Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Ridiculousness

Here's a great Pioneer Woman recipe - unbelievably good jalapeno poppers. They are a much-loved appetizer for a crowd, and you can make them ahead of time. If you have any left over, chop them up and add them to scrambled eggs for your breakfast. I love that and I don't even like eggs.

Keep these tips in mind when making the poppers:

1. Seed the jalapenos while wearing plastic gloves or plastic bags on your hands.

2. If you are serving guests who can't handle spicy food, carefully remove all the seeds and membranes. The end result will not be very hot.

3. If you have guests who like to travel up the Scoville heat scale, leave a few seeds and/or membranes. Leaving all the seeds will be too much.

4. You can make them ahead of time and refrigerate overnight, uncooked. You can also cook them and freeze them until later - just reheat in a warm oven.

Bacon-Wrapped Jalape

ño

Poppers

18 fresh jalapeños

One 8-ounce package cream cheese

½ cup grated cheddar cheese

1 green onion, sliced

18 slices thin bacon, cut into halves

Bottled barbecue sauce

Toothpicks

Rubber gloves (or plastic bags) for working with jalapeños

Preheat the oven to 275ºF.

Begin by cutting jalapeños in half lengthwise. Try to keep the stems intact.

With a spoon, scrape out the seeds and light-colored membranes. Remember: The heat comes from the seeds and membranes, so if you can handle the sizzle, leave some of them intact.

Now, in a bowl, combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and chopped green onion. Mix the ingredients together gently.