Jalapeno's: Bacon Wrapped/Chicken Stuffed

I took these bacon wrapped chicken stuffed jalapeno peppers to the CFLC BBQ/Hooverball game. The day was tons of fun and these peppers got lots of compliments. I thought I would share the recipe (as embarrassingly simple as it is) with all of you lovely people who couldn't attend our fun day. As a side note, the peppers aren't very spicy because I removed the ribs and seeds, if you want them to have a little kick leave some of the seeds. My hubby hates spicy food and he thought these were tolerable, (even mild salsa is hot to him!)


12 Jalapeno Peppers (or how many you want to eat, they are great reheated)
1# Chicken cut into pieces that will fit into the pepper, seasoned with your favorite seasoning.
Bacon
Cut the tops off of all the pepper and carefully scrape all the seeds out, the best way I found was to take a butter knife and put it into the center of the pepper and twist it back and forth, then just dump out the seeds.

Stuff the raw chicken into the pepper cavity and wrap with bacon. It takes one full slice of bacon to wrap the pepper properly (say that 5 times fast!). I have grilled them and cooked them in the oven. Grilling them is a little tricky because of the fat from the bacon, cook it up on the top rack if you have one or use indirect heat (turning on one side of the grill or putting briquet's on one side only). They took about 45 minutes to an hr depending on the size in the oven at 350 degrees. Just make sure the pepper is soft and the chicken is thoroughly cooked. I used a meat thermometer to make sure they were done enough. Aim for 170 degrees for chicken.

Making The Perfect Bacon

I don't know anyone who doesn't like bacon. Whats not to like? Its crispy, salty, fatty, yummy and piggy all at the same time. I do not however like the mess that it leaves all over my black appliances (black shows everything, it looks, nice but not worth it!). The solution, bake it! It is so easy and you can pop it in the oven and leave it to do its thing. Another perk, line the pan with foil for an easy clean up.

1 Package nitrate and nitrite free bacon

Line the pan with foil or parchment, put the bacon on the pan, put in the oven and set for 400 degrees. Make sure you start in a cold oven! Bake for 17-20 minutes depending on your oven and the desired crispness.