Cheap Eats: Bacon-Wrapped Jalapenos

From The Pioneer Woman's Recipe

These are always a big hit, are easy to make, and are very affordable. Prices are based on what I paid at WinCo, but jalapenos/cream cheese are almost always available for cheap. The price of bacon is what will vary most from store to store.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 lbs Jalapenos ($1.50)

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese ($2.50)

2 packages bacon ($4.50)

Total: $8.50

The process is simple:

*Turn on the kitchen fan. Otherwise, you'll be breathing pepper fumes, which isn't the most fun. If you're doubling the recipe (or more) you'll also want to open a window.

*Cut the stems off the jalapenos, then cut in half lengthwise and scrape the pith and seeds out. If you don't mind a little heat, you don't even have to be that meticulous about getting the seeds.

*Fill each half-jalapeno with cream cheese.

*Cut each pack of bacon into thirds

You'll get a bunch of these. Don't rub you're eyes during this process!

*Wrap 1/3 slice bacon around each jalapeno and fasten with a toothpick (I find it's easiest to cut the bacon just out of the fridge while it's more firm. Let it sit on the counter while you cut/clean/fill the peppers, and it will stretch a little better as it gets towards room temperature).

*Place on a broiler pan or on a rack set into a cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes at 375, or until the bacon is cooked. You can also make these on the grill, although I never have.

I burnt my tongue eating this just after I took the picture.

*Chow down

This time around, it made just slightly more than would reasonably fit on a broiler pan. I had to unreasonably force them to fit. It worked fine, although they probably would have cooked a tad better had I made two batches. It's that whole patience thing again...

What? They fit...ish.

While it's probably a symptom of my lack of attention to detail – especially towards the end of the process – I've found that these tend to have wildly varying heat. Some are quite mild, and some will send you scrambling for a drink. If you are not a big fan of spice, make sure you clean the peppers well, and also check for seeds sticking to the outside of the peppers, especially those cleaned later, since seeds do accumulate on your cutting board.

I made this batch for the Super Bowl; we had a total of eight adults and four kids, and there were leftovers (we also had home made pizza, and various treats people brought). 

Linked to This Week's Cravings at TheDaily Dish