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Sides · American

Jalapeño Poppers (ABTs)

Cheese-and-sausage-stuffed jalapeños wrapped in bacon and smoked until crisp.

Serves
6
Prep
25 min
Cook
2 hr
Storage
Assemble & bake
Freezer
assemble raw, up to 2 months

"Atomic Buffalo Turds" — the smoker classic. Cheese-stuffed jalapeños wrapped in bacon, smoked low until the bacon crisps and the peppers soften. Makes about 16 halves.

Ingredients

  • 8 jalapeños, halved lengthwise and seeded
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar
  • ½ lb ground sausage, cooked (optional)
  • 1 tbsp Smokehouse rub
  • 16 half-strips of bacon

Instructions

  1. Mix the cream cheese, cheddar, cooked sausage, and Smokehouse rub.
  2. Fill each jalapeño half with the mixture.
  3. Wrap each with a half-strip of bacon and secure with a toothpick.
  4. Smoke at 250°F for 1.5–2 hours (or bake at 375°F for ~30 minutes) until the bacon is crisp and the peppers are tender.

Make-Ahead & Storage

Assemble raw and refrigerate up to 1 day, or freeze up to 2 months, then smoke or bake fresh — best cooked to order so the bacon crisps.

Notes

Wear gloves when seeding the jalapeños. Leave a few seeds in for more heat, or use milder peppers for a crowd.

Equipment
smoker or oventoothpicks
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