I have a love of bacon. No, really. I love bacon. All salty and sweet and meaty. And that's why I jumped at the opportunity to work with Applegate, the makers of amazing natural and organic bacon. I've been known to skip a real dinner and head down with my husband to the local rum distillery to order a cocktail and plate full of bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers. No joke. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen ... almost often.
And at home, when we have guests, I often make little bacon appetizers. Why? Because everybody loves bacon. So I'll take fresh jalapenos, split them down the middle and stuff them with a blend of cream cheese, cheddar cheese and garlic, before wrapping them in bacon. Other times, I remove the pits from dates, all sticky and sweet, and stuff them with an almond or a bit of blue cheese before wrapping them in bacon, too.
Bacon, you see, is my thing.
Jalapeno, Bacon and Apricot Zingers
Ingredients
- 20 dried apricots
- 20 jalapeños
- 7 bacon cut into thirds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F and adjust the rack to the middle position. Line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.
- Using a paring knife, cut a slice horizontally down an apricot. Cut almost but not all the way through, so that it will open like a book. Place a jalapeño slice inside the apricot, wrap the apricot in a piece of the cut bacon, secure it with a toothpick, and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Using a pair of tongs, flip the zingers and bake for 10 minutes more, or until the bacon is golden brown. Serve immediately.
