Grilled Stuffed Jalapeños

This recipe was in the latest issue of CL.  I told D they would be good for lunch.  He said ok.

He made him.  He doesn't like deveining jalapenos so he left in the ribs. He said that deveing was the longest part.  He also said that next time, I should do that part, because I'm better at it.  So I will.   After starting to cry on the 2nd pepper, I went and got sour cream to dip them in.  Then they were really good (notice I didn't stop eating them despite the tears).  Yes we'll have them again.  We each had 5 servings since we had the for lunch.

Next time, we'll sprinkle toasted bread crumbs on top.

Grilled Stuffed Jalapeños

Photo by ALB

The rich and creamy combination of bacon, cream cheese, and cheddar nicely contrasts the muted spice of grilled jalapeño peppers. This appetizer recipe is a healthy, fresh alternative to the popular breaded and fried version.

Yield: 14 servings (serving size: 2 pepper halves)
Hands-on:30 Minutes
Total:40 Minutes

Ingredients
2 center-cut bacon slices
4 ounces cream cheese, softened (about 1/2 cup) (used 1/3 fat)
4 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened (about 1/2 cup) (used 1/3 fat)
1 ounce extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup minced green onions
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 small garlic clove, minced
14 jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped seeded tomato
Add toasted bread crumbs

Preparation
1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

2. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon. Combine crumbled bacon, cheeses, and next 4 ingredients (through garlic) in a bowl, stirring well to combine. Divide cheese mixture evenly to fill the pepper halves. Place peppers, cheese sides 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 peppers on a serving platter. Sprinkle with cilantro and tomato.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 56; Fat: 4.1g; Saturated fat: 2.2g; Monounsaturated fat: 1.1g; Polyunsaturated fat: 0.2g; Protein: 2.9g; Carbohydrate: 2.1g; Fiber: 0.5g; Cholesterol: 13mg; Iron: 0.2mg; Sodium: 157mg

Cooking Light OCTOBER 2013