Smoky Jalapeno Bites

I LOVE a jalapeno popper, but I always hate when I bite into the peppers that are cut in half lengthwise and all the yummy cheese pulls off, or you don't get a piece of bacon in every bite, etc. The 2-3 bite process really ruined the deliciousness for me, so my husband came up with a great solution. The flavors in this tasty treat are much the same as many other jalapeno appetizers, but these are cut to be perfectly bite-sized. Note: these can be fully assembled a day ahead of time and baked when it's time to serve.

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 12-15
• Yields: 45-50 jalapeno bites

Ingredients

• 15 -20  fresh jalapeno peppers
• 8  ounces cream cheese
• 1  cup  shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 (16 ounce) packages bacon, slices cut in half
• 40 -50  toothpicks, soaked in water 15 minutes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare broiler pan by spraying with a non-stick spray.
2. Remove stems from peppers and cut each pepper into 1/2" to 3/4" rounds (you should get about 3 from each pepper).
3. Using a paring knife or an apple corer, remove seeds and ribs from the inside of each pepper round (rubber gloves will be your best friend during this step). I rinse off the pepper after they're seeded to remove some of the spicy oils. (Alternate method: you can also slice in half lengthwise, clean out the seeds and ribs, then slice crosswise. This is a little quicker.).
4. Lay out the halved bacon slices. Place a pepper round in the middle of each one.
5. Stuff each pepper round with cream cheese and top with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese.
6. Fold each end of bacon over the pepper round, overlapping the ends and securing with a toothpick.
7. Place on broiler pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until bacon is fully cooked.