Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Jalapeno Poppers

     I have told you before of our family's obsession with poppers.  During this time of year, stuffed jalapenos of one form or another make an appearance at almost every weekend's family dinner.  It's kind of a running joke.  Pops makes peppers stuffed with different fillings.  He usually uses mostly cheese, sometimes bacon and he's even stuffed them with taco meat before too.  We all go to town, then Pops' eyes start watering.  He claims he "got the hot one." Every week.  Some how he always ends up with the hot one of the group.  He has the WORST luck (or lowest tolerance, it's a weekly debate) of all of us.

     We love stuffed jalapenos on the grill, on the smoker, in the oven, with meat or without.  We love them all.  Then K.C. went and introduced us to a game changer.  On the day of our now infamous Great Poultry Grill-Off, he brought a surprise addition to put on the smoker.  Shrimp stuffed, bacon wrapped, cream cheese filled poppers became an instant hit!  The platter disappeared as quickly as he put it down.

    I just knew that wouldn't be the last time we had such a delicacy. I had to have them again.  Luckily our jalapeno plant is loaded with peppers and they are super spicy this year!  Matt volunteered to help make them and I knew better than to turn down an extra set of hands.  The only problem was we had different visions in mind.  He thought we were going to stuff whole peppers and roast them upright in our jalapeno roaster.  I thought we'd cut them in half lengthwise like K.C. had and roast them on their side. It turned out we had more then enough supplies to do them both ways and they were all delicious!

    We ended up making 40 poppers.  12 were whole pepper poppers and 14 more peppers cut in half.  They were all gone within and hour and it was just us, Pops and my brothers (all three of them) to help eat them.  So 6 of us demolished them!  They were that good!

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Poppers

Ingredients:

36-40 jalapenos

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 tsp garlic powder

12 oz raw medium shrimp, peeled

1 lb bacon

1. If you are cutting the poppers in half: cut them lengthwise and remove the seeds.  Mix together the cream cheese and garlic powder and press some cream cheese mixture into each jalapeno. Lay a shrimp down the center of the jalapeno.  Wrap with a half slice of bacon and secure with toothpicks.
2. If you are leaving them whole and cooking them upright: Cut the stem off of the jalapenos and clean the seeds out of the middle.  Chop the shrimp and mix with cream cheese and garlic powder.  Stuff into jalapenos.  Cross 1/4 slices of bacon over the top of the pepper and secure with toothpicks.  Place in rack to cook.
3. Normally we grill the peppers, just grill covered over medium heat.  By the time the bacon is done, everything is done.  This time I did them in the oven.  I baked them at 350 F for 10 minutes and then turned it up to 400 for 5-10 minutes or until the bacon is done to your liking.  Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
   
   

Proudly shared at Meal Plan Monday