Hickory Smoked Jalapeño Poppers Recipes

Steps:

• 1. Cut tops off of jalapenos. Using the end of a spoon or fork, stick down inside and rotate the fork. This will loosen the membranes and seeds. Then dump out the seeds. Do this a couple of times if needed. UPDATED 12/2013: Slice off a piece of pepper longways, stuff, wrap in bacon, and smoke. I find this way easier!
• 2. Place cream cheese in a mixing bowl and turn the mixer on. Grate 8 oz of cheese then add to cream cheese. Beat for a minute or so.
• 3. Put cheese/cream cheese mixture into jalapeno and push down inside with finger.
• 4. Tear a small piece of bread off. I like using the heal of the bread, and place inside the top of jalapeno. This will help keep the cheese inside the pepper.
• 5. Wrap pepper with bacon, starting by draping one end of bacon over the opening of pepper. Then bring bacon down to the tip of pepper and begin wrapping it back up to the top. Secure with a toothpick.
• 6. Smoke on the smoker at about 200-250° for about 1- 1/2 hr.
• 7. Timing will depend on smoker temp. The best way to tell if they are done, make a couple more than you need to serve and test one out after one hour.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil, then top with a wire rack.
• Halve jalapeños lengthwise. (Do your best to halve them through their stems for added visual appeal.) Using the tip of a small spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds. Set the halved jalapeños aside.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese, cilantro, scallions, garlic and lime zest, if using; season generously with salt and pepper.
• Season the inside of each halved jalapeño with salt and pepper, then fill each with about 2 teaspoons of the cream cheese mixture. (Fill until there's a slight dome on top.) Wrap each stuffed jalapeño with 1 piece of bacon, setting one tip of bacon on top of the cream cheese filling, then wrapping the bacon under and over the popper at an angle, so the bacon covers the filling on top in two layers. (The bacon will shrink as it cooks, so you want to make sure the top of the popper is well covered.) Arrange poppers evenly on the wire rack, nestling each popper between two parallel wires to keep it upright so the cream cheese doesn't spill during baking.
• Transfer to the oven, and bake until bacon is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Broil on the rack closest to the broiler until crisp, about 2 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve warm.