausage and the seasonings.
Cut each pepper lengthwise leaving the stem attached. Using a small spoon, route out the seeds and the membranes. The more seeds and membranes you remove, the milder the pepper will be. Warn your guests that if they do NOT want spicy, do not eat all the way to the stem. The white membrane that holds the stem in tact will deliver a hot punch!
Stuff the peppers with the mixture. Put on the grill until peppers are cooked and mixture is warm (about 15 minutes). If you can’t grill, put them in the oven at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.
NOTE: If you don't have Maple bacon, it is real easy to candy your own bacon. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lay bacon strips on a wire rack over a foil lined baking sheet. Mix dijon mustard and syrup together and paint it onto each slice of bacon. Put into the oven and after about 8 minutes check cooking progress. If it looks almost done, take out the pan and flip each slice and repaint the mustard syrup mixture. Return to oven until done. After it cools, stack slices and cut lengthwise and chop into small pieces.
