Y’all know one of my favorite flavor combinations is jalapenos and bacon. Remember my Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili? It’s the stuff dreams are made of. Well, I recently had the idea to make a more main dish version of the well-known appetizer. I mean, I made the chili and it’s become one of my favorite soups/chilis ever! Plus it’s one of our most popular recipes (have you tried it yet?), so it stands to reason that I need more of this in my life. I promise you need this in your life too. Bacon, wrapped around jalapeno seasoned ground turkey, stuffed with pepper-jack cheese? Yes, please!
When I made these and served them to my family, I asked my youngest if he liked them. He just did this move…
I said, “what is that?!”
“A dab, Mom. That means I like it.”
Ha! Okay, I guess that’s a good review. Clearly, if my 7-year-old thinks these are dab-worthy, they must be good! ~Erin
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. 99% fat free ground turkey breast
- 3 fresh jalapenos
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ tsp. garlic salt
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- 1 c. seasoned breadcrumbs (I used Progresso Garlic & Herb.)
- 8 slices center cut bacon, cut in half
- 3 oz. pepper jack cheese, cut into ¼ in. cubes (15 or 16 cubes)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Seed & finely chop the jalapenos (remove all the seeds and ribs if you don’t want much spice – that’s where a jalapeno holds its heat).
- Mix the ground turkey, chopped jalapenos, egg, garlic salt, onion powder until well combined.
- Mix in the seasoned breadcrumbs until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Make a patty about the size of your palm, place a cube of cheese in the center and form the turkey around it to make a ball.
- Wrap the meatball in half a slice of bacon. (I find it helps to stretch the bacon a bit, lengthwise, beforehand.)
- Place on a baking sheet and repeat until you’ve made about 15 or 16 bacon-wrapped meatballs.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, until bacon is fully cooked and meatballs are golden brown and cooked through.
WW Freestyle Info.: 2 points per meatball.
Jalapeño Pepper-Jack Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- ~1 lb. 99% fat free ground turkey breast
- ~3 fresh jalapenos
- ~1 egg, beaten
- ~½ tsp. garlic salt
- ~½ tsp. onion powder
- ~1 c. seasoned breadcrumbs (I used Progresso Garlic & Herb.)
- ~8 slices center cut bacon, cut in half
- ~3 oz. pepper jack cheese, cut into ¼ in. cubes (15 or 16 cubes)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Seed & finely chop the jalapenos (remove all the seeds and ribs if you don’t want much spice – that’s where a jalapeno holds its heat).
- Mix the ground turkey, chopped jalapenos, egg, garlic salt, onion powder until well combined.
- Mix in the seasoned breadcrumbs until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Make a patty about the size of your palm, place a cube of cheese in the center and form the turkey around it to make a ball.
- Wrap the meatball in half a slice of bacon. (I find it helps to stretch the bacon a bit, lengthwise, beforehand.)
- Place on a baking sheet and repeat until you’ve made about 15 or 16 bacon-wrapped meatballs.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, until bacon is fully cooked and meatballs are golden brown and cooked through.
Notes
WW Freestyle Info.: 2 points per meatball.