Hands on time: 30 min. Total time: 30 min.
The rich creamy combination of bacon, cream cheese, and cheddar is a nice foil for the muted spice of grilled jalapeno peppers. This recipe is a healthy, fresh alternative to the popular breaded and fried version. If making these poppers for a party, you can stuff the peppers, cover, and chill. Then grill just before your guests arrive.
Ingredients:
- 2 slices center-cut bacon
- 1/2 cup (4 oz) fat-free cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (4 oz) cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup (1 oz) shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup minced green onions
- 1 tsp fresh lime juice
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 14 jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
- Cooking spray
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tbsp chopped seeded tomato
Preparation:
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
- Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon. Combine crumbled bacon, cheese, and next ingredients (through garlic) in a bowl, stirring to combine. Divide cheese evenly and fill the pepper halves. Place peppers, cheese side up, on grill rack or grill grate coated with cooking spray. Cover and grill peppers 8 minutes or until bottoms of peppers are charred and cheese mixture is lightly browned. Place the peppers on a serving platter. Sprinkle with cilantro and tomato. Yield: 14 servings (serving size: 2 pepper halves).