Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppers with Honey and Bacon
Jalapenos are the most popular chile peppers in the US. This is probably due to the availability and versatility of the chile. Jalapenos have a balanced combination of flavor and heat.
The demand for these have caused breeders to develop a broad range of varieties. You can now get jalapenos with various heat level and sizes. These can be used in salsas, stuffed, or eaten straight with cheeseburgers (my personal favorite).
Ingredients:
2 dozen medium jalapenos (or large serranos), halved, pith and seeds removed
10.5 oz log of goat cheese
2 oz reduced fat cream cheese
3 Tbsp honey, plus more for drizzling
Pinch of salt
3 pieces of bacon, cooked to a crisp
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with foil. Cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove the pith and seeds from the center. (Protect those hands, even if you have to make “gloves” out of sandwich bags!) Place the peppers onto the baking sheet – if you have any wobbly peppers, cut a sliver off the pepper, creating a flat surface on the bottom.
In a medium bowl, place the goat cheese and cream cheese in a bowl and microwave for 20-30 seconds, until softened.
Add honey and salt and stir until combined and smooth.
Transfer the mixture to the bottom corner of a large zip-top bag, snip the corner off, and pipe the filling into the peppers.
Bake for 10 minutes and then turn the broiler on for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool a few minutes – if you had any peppers roll in the oven and lose their filling, use a spoon to put it back in place. Transfer the peppers to a platter, lightly drizzle a little honey over the peppers, and then crumble the bacon over top.
Enjoy immensely. Warm or at room temp. Or cold. You can’t go wrong.
Yields: 48 pieces
From jasonandshawnda.com