Bacon Wrapped Apple Cheddar Jalapenos

All week Rob and I planned to get out of town this weekend to take advantage of spring, but then the floodgates opened from above and we postponed our plans. That is what we get for joining the world of planners! Therefore we woke up Saturday morning and couldn’t think of anything better to do than cook and watch movies. I have been holding onto the recipe that follows for quite some time, waiting for the perfect lounging kind of day. I found a similar recipe on the blog Erin Cooks but modified it to our liking. The only thing I would change is that I would possibly cook the bacon ahead of time and add crispy bacon to the cheese mixture (to avoid the excess grease) and sprinkle the stuffed jalapeno with panko bread crumbs to give it a bit of a crunch. They were a big hit with the hub but the grease was a little too much for our liking and the crispiness of a fried popper was missing. But all in all, the apple gave a nice flavour to the cheese mixture and the addition of cheddar was key. They were amazing and were the perfect accompaniment to our Band of Brothers marathon!

Bacon Wrapped Apple Cheddar Jalapenos



Ingredients:

8 jalapenos, cut in half and deseeded
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2-3 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 apple chopped, peel removed
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 slices of bacon cut into fourths
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Cut off the stem and slice jalapenos in half lengthwise. Remove seeds.
Mix all other ingredients, except bacon, and stuff jalapenos with the mixture.
Wrap a slice of bacon around the jalapenos and secure with toothpicks if needed.
Cook at 400°F and bake for 20-25 minutes or until bacon is crispy.

Modifications: Top the jalapenos with panko bread crumbs before rolling with bacon. Add crispy bacon to the cream cheese mixture in lieu of bacon around the jalapeno- this will cut down on the grease. If you choose this method, spray the baking dish with oil to prevent sticking.