Jalapeño Poppers

The crunch of the pepper with the creamy filling and the smoky bacon over top makes this the ultimate boating recipe. If you are racking your brain trying to think of a great appetizer to take to your Thanksgiving feast then this is it.  This appetizer offers a terrific assortment of textures and flavours and the taste is incredible.

Ingredients

    1 tbsp Olive Oil
    1 lb Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage
    15 Jalapeños, sliced in half then seeded
    8 oz Reduced Fat Cream Cheese, softened
    4 oz Cheddar Cheese, shredded
    1 tsp Dried Basil
    2 tsp Cumin
    1 tsp Celery Salt
    3 Scallions, finely chopped
    1/2 lb Bacon, sliced in half (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat add in the olive oil and turkey sausage. Cook until turkey is no longer pink, about 8 minutes.

While the the turkey sausage is cooking would be a great time to prep the jalapeños by cutting them in half and using a spoon to scoop out the seeds and the ribs of the pepper.

In a large bowl combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, basil, cumin, celery salt and scallions, stir well. Then add the cooked turkey sausage to the cream cheese mixture and stir to combine.

Stuff the jalapeños with the cream cheese-sausage filling and wrap with a 1/2 slice of bacon around the pepper. Place onto a rack over a baking sheet, repeat until all of the jalapeños have been filled.

Bake the peppers for 15-18 minutes or until the jalapeños become tender and the bacon has crisped. Serve and enjoy!

How-to Video: http://www.amateurkitchen.tv/Jalapeno_Poppers.html
Thanks to Foodie.com for this recipe.