Tuesday Dinners

Step by Step Directions

Wash your peppers (with water), then cut the ends with the stem off the end of the pepper. You should then be able to stand them up on the flat end you just created, then you can cut right down the center of the pepper. You can probably then use a spoon to scoop out the inside but I haven’t found a better tool than my thumb to pull everything out (please wash your hands after if you choose this method).

Jalapenos are a pretty mild spice if you remove the interior. People usually assume it’s the seeds that are the spicy part of the pepper but it’s actually the “meat” on the inside that concentrates the capsaicin (the part that’s spicy). If you want you can set this aside and add it to your sausage for some additional kick.

Either while you’re splitting peppers or afterwards you should throw your sausage in a pan and cook it. Generally I try to create smaller “crumbles” but it really doesn’t matter so long as it’s cooked and it fits in your peppers.

Then in either a separate bowl or in your pan add your block of cream cheese (I know it looks kind of gross, but the taste will make up for it).

Next evenly scoop the mixture into your peppers, if there’s an efficient and clean way to do this I haven’t found it, but I think the mess adds a little character. (This takes a bit, so you might want to start preheating your oven now, it should be 375 degrees)

I’ve seen and eaten versions of this recipe with and without the cheese. To be honest they both tasted great, but I think if you’re already going to be eating pork and cream cheese you might as well throw some regular cheese on there as well. The cheese also provides a nice layer on top of the peppers that lets you push the meat down into the pepper so that it really sits in there.

Throw it in the oven for 15 minutes (or the cheese is melted), then bottoms up. It really depends on the size of the pepper, but I remember as a kid it was always fun to try and eat them in one go (kind of like a spicy oyster).

Variations

• Use a different cheese or combination of cheeses
• Cook the peppers for longer (some people like the sliminess)
• Add some bread crumbs to the top for a better crunch
• Add some bacon, either with the sausage or wrapped around the outside (if that sounds good look up a Texas Twinkie)

Unsolicited Feedback

• MR: I wouldn’t have known these were jalop-a-nos unless you told me, they weren’t spicy at all.
• CS: At least they’re gluten free.
• FA: If I had a dollar for every time I’d eaten 9 jalapenos in a single sitting I’d only have a dollar, but that’s still a dollar more than I would have thought.