Baked Turkey Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers w/ Baked Shrimp

Today's Menu:  Baked Turkey Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers w/ Baked Shrimp

I had been wanting to make a dinner using Stuffed Jalapeno Pepper's for a while now so when I was at Jungle Jim's grocery shopping I found some beautiful Jalapeno's to use. I scanned the internet for a recipe and I ended up combining a couple of them to come up with this one. I used Ground Turkey, fresh grated Smoked Goda Cheese, and Turkey Bacon. A stuffed Jalapeno Pepper with Turkey and Cheese, and Bacon! I've left the recipe and directions at the end of the post. Along with Stuuffed Jalapenos I had Baked Shrimp. I used Gorton's Homestyle Shrimp, 5 to a serving.

The Stuffed Jalapenos turned out incredible! The Stuffing was delicious, spicy with a hint of heat. Just a reminder to over stuff these Peppers with the Stuffing and Cheese. After baking the Peppers were fork tender and the Cheese was browned and bubbly. You can substitute your favorite Cheese for the recipe and your favorite spices for the Ground Turkey. I had a side of Seafood Cocktail Sauce for dipping the Shrimp which turned out to be a great sauce also to dip the Peppers in. Hope you enjoy these Pepper's as much as I did! For dessert later a Jello Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding topped with Cool Whip Free.


Ingredients:

6 whole Jalapeno Peppers, sliced in half lengthwise or slice off the top one-third (lengthwise), seeded and stemmed
1 1/2 cups of Extra Lean Ground Turkey
1Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt and Ground White Pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp Cocoa Chili Blend
1/4 tsp Roasted Ground Cumin
1 tsp Cilantro Leaves
1 tsp Old El Paso Taco Seasoning
1/4 cup Philadelphia Low Fat Cream Cheese
1 cup of fresh shredded Smoked Dutch Gouda Cheese
1/2 cup Sargento Mozzarella & Smoked Provolone Artisan Blend Shredded Cheese
4 slices of crumbled Turkey Bacon or 2 Tbsp Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon Bits

Directions:

1 - Preheat the oven to 375°.

2 - Brown Ground Turkey in a medium to large skillet. Season with all spices except Taco Seasoning. After 4 minutes add Taco Seasoning and Philly Cream Cheese. Stir until well mixed and Turkey is briowned and no longer pink. Remove from heat and set aside.

3 - You can either slice the jalapeños in half lengthwise or you can slice off the top one-third (lengthwise) of each jalapeño to make a boat shape out of each pepper. The halved jalapeños will go further (twice as many stuffed peppers), but you can put more filling into the boat-shaped peppers. Your choice. If you choose to make the boats, you can mince the tops and add them to the filling if you want some extra heat, or save them for another recipe. Scrape out all the seeds and ribs from each jalapeño with a spoon (a grapefruit spoon works great).

4 - Combine shredded Gouda and Sargento Shredded Cheese in a bowl and mix by hand.

5 - Pack the Turkey filling into the peppers and pack the top of each pepper with cheese, over stuff each pepper with both the Turkey Suffing and Cheese. Arrange the peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned, and the peppers are cooked.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Yield: Makes 6 - 12 servings (depending on how you've cut the jalapeños).


*When working with jalapeños, it helps to wear disposable gloves. If you don't have gloves, coat your hands with some oil before working with the peppers, then once you are done, wash your hands thoroughly with warm soapy water. Do not touch your eyes for several hours after handling the peppers.

* When buying jalapeños for this recipe, if you want mild peppers, look for peppers with smooth skins. Striations tend to indicate that the pepper has been stressed while growing, and that can mean a hotter pepper.

*Cut jalapenos in half lengthwise; remove seeds and membranes. In a large saucepan, boil peppers in water for 5-10 minutes (the longer you boil the peppers, the milder they become). Drain and rinse in cold water; set aside. Optional.