Some Assembly Required

I had planned to bring you an Irish-inspired St. Patrick’s Day meal from the family archives that goes back generations, but it turns out our family doesn’t have any Irish recipes that go back very far. And, my Shepherd's Pie is a work in progress. So, I am actually bringing you something entirely different- an appetizer recipe that goes back in our family archives… all of one week. My mom called me last week after she attended an Oscar’s party, raving about a delicious appetizer she had- Gorgonzola Stuffed Jalapeños Wrapped in Bacon. It’s a great appetizer to bring to a St. Paddy’s Day party this week- it’s not Irish by any means, but it is green!

When I got the recipe from my mom, I was at work and about to head into a meeting, so I scribbled down the ingredients and cooking time. It sounded simple enough with just a handful of ingredients. And, it really is such a simple recipe that I’m almost embarrassed to share it with you via this blog. But, I’d feel guilty if I didn’t- it’s so delicious and such a crowd pleaser, you really do need to add it to your appetizer repertoire. The spicy jalapeño is balanced by creamy, slightly bitter gorgonzola and the smoky, savory bacon is balanced by the sweet, chewy dates. It fulfills all of your taste buds' needs- a two-bite taste sensation. While I’m sure the original recipe had plenty of details, I didn’t have the original recipe. So you, lucky reader, have the advantage of my trial and error on this one. Read my notes before you get started to make sure your peppers come out perfect the first time.

1. Don’t confuse simple with fast and fool proof. These little guys are easy to make, but they take some assembling. Allow a fair amount of prep time (allow about 45 minutes to an hour from start to the time you pop them in the oven), and cook time (up to 40 minutes). And, you will benefit from some hints on the cooking process (keep reading).


2. Wear gloves. I never bother to wear gloves when working with peppers, figuring I can handle a few hot ones. But, it turns out I’ve never sliced, de-seeded, and manipulated 30 jalapeño halves before. My left hand was on FIRE for about 24 hours.


3. The organic bacon I usually buy is thick cut, and the bulky slices wouldn’t work well for this recipe. You need a thinly sliced bacon than can easily wrap around the jalapeños. I had to settle for antibiotic/hormone/nitrite free bacon.


4. Use a jelly roll or similar pan(s) that has an edge all the way around. You are cooking about a pound of bacon in the oven, which will render a considerable amount of fat. Check your jalapeños after about 20 minutes, and drain off as much pooled liquid as you can. (A turkey baster would work perfectly).


5. Line your pan with parchment paper so the bacon doesn’t stick. I also tried aluminum foil under one batch. It worked, but it seemed to speed up the cooking process a bit.


6. If you don't already have them, buy toothpicks
   

OK, here’s the recipe! All of the quantities are approximate, as everything depends on the sizes of your jalapeños and dates.

Gorgonzola Stuffed Jalapeños Wrapped in Bacon

• 15-18 medium sized jalapeños
• 8 oz. cream cheese, room temp
• 8 oz. gorgonzola cheese, chopped or crumbled
• 10-15 pit-free dates (make sure they are soft)
• 10-12 slices thin-cut bacon, each slice cut into equal thirds
• 30-36 toothpicks for securing
  

Stir together the cream cheese and gorgonzola. The mixture will have lumps of gorgonzola, but that's fine. Set aside to let it continue to soften while you prep the jalapeños.

Slice each jalapeños in half, trying to maintain a bit of stem on each half. Scoop out the seeds and ribs, and discard.

Dice the dates and stir them into the cheese mixture until well distributed.

Scoop the cheese and date mixture into each jalapeño half. Fill them just to their brims. You’ll be tempted to overfill them, but don’t. It will just bubble out and make a mess when you cook them.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. By the time you finish the next step it should be ready.

Take 1/3 slice of bacon and wrap it around the middle of each jalapeño half. Arrange it so the edges overlap a bit on one side. You may need to stretch some slices to make them fit around bigger jalapeños, or wrap it around the narrower end of the pepper. Use two toothpicks per pepper-half, securing both corners of bacon that you have overlapped. Force the toothpicks all the way through the other side of the pepper, so you have two parallel toothpicks inserted all the way through. Jalapeños are slippery, and bacon on jalapeños is twice as slippery Try not to stab yourself. But, don’t try to skip this step, either, or the bacon will just shrink away from the peppers when you cook them, and you’ll end up with stuffed peppers and a side of bacon chunks. Using just one toothpick didn’t really do the trick, either. Trust me on this one.

(If you have any extra filling and bacon, bacon wrapped dates are delicious, too. And if you have extra cheese mixture, stuff those dates! Just slice in half, scoop a dab of cheese in, close the date, wrap in 1/3 slice bacon, and secure with one toothpick).

Arrange wrapped peppers on your parchment lined pan, trying not to overcrowd. The peppers will take between 30 and 40 minutes. You want the bacon to be cooked, but not too crisp, and the cheese will have bubbled up a bit and gotten browned on most peppers. Let the peppers cool for a few minutes, then remove the toothpicks. (To help remove the toothpicks, I place each toothpick between the tines of a fork, letting the fork help protect the pepper as I pull it out).

Try not to eat them all before you bring them to a party!

-Heather

PS For you Portlanders, Farmer's Market on the PSU Park blocks starts this Saturday, March 20!! It looks like they have a new, less congested footprint.