Crab Stuffed Jalapeno's 2 Ways

Yeah, you read the name of this right.  Holy schmoly, these spicy little jewels are addictive.  So much so that I had 3 and I could have eaten 10 more.  I'm currently obsessed with stuffing these with anything and everything.  Good thing we like heat in this house. 
The first way is the healthier of the two by omitting the bacon.  Think of it as a vegetarian version...seafood isn't meat right?!  Well, whatever....  Anyhow, it's a little lighter.  The second way is full of porky goodness.  A little more decadent, and salty and chewy and well, bacony. 
My husband says these scream for an ice cold beer but I like them with a chilly Reisling.  The hint of sweetness pairs nicely with the heat.....who's kidding who.  I'll drink either one.
p.s. I'm not about to go out and buy fresh crab for this.  This isn't fancy schmancy.  I used President's Choice Chunk Crab Meat.  It's the best canned crab for this kind of thing, in my opinion.
p.s. If you don't want to use crab in the bacon wrapped, omit it and add a little fresh grated cheese or even some finely chopped cooked shrimp.  The subtle sweetness from the crab or shrimp is nice against the heat of the pepper.

Here are the first ones I had made.....lighter but yummy none the less.  Oh, and any leftover filling is great in mushrooms caps......I tried it.  I had to.  It meant stuffing something!

These little jewels are for those that need a little pork in their life.  I did and I'm ever so glad.  These are gooooood and higly addictive.

 

When you slice the peppers in half, make sure you're either wearing gloves or you wash your hands really good afterwards.  Hot stuff.  Clean out all of the seeds and as much of the white membrane as you can....that's where a lot of heat lies.  Too much and you won't taste anything.

When cooking the bacon wrapped peppers, place them on a wire rack to allow the fat from the bacon to drip.  You don't want them floating in bacon fat....your heart will thank you.

Voila, Jalapeno number 1 and ......

....Jalapeno number 2. 

1st Jalapeno - Meat Free

20 servings

10 Jalapeno's, sliced in half and seeded (handle with care)
1/4 cup of cream cheese (I used light)
1 can crab meat, drained
1/4 cup shredded cheese, mozarella or cheddar
1/4 cup red pepper, very finely chopped
2-3 tbsp bread crumbs or panko
olive oil cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 425F.
Combine the cream cheese, crab, shredded cheese and red pepper in a bowl.  Stuff all of the peppers with about 1 tbsp of the filling.  Spread them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Top each with a sprinkle of bread crumbs and spray lightly with cooking spray.  Alternatively, you can combine the bread crumbs with 1 tsp of olive oil and then top the peppers.
Bake for about 20 minutes, checking after 15 minutes.  Let cool for at least a minute as they will be hot.

YUM!!!

2nd Jalapeno - Bacon Wrapped

20 Servings

10 Jalapeno's, halved and seeded (handle with care)
1/2 cup cream cheese (I used light)
1 can of Crab Meat, drained
7-8 slices of bacon

Preheat the oven to 425F.  Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. 
Combine the cream cheese and the crab meat in a bowl.  Stuff each half with about 1 tbsp (more if needed).  Cut each piece of bacon into 3rds.  Wrap a piece of bacon around the pepper and secure with a toothpick.  The bacon should just wrap around.  You don't want to much over-hang or the bacon won't cook properly. Place on the wire rack and bake for 20 minutes, checking after 15 minutes. 
Let stand for about a minute after removing from the oven.  Discard the toothpicks.

YUM!!!!