Spicing Up Snack Time- Stuffed Jalapenos

A while back my father-in-law sounded the call and my husband came running. A tree had fallen in their backyard and my husband and his stepbrother went to help him get the big thing chopped up. After a long, hard day of labor my husband was finally able to come home. And he brought with him a few gifts of appreciation for his efforts- mainly produce from their garden and several jars of homemade jam. Among the produce were almost two dozen tiny jalapeno peppers. I wasn't really sure what I would do with so many little ones. Luckily for me I saw this post over on Made By Mike that pointed me in the right direction. I checked out the Stuffed Jalapeno recipe from Everyday Food and decided it would be a great use for them. Petite Pepper Poppers to the rescue! Since my peppers were much smaller than the recipe called for I just had to keep an eye on them while cooking. They came out pretty good though. I'm definitely going to give this recipe a try again, maybe with some different variations on the filling. These would be fun for all those football games that are ahead of us this fall. Also great for parties or an evening of board games. Even, dare I say, a night of television guilty pleasures. Hoarders, anyone?

Stuffed Jalapenos
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4 to 6

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar
6 large jalapenos, halved and seeded
Coarse salt and ground pepper

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together cream cheese and grated sharp cheddar. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper. With a small spoon, fill each jalapeno half with about 1 tablespoon cheese mixture. Place peppers on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cook until cheese is browned and bubbling, about 10 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through.

My notes: I sprinkled a few of the peppers with bread crumbs to add a little crunch. Bacon and ranch mix are two variations that immediately come to mind for this recipe. Enjoy!