Looking for a healthier Thanksgiving appetizer that won’t make your guests angry that you are serving them something good for them on National Indulgence Day? I gotchu boo boo! Try these happy pigs, wrapped around grass-fed cow cream cheese, infused with all the collagen and nestled in a boat of green fibery goodness.
12Jalapeños, divided with seeds and membrane removed (see video in Recipe Tips below for quick instructions on how to do this. I keep the stem if I can, mainly because its more attractive when you do)
8ozWhipped Cream Cheese
1/4cupParmesan Cheese
1tspGarlic Powder
1tspOnion Powder
1lbWell-sourced Bacon
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Line large baking sheet with Parchment Paper.
Open bacon package and cut slices into thirds (set aside).
In a medium bowl combine cream cheese, Parmesan, CB Supplements Collagen, garlic powder, onion powder and mix with a large spoon until fully incorporated.
Transfer to a gallon-sized Ziploc bag or piping bag. Snip tip, pipe cheese mixture into jalapeño halves (Cheese will expand when baking so don’t overfill them), and place on baking sheet.
Lay center of ⅓ of bacon strip at a diagonal over the top of jalapeño and wrap ends around the top and bottom.
Bake for 25-35 minutes (or until bacon is cooked)
Pull out, let cool slightly, sprinkle a little garlic powder and sea salt over the top, transfer to platter for serving and enjoy!
Notes
Some of the jalapeños may be bigger than others. In order to wrap the bigger ones effectively, you may need to pull and stretch the bacon strip a bit for it to go all the way around. (*for best results, wait until the bacon is closer to room temperature)
Need a non-dairy alternative? You can sub Cream Cheese and Parmesan for an alternative Nut cheese like Kite Hill’s Almond Cream ‘Cheese’.
If you aren’t a fan of Parmesan, you can opt for Monterey Jack, Feta or whatever other cheese you prefer.
You can add a few ‘extras’ like chopped green onions, chives, cilantro for a prettier presentation or a little more flavor.
If you are watching your fat intake, you can sub pork bacon for turkey, and/or instead of wrapping the jalapeños you can cook the bacon, crumble it up, and just add it to the top of them.