Grilled Bacon Wrapped Jalapeños

​I love creating new recipes to add to my collection and these Grilled Bacon Wrapped Jalapeños have been a hit amongst my family and friends all summer long. This recipe was inspired by my cousin after he snapped me a photo of the grilled jalapeños he made one weekend. They looked so good that I just had to know how he did it! He told me the ingredients he used for his and I to put my own spin on it and I really love how they turned out! Hopefully, you will too!

Ingredients

5 Jalapenos
1 Block of Cream Cheese – Softened
Garlic Powder – to taste beginning with 2 teaspoons
1/2 Cup of Grated Smoked Gouda
1/2 Cup of Grated Asiago Cheese
10 Pieces of Bacon (I use fully cooked bacon found with the regular bacon). Sit the bacon out while you prepare the cheese mixture. By bringing them to slightly room temperature, they are easier to wrap around the stuffed jalapeños with less breakage​.
20 toothpicks

Placing the jalapeños on a cutting board, cut each of the jalapeños​ in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, remove the seeds and discard. Be sure not to touch your eyes!

Place the softened cream cheese in a bowl.  Using a plastic spatula, work the cream cheese out of the block shape. Sprinkle with the garlic powder according to your taste. You don’t want it to be overpowering so I suggest starting at 2 teaspoons and working your way up from there. After making these a few times, you will just know how much to use without actually having to measure. Same with the two cheeses.

Add the grated smoked gouda and the grated asiago blending the two fully into the seasoned cream cheese. Using the spoon you used to remove the seeds, fill each jalapeño with the cheese mixture giving it a slight mound. Wrap each jalapeño ​with one slice of bacon securing it at the top and the bottom with a toothpick. Sometimes, I get lucky and do not have to use a toothpick – it just depends on how the bacon wraps around the jalapeño.

Cover a grill sheet with aluminum foil and give it a light mist of non stick cooking spray. Place in a preheated grill on low to medium-low heat. Grill until the bacon is crispy and the cheeses are melted with a slight browning. By using the fully cooked bacon, the cheese melts while the bacon crisps creating an evenly cooked jalapeño.

Carefully remove the grill sheet with a set of tongs onto a cookie sheet. Remove toothpicks before eating. I double the recipe when in need of more for Family Dinner or a gathering with friends. They are always a big hit! You can always change up the cheeses you use to by considering using the cheeses you probably keep stocked in your refrigerator such as shredded mozzarella, parmesan or cheddar cheese like my cousin uses. Switching up the cheeses you use makes the possibilities for this grilled delight absolutely endless!

The smoked gouda and the asiago cheeses I get from Aldi’s and use a metal grater to prepare the desired amount for this recipe.