Stuffed Fresh Jalapenos - Grilled or Deep Fried Recipes

One of my favorite times of the year is reaping the rewards of your labor from the garden. There is nothing like home grown, garden fresh vegetables and without exception one of our favorite treats in summer are stuffed jalapenos made with fresh peppers from our garden.

We do them two different ways, and no one in our family can agree which is better, so we usually make both. Here is where we start...

Gently pluck off peppers. We use about 20 jalapenos for either recipe. If you like them more mild, get them early. If you like them hotter, let them ripen. Beware, if they turn red they will be very hot!

Next. For this part BE SURE TO WEAR GLOVES! Hot peppers have an oil that is hard to wash off. If you touch any sensitive parts (even hours after) of your body or rub your eyes you will be in pain.

Cut the stem of the jalapenos off and then slice in half long wise. Use a spoon or melon baller to scrape the insides making sure to get all the seeds and core out of the jalapenos, leaving the walls intact. Wash under water and pat dry.

Now this is where we will split into 2 recipes. One for bacon wrapped grilled and the other for deep fried.

This is how we like them, you can alter the filling recipes to your taste buds (see below note for "Atomic Buffalo Turds" version.)

Bacon Wrapped Grilled Stuffed Jalapenos

What you will need:

• 20 jalapenos, halved making 40 poppers
• 1 package softened cream cheese (amount depends on how deep the cavity is)
• 1 package bacon (sliced in half)
• Paprika
• Garlic powder

*Note - For the "Atomic Buffalo Turds" version of Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno poppers add a 1/2 pound of hot ground sausage to the cream cheese before stuffing

Fill cavities with cream cheese. Press the cheese in like Play-Doh. Make a tinfoil liner with the sides folded up to catch bacon drippings while cooking on the grill. Pre-heat grill on high.

Wrap each popper with a half piece of bacon. Sprinkle heavily with paprika and garlic powder. All set to cook.

Turn heat to medium and cook until bacon is brown. If the bottoms get done too quickly you can also put the poppers in the oven under the broiler to finish them off.

Stuffed Deep Fried Jalapenos

What you will need:

• 20 jalapenos, halved making 40 poppers
• 1 package softened cream cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Milk in bowl for breading
• Flour in separate bowl
• Italian bread crumbs, garlic powder and salt mixed together in separate bowl
• Oil for frying (we like Crisco solid, deep enough to completely submerge poppers)

You can add whatever you want to the cream cheese mixture, the above recipe is what we like. Examples: bacon bits, ranch dressing, etc.

Mix cream cheese and shredded cheddar cheese and fill jalapeno cavities.

Dip jalapeno halves first in milk, then coat with flour. Dip again in milk and then coat with bread crumbs (below.) May have to repeat milk and bread crumb process depending on how thick you want the coating. You are trying to coat them enough to keep the cheese inside while deep frying.

Let the poppers dry a little before deep frying (about 5 minutes.) Fry poppers until golden brown. Oil about 375 degrees.

Mmmm...Enjoy!

Our Facebook video on how they turn out:

https://www.facebook.com/sharkeysfloral/videos/942...