Pig Poppers
Your text notification chimes and you have a summer get together to be ready for. It may be a day at the lake or just relaxing on a patio with some friends but you can’t go empty handed. You may be like us and just don’t want to show up with any old appetizer but you want to create some shock and awe! Now it is time for the Pig Popper. Your prep time (with shopping) will be around an hour or so but the outcome is stupendous.
Ingredients
2 - Packages of Kielbasa
1 - Package of bacon (i used low sodium because some spices will be used)
2 - 8oz packages of cream cheese (softened)
2 - Cups of shredded cheddar cheese
1 - Jalapeno
1/2 - Tablespoon of Ranch seasoning (dry)
1 - Tablespoon (approx) of Willy B’s Kiss & Slap (or your fav bbq rub)
1 - package of toothpicks - you don’t really know initially how many you’ll need
1 - Smoker / Grill ready to roll
It’s Go Time
I like to throw a playlist on as I get into the food prep phase. I have a one with a lot of Gary Clark Jr and Chris Stapleton. It just gets me in the BBQ mode. As that is going I get all the ingredients out on the counter (I’d even recommend leaving the cream cheese out a little longer so it will be softened up and ready.
Cut your bacon in 1/2. I literally leave the bacon in the package and cut the whole thing in half so the strips are not as long, then remove it from the package. You can see that I didn’t do it this time from the pics but it just makes it harder when it’s out of the package.
Cut your kielbasa into 1-1 1/2 pieces but judge this on the size of your bacon. You’ll need a pocket at the top where the cream cheese filling can fit
Wrap your kielbasa in a slice of bacon and hold it together with a toothpick. Place them on a cookie sheet because you’ll need to spread some love, oh.. I mean seasoning on before lugging these little nuggets to the grill.
Dice up your jalapeno. Remove the seeds if you need to tone the spice down or leave them in if you like to live wild.
Grab a BAB (big ass bowl) and load it up with your cream cheese, shredded cheese, ranch seasoning, Willy B’s Kiss & Slap and jalapenos.
Mix it all together. Some may like a electric mixer and some may like to feel the squish of the cream cheese in your hands. I personally use gloves to clean up easily but take a little more of your Willy B’s seasoning and sprinkle it over the top of the bacon wrapped pieces of heaven.
Grab your tongs and cling them twice on the way to the smoker so you show everyone that you are ready to rock and roll.
Load up the smoker (already preset to about 225-250) then crack open your favorite drink and sit back.
After about an hour, take a quick peek and see how they are coming. When the bacon is crisped up to your desired taste, they are ready to pull them off and rest a little. I like my back with a little more on the done side but you just need to live your best life with them.
Get some of your favorite BBQ sauce ready to roll.
Dip them in (or just go without) and send a comment to let me know how they turned out!
