Bacon-Wrapped, Pimento-Cheese-Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers

My Creamy Pimento Cheese recipe makes almost 2 quarts of the delectable southern spread. I usually make it for guests, but I also make it for the wife when she’s craving some. In those situations, there’s always a good amount left over. I try to be creative with the ways I incorporate it into other dishes. We make things like pimento cheese grits, pimento cheese burgers, and pimento cheese omelets. But my favorite way to finish off the leftovers is to make jalapeño poppers.

Do you remember when I wrote about my weight management regimen last month? This has nothing to do with that. It’s also so easy that I’m not going to write out an ingredients list.

Just buy a bunch of jalapeño peppers—the bigger the better. Split and seed them. I always wear rubber gloves for this step, as I rub my eyes more frequently than a tiresome toddler. You can keep the stems on or cut them off, whichever you prefer. Next, use a spoon to stuff the jalapeño halves with cheese. Resist the urge to overstuff them. The spread will just melt out of the pepper and onto the baking tray.

You’ll need as many pieces of bacon as whole jalapeños. Cut the strips in half so that you have a piece for each pepper half. Wrap the stuffed peppers and space them evenly on a lightly greased baking tray.

Place the baking tray in the middle of a 400° oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the bacon is as crispy as you like. Move the poppers to drain on a paper towel and serve warm or at room temperature.

Since the peppers are roasted, almost all of the heat is cooked out. Still, there are always one or two peppers that magically retain that jalapeño heat, making for a great (or terrible) surprise.