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If you're like me - you love jalapeno poppers. I enjoy playing around with different flavor profiles and mashing up different tastes that I enjoy into finger foods.
Name a better party food than spinach and artichoke dip - I'll wait! The flavors in this dish include a subtle taste of spin/art dip with the smokey goodness of a jalapeno popper.
Let's Prep:
Can't have a jalapeno poppers without the jalapeno!
Cut both ends off of the pepper and slice down the middle so now you've got 2 halves - you've now got a cozy canoe to hold all that cream cheesy goodness! Once you've mixed up all of the ingredients that will go into the filling of the pepper, it's time for the real fun to start!
Note: This is one of my favorite BBQ Seasonings - if you're looking for a good one, give it a try!
Stuff your pepper with the cheese mixture and don't be afraid to fill it a little more than full. Be careful to make sure that you've filled all crevices of the pepper so there are no empty pockets at the bottom of the cheese.
Wrap in bacon: I've been told this takes a little practice to perfect, however you can wrap your stuffed jalapeno in one slice of bacon. (Even if this means trimming your pepper down some - trust me it's worth it to contain all of the cheese inside. Make sure to put the end of your bacon on the bottom so that the weight of the pepper keeps the bacon tight and doesn't open up.
Let's Cook:
We cook these in 2 different ways - low and slow smoking, then crisping up the bacon at the very end. If you turned up the temperature and cooked from 400 at the very beginning you could, however you'd be losing out on the smoke flavor.
You can cook the jalapeno poppers the same way in the oven. Use the same time and temperature as the bacon performs differently when cooked at high temperature for the duration of the cook. To state the obvious here, you'll be missing out on the smoke flavor if you cook in the oven. I haven't personally tested, but you could use a liquid smoke additive either mixed in the cheese mixture, or brushed on the bacon before seasoning.
Start slowly with the liquid smoke if you choose to go this route. Liquid smoke is a very strong concentrated oil and a little goes a very long way.
Be sure to click the "Subscribe" button my the video demonstration below (you won't leave this page)
Spinach and Artichoke Jalapeno Poppers
Ingredients
- ¾ C Spinach Chopped
- ¾ C Artichoke Chopped
- ⅓ C Mayonnaise
- ⅓ C Sour Cream
- 1.5 TSP Garlic Powder
- 1 C Parmesan Cheese Grated
- 8 Jalapenos halved and cored
- 1 lb bacon thin, or regular cut
Instructions
- Preheat smoker or oven to 225F
- Remove the top and bottom from jalapeno, slice in half, and remove core
- Combine all ingridents in recipe (except jalapenos) in a mix bowl
- Mix well
- Fill inside of jalapeno half with mixture
- Wrap each pepper with bacon
- Season and put into smoker or oven for 45 minutes
- Increase temperature to 400F and cook until bacon is done to your liking (time varies)
- Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes
Evan says
Amazing flavor!
Danny Dobrzenski says
There's a lot of flavors happening here - you're right!