Gameday Indulgences + Stuffed, Bacon-Wrapped Jalapenos

Well, it's official: The Green Bay Packers are Super Bowl champs! I've already watched through my window a hoard of people running around the block, cheering in celebration, and my Twitter feed has never been more upbeat. Needless to say, the entire state of Wisconsin is in a state of euphoria right now. Me? While I'm really happy the Packers won, it's hard to concentrate on anything other than the snacks that sit happily in my belly right now.


Before the game, Eric made some fantastic guacamole - everything was really fresh, and it had a bit of a kick to it, thanks to pickled jalapenos and cayenne pepper. We served the guac with some sliced veggies, to keep it a little healthy.

Except, then I couldn't stop thinking about baking my own pita chips. So I did. And quickly the veggies were pushed aside.

To make the pita chips, I just sliced up some pita pockets, brushed them with a mix of olive oil, sea salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and garlic powder, and popped them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. 

After snacking on the chips and dip, it was time for the cranberry meatballs, which were amazing - savory, slightly sweet and really hit the spot.

We were extremely stuffed after snacking all day, but there was one more thing we had to tackle, so to speak. The main event: bacon-wrapped, stuffed jalapenos.

Yes, they do sound amazing. Yes, they did taste amazing. But they were also a snap to put together. And while they sound extremely decadent, if you do it right, it's really not a completely unhealthy appetizer. 

Here's how it's done:

First, assemble your cast of characters. Note that "Sunday Bacon" was necessary for today's treats.

First, slice your jalapenos in half, lengthwise.

Then, very carefully "gut" the jalapenos with a spoon. Remove the seeds and white membranes. If you like things with a bit more spice, go crazy and leave a few seeds behind.

Next, stuff the gutted jalapenos with cream cheese - I mixed my cream cheese with a little minced garlic, but you can make it even easier on yourself and leave the cream cheese plain. It doesn't have to look beautiful, as I've clearly illustrated below.

Then comes the fun part: Encase those jalapenos with sweet, delicious bacon. Wrap the bacon around the pepper and secure with a toothpick.

Finally, pop those puppies in the oven at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the bacon looks browned and cooked through, then sit back in ecstasy as you chomp down on the little buggers.

It's not exactly the exact feeling of taking home the Lombardi trophy, I'm sure, but in my world, it's not far off.

Bacon-wrapped, stuffed jalapenos

Ingredients:

One package bacon

Any amount of jalapenos, depending on how many you're serving

Fat-free cream cheese (or full fat, if you're feeling wild)

Minced garlic (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

Slice jalapenos in half, lengthwise with a sharp knife. Clear the insides of the jalapenos with a spoon, removing inner membranes and seeds - or choose to leave a few seeds to keep it spicy. Spoon in cream cheese/garlic mixture to stuff the jalapenos. After stuffed, wrap one piece of bacon around each jalapeno half, and secure the bacon in place with a toothpick. Place on baking sheet.

Bake in oven for about 20 minutes, or until bacon is browned and cooked through. Serve, and enjoy!

What did you eat during the Super Bowl? 

Jalapeño Pepper