Jalapeno peppers stuffed with cream cheese wrapped in bacon

Summary:

These jalapeño poppers are halved peppers stuffed with cream cheese and cheddar, wrapped in bacon, and baked in the oven until crisp and charred — each bite is an explosion of flavor and contrasting textures. Easier and lower carb than the traditional method of breading and frying, this 5-ingredient recipe is a tasty appetizer for keto diets.

• ▢ 6 jalapeño peppers (Note 1)
• ▢ 6 slices bacon, cut widthwise in half
• ▢ 4 ounces cream cheese
• ▢ 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (Note 2)
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• Prepare Jalapeños (Note 3): Slice each pepper lengthwise in half. Use spoon to scrape out and discard seeds and membranes from each pepper.

• Make Cheesy Filling: Microwave cream cheese in heatproof mixing bowl until very soft to touch and easily stirred, 15 to 30 seconds. Stir in cheddar cheese and garlic powder until well-mixed.

• Stuff Jalapeños (Note 4): Stuff each pepper half with cheesy filling, then wrap halved bacon slice around each. Secure with toothpick, as needed. Place stuffed and wrapped pepper halves in single layer on baking tray, optionally lined with foil for easier cleanup.

• Bake & Serve: Bake at 400 F until cheese is starting to brown on top, 20 to 25 minutes. Optionally, broil for a few minutes to crisp up bacon. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve (Notes 5-6).

NOTES & TIPS

(1) Jalapeño Peppers. About 8 ounces weight total. If you or your guests can’t tolerate chili peppers but you still want to try these out, I recommend using mini sweet bell peppers instead of jalapeños. You might have seen them in the produce section of your grocery store — each is about the same size as a jalapeño and they’re packaged in multiple colors.

(2) Cheddar Cheese. About 2 ounces weight. You can substitute with your favorite shredded cheese; Mexican blend cheese or pepper jack cheese would work well.

(3) Preparing Jalapeños. I always remove the seeds and membranes, which contain the majority of the capsaicin (that makes chili peppers hot). For a hotter version, keep some or all of the seeds and membranes. If you’re sensitive to capsaicin, wear gloves while handling jalapeños.

(4) Stuffing Jalapeños. Don’t over-stuff, or the cheese stuffing will slide out when baking. I usually stuff just enough to fill the pepper. If you’re using toothpicks to secure the bacon, there’s no need to wrap the bacon very tightly around each pepper. If the bacon is too tight, your baked jalapeños will look like they’ve had the cheese choked out of them.

(5) Serving. Don’t wait too long before serving because these jalapeño poppers are fantastic when hot and they can cool rapidly. You can serve them alongside other low carb appetizers like crab stuffed mushrooms or spinach artichoke dip.

(6) Make Ahead / Leftovers. You can stuff the jalapeño poppers the night before and keep them covered in the refrigerator. Before serving, pop them into the oven and bake as directed in the recipe. If the jalapeño poppers are already cooked, store them in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven until hot.