Dragon Bites
I came up with this one as a Relay for Life fundraiser in Beulah, ND. And it grew in infamy from there – I’ve done it a few times and most of everyone is salivating just at the mention of them.
These were for baking.
8 oz. (250 g) cream cheese
8 oz. (225 g) pepper jack cheese
2 tbsp (30 g) minced garlic
1/4 cup (60 g) sun-dried tomatoes
1 tbsp (15 g) cilantro
25 large jalapeno peppers
1 lb (500 g) thin slice bacon
- Mix room temperature cream cheese and shredded pepper jack with garlic, finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes and cilantro. The stuffing should be soft and manageable enough to squeeze out of a pastry bag or a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off.
- Slice each jalapeno lengthwise on one side, being careful not to cut the jalapeno in half. Stuff the pepper with the mixture making sure not to overfill the jalapeno.
- Wrap each pepper with two strips of bacon, which should secure the opening. Slide a number of wrapped peppers onto a long wood skewer with a little space in between each pepper.
- The stuffed pepper can either be grilled or baked. It is best to soak your skewers in a little olive oil before using them on the grill or in the oven. This will prevent them from charring.
- To bake the peppers, the oven should be at about 400 degrees and it should take about 20 minutes. To grill the dragon bites, make sure the bacon is done. And if you grill them, you might want something under them, such as foil or a foil pan since they will be messy.