Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Mushrooms

Late summer in the North Eastern Part of the country brings in large crops of peppers. All sorts of

peppers ranging from sweet to supernaturally hot.  One of the most popular of these peppers is the Jalapeño.  Hot but not scorching these pepper have a wide range of uses. One of the most popular is a finger food called the Jalapeño Popper.  My home like so many, love these little babies and we have made versions from the traditional to cheese balls covered in salty bacon.   We truly crave these spicy nuggets of happiness but... yes there is a but.  I do so love to play with my food! So in my playing the popper becomes a filling for our other beloved appetizer, the stuffed mushroom.  So here comes the Jalapeño stuffed mushroom. Devoured with gusto by even my youngest children,  they are quick easy and are going to be a great addition to our party table!

Now I made a small batch just to go with dinner but this can easily be doubled or tripled to make for larger events.

Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Mushrooms

1 small package baby bella mushrooms (about 10/12 caps)

Filling
4 oz. cream cheese ( half a brick)
1 large jalapeño (diced small)
2 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 slices crisped bacon crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste

Topping
1 tsp. butter
3 tbs. bread crumbs

Pre heat oven to 425 degrees.  Clean mushrooms well and pull stems. ( I put these aside for soup later) and place in dish stem side up.  In a bowl mix the filling ingredients. Fill the mushroom caps with the filling.  In another bowl melt the butter and stir in the bread crumbs. Sprinkle the buttered crumbs on top of mushrooms.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Serve warm.