What better way to kick off the 4th of July weekend get together than with these delicious bite-sized poppers.  Each one has the perfect ratio of smoky bacon, creamy cheese and spicy jalapeño.

One word of warning; make sure you have plenty of them on hand.  They’re always a hit and they’ll be gone before you know it!

Ingredients:

1 jar sweet cherry peppers
½ cup reduced fat cream cheese
2 jalapeño peppers thinly sliced in rounds, seeds removed
12 slices thin cut bacon, sliced in half lengthwise

Directions:

1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2) Rinse the cherry peppers and pat them dry. With a sharp knife, slice the peppers in half and scoop out the seeds.

3) Fill each pepper with the cream cheese and then lay a slice of jalapeño on top.

4) Wrap each pepper with a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick.

5) Arrange the peppers in a skillet and cook them over medium heat, 6 minutes per side or until the bacon has begun to crisp.

6) Transfer the peppers to a foil lined baking sheet and bake them in the oven for 4-6 minutes until the bacon has browned and the cheese is hot.