Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Thingies

Yes, that's their official name, according to Pioneer Woman, Ree. This was the first thing I decided I would make for the food blogger potluck. I'd been drooling over them for weeks.

You'll need:

Jalapenos
Cream cheese
Bacon

Just adjust quantities to how many you're making! Couldn't be simpler.

I bought 20 jalapenos for a total of 40 poppers.

Cut the jalapenos in half, lengthwise.

Scoop out the seeds. I also removed the stem, so they could be popped as one-bites. I noticed Ree left hers on.

Invest in some gloves. I got mine at the Dollar Tree, it was a small investment, but a wise one.

Fill the halves with cream cheese.

Cut the bacon slices into 3rds and wrap around the jalapeno halves, securing with a toothpick.

At this point you can store them to bake later, either in the fridge or by freezing.

When ready to bake, line them up on a cookie rack over a baking pan. This allows the bacon grease to drip down.

Bake for 20-25 minutes in a 375° oven until the bacon is cooked. Ree doesn't suggest going much further than that because the bacon will shrink and start to squeeze the jalapenos. If your bacon needs a bit more crisping, pop them under the broiler for a minute to do the trick.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Just don't cook them too far ahead of when your guests are meant to arrive. You'll have a really, really, really hard time not eating them all. That's my prediction anyways, it's not like I would know or anything...