Grilling: Stuffed Jalapeños
Truth be told, I'm not much of a football fan, but I'll take almost any hours-long, live televised event as an excuse to get my friends together and indulge in my favorite party foods. So even though I'd be hard pressed to even name who's playing in the Super Bowl this Sunday [Um, that would be Pittsburgh and Arizona. --Ed.], I'm eagerly awaiting the big game because it gives me a chance to grill up a batch of stuffed jalapeños, among other things.
Stuffed jalapeños are one of those foods that somehow always causes a reaction way beyond their minimalist recipe. The procedure could hardly be more simply: seed a bunch of jalapeños, stuff with cream cheese (I like adding some cheddar into to mix for mine), top with bacon, and grill or bake for about 30 mins. There's something so right in this combination though. The jalapeños mellow out while cooking, leaving a fruity flavor with only a slight heat that balances out with the cream cheese, and the bacon adds that salty cripsness that brings the whole bite together. These are great hot or at room teperature, making them perfect for setting out, and popping as a long night in front of the television unfolds.
Grilled Stuffed Jalapeños
- serves 6 -
Ingredients
24 large jalapeños
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
8 ounces bacon
Toothpicks
Procedure
1. Cut off the tops of the jalapeños and remove the seeds and ribs using a jalapeño corer, apple corer, or small paring knife.
2. Mix together the cream cheese and cheddar. Stuff each jalapeño to the top with the cheese mixture.
3. Cut the bacon strips into quarters. Lay 1 quarter strip of bacon on top of each jalapeño, and secure each side by pressing a toothpick through the top of the pepper. Place the peppers upright in a chile grill or a foil baking pan with holes cut in it to rest the jalapeños in.
4. Light a chimney 3/4 full of charcoal. When charcoal is fully lit and covered in gray ash, pour coals out and arrange them on one side of the charcoal grate, keeping the other side empty. Place the jalapeños over the cool side of the grill, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes, until the bacon is cooked and crisp. Serve hot or at room temperature.
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8 Comments:
Oh, man. I want this soooo badly right now it's almost a little ridiculous.
meg3j at 1:02PM on 01/31/09
I agree there is something about cream cheese and jalapenos that just makes my mouth water. But I bought one of those chile grille things and I was actually kind of disappointed. You have to make sure that you have exactly the right size jalapenos to fit in it or they slip through. I've only used it a few times, I found it easier to cut jalapenos in half lengthwise and fill them that way before baking them.
Deseree at 2:11PM on 01/31/09
@Deseree: I admit, it's a little easier to cut them in 1/2, but I'll make them either way. When using the Chile Grill, you have to put a toothpick through the top of the jalapeño to make sure it doesn't fall through. No matter how large the peppers are, they always shrink and soften during cooking. so the toothpick is key.
Joshua Bousel at 4:27PM on 01/31/09
*psst* I think you mean "The procedure could hardly be more simple" instead of "simply"
IbisFlight at 10:22PM on 01/31/09
i just saw one of these "jalepeno grill"s at williams sonoma the other day and mentioned to my husband what a ridiculously useless piece of equipment it is. i mean, really, you need to spend $20 on a special jalepeno holder...yet another example of wasteful spending in america!!
annaliesenc at 10:31AM on 02/01/09
I bought this grill at Williams Sonoma last Labor Day weekend for $15. I'm a sucker for their gagetry. Once you use it, you might find it handy. Better than chasing the suckers around the grill and failing to prevent leakage of the good stuff inside.
lambowner at 11:55AM on 02/02/09
@annaliesenc & lambowner: I only use the Jalapeño grill when making these on the grill, and lay them on a wire rack over a baking sheet when I'm making them in the oven. Like lambowner said, it's good for keeping them failing through the grill and leakage. The special grill is totally not necessary, but I was suckered into buying one when I saw they made them in the shape of Texas.
Joshua Bousel at 2:51PM on 02/02/09
Try mixing up some cornbread with some chedder cheese then fill the peppers up about 3/4 full to allow for the bread to rise. bake them unill the cornbread is good and brown. SUPER
fuzzyt at 8:22PM on 02/14/09