Grilled Stuffed Jalapeños

I realized that somehow, even though I have been posting my weekly recipes from Thursday Night Grilling, I haven't actually posted any recipes that you make on the grill. So this week we're mixing it up!

I whipped up these stuffed jalapeños on Wednesday night, so on Thursday I just thew them in the grilling basket and cooked them up.  They were super easy to make and had great flavor!  They honestly are not that spicy if you're at all accustomed to spice, so don't be afraid!  The hottest part of a jalapeño is the seeds, and since they're all scraped out these are actually pretty mild and perfectly smoky.

I was so surprised to see this recipe originally derived from a Cooking Light recipe.  Don't be fooled my friends - you're eating cheese and bacon.  Don't get me wrong - two of my favorite ingredients - but don't go eating all 28 pepper halves on your own!  They're definitely worth saving some weekly calories for, though.  They're absolutely scrumptious!



Grilled Stuffed Jalapeños
slightly adapted from Tracey's Culinary Adventures

Ingredients
4-6 slices bacon
14 jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise
1 (8-oz) package reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used sharp)
1/4 cup minced scallions
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 garlic clove, minced

Instructions
1. Preheat grill to medium heat.
2. In a medium skillet set over medium-low heat, cook the bacon until browned and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Allow to cool slightly, then crumble.
3. While the bacon cooks, scoop the seeds and ribs from the insides of the halved peppers using a small spoon. In a medium bowl, combine the crumbled bacon, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, scallions, lime juice, salt and garlic. Stir to combine.
4. Stuff each of the pepper halves with some of the cheese mixture. (At this point, you can cover and refrigerate the stuffed peppers, then cook them later.)
4. Spray a grill basket or pan with nonstick cooking spray then transfer the peppers to the prepared pan. Place the pan in the preheated grill and cook (with the grill cover closed) for about 8-15 minutes, or until the cheese mixture browns slightly, and the bottom of the peppers is charred. Transfer the peppers to a serving platter and serve immediately.