Heart & Stomach

They say a way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and with these tasty little appetizers, I have to agree!  I am not a big fan of spicy.  However, when there is cheese involved, and bacon,.....then I will succumb! 
This is a hit at any tailgating party!  I have used recipes for these before, and they were good, but this recipe is Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond's.  It is absolutely delicious and she is the only one that hit it on the spot!  As she warns, make sure you wear gloves when handling the jalapenos and their seeds!  I made the mistake one year of de-seeding them with my bare hands and a spoon!  Woke up later that night to an awful burning under my fingernail!  And my finger was numb for 3 days later!  Use caution when preparing, but throw caution out the window when eating these babies!!!!

BBQ JALAPENO POPPERS

18 FRESH JALAPENOS
ONE 8-OZ. PACKAGE CREAM CHEESE
1/2 CUP GRATED PEPPER JACK CHEESE
1 GREEN ONION, SLICED
18 SLICES THIN BACON, CUT INTO HALVES
BOTTLED BARBECUE SAUCE
TOOTHPICKS
RUBBER GLOVES (OR PLASTIC BAGS) FOR WORKING WITH JALAPENOS

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
2.  Begin by cutting jalapenos in half lengthwise (make sure you heed the warning above).  Try to keep the stems intact.  They look prettier that way.
3.  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.
4.  Now, in a bowl, combine the cream cheese, pepper jack cheese, and chopped green onion.  Mix the ingredients together gently. 
5.  Next, stuff each hollowed jalapeno half with the cheese mixture.
6.  Wrap bacon slices around each half, covering as much of the surface as you can.  Be careful not to stretch the bacon too tightly around the jalapeno, as the bacon will contract as it cooks.
7.  Brush the surface of the bacon with your favorite barbecue sauce.
8.  Secure the jalapenos with toothpicks and pop them in the ove3n for 1 hour, or until the bacon is sizzling.
9.  Serve hot or at room temp!  YUM!