Seafood Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers with Bacon

I made these with my grandma the other night.  They were delicious, I can't wait to have them again.  I was afraid they would be too spicy, but as long as you get all of the seeds and the pulp out of the pepper, they will be fairly mild.  My two year old ate them with no problem.  (However, the filling will be very hot so make sure they have time to cool down.

My grandma bought the jalapenos at the farmer's market here in town, so they were BIG.  I liked them that way, it made them easier to stuff so it went a lot faster.

Make sure that you wear gloves when you handle this many hot peppers.  Be careful not to rub your eyes or touch sensitive skin with juice on your hands.  I learned my lesson the hard way- touched Stewie's face once (years ago) after handling hot peppers, I burned his eye:-(  I felt so bad.  I always wear gloves now, even if I think I can handle it.

Stuffed Jalapenos


12-15 large jalapeno peppers
1 8oz package cream cheese
1 bunch green onions
1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves only, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 8oz package crab meat or imitation crab meat
Juice and zest of 1 lemon or lime
1 tsp salt
1 tbs pepper
12-15 strips bacon, raw


Cut all jalapenos in half lengthwise and remove all seeds and pulp, rinse with water if necessary.


Preheat oven to 350.


Combine all other ingredients (except bacon) in a bowl and mix until uniform in texture.  Spoon mixture into jalapenos halves, replacing the other halves on top of the stuffing so the pepper sticks back together.  It is okay if the peppers are "overflowing" or if the cream cheese is coming out of the sides.  


Wrap each pepper in bacon from bottom to top.  You can hold in place with toothpicks if needed.  The bacon should hold in any cheese mixture that is falling out.


Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the bacon is fully cooked.  Let cool before serving, the inside with be extremely hot.


**Next time I make these, I am going to replace the cream cheese with bleu cheese crumbles and cheddar cheese.  Kevin also wants to try it with a smoked cheese.  I'll let you know when I try it;-)