Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temp
- ⅓ cup finely diced cranberries
- ½ cup shredded white cheddar
- 2 scallions, diced
- 2 tablespoons cranberry juice
- 8 jalapeno peppers
- 16 slices thin cut bacon
Instructions
- Mix the cranberry cheese filling. Start with room temperature cream cheese and mix in the diced cranberries, white cheddar, scallions, and cranberry juice. Use a spoon to mix well, taste and adjust. You may add a little honey if you’d like it sweeter.
- Slice the jalapenos in half, lengthwise. Use a metal teaspoon to scoop out the seeds and membranes.
- Fill each jalapeño cavity with the cheese mixture and press it in. The amount of cheese should just come above the cut line of the jalapeno.
- Carefully wrap each with a single piece of bacon. Make sure the cheese is completely covered if possible. This works best if the ends of the bacon are also on the bottom of the jalapeno, so they don’t unwrap.
- (optional) Place the bacon-wrapped jalapenos on a baking sheet in the fridge for 30 minutes, which helps the bacon to hold the newly formed shape. Read the notes for more details about prepping ahead of time.
- Preheat your smoker to 250°F. Place jalapeños on the grill cut side up and smoke for 90 minutes.
- Increase the heat to 350°F and Grill to crisp the bacon for about 15 minutes or until it’s done to the texture you like.
Notes
- Don’t add salt to the cream cheese filling. The bacon and cheeses are salty already, and I’ve found it’s overwhelming.
- Prepping ahead of time actually improves the result, allowing the bacon to hold it’s wrapped shape and giving the flavors a chance to meld.
- You always want to make sure all of the cream cheese mixture is completely covered in bacon before smoking. The cheese will start to bubble and can potentially leak out, which is very common.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Smoking
- Cuisine: Side Dish, Appetizer
