By Thanksgiving. Nine at the table — the biggest yet. Craig, Connie, Travis, Jolene, Earl Thomas, Clay, Sarah, Amber, James. And Nadia in the high chair, nine months old, watching the chaos with those serious Okonkwo eyes. Earl Thomas in his booster seat declaring mine about the sweet potato casserole, which is not a word I taught him but which he has mastered with the possessive intensity of a Hensley.
The dressing was right. Third year running. The sage at its appointed measure. The turkey golden. The bourbon pecan pie with smoked salt. Jolene's sweet potato casserole. Connie's mashed potatoes. Sarah's honey-jalapeno cornbread, which I still do not call cornbread but which I now eat three pieces of because it is good and I am not a liar, I am a man with standards who has learned to expand his standards without abandoning them.
Betty called for the blessing. Her voice thin. The prayer the same — Lord, thank you for this family and this food and the strength to get through another year. But the voice carrying it was smaller, the breath behind it shorter, and I heard what I didn't want to hear, which was time running in the voice of my mother, and I said amen louder than usual to cover the crack in my own voice.
After dinner I stood on the back porch and looked at the kitchen through the window. Nine people. Two babies. The kitchen full and bright and the laughter coming through the glass muffled and warm and I thought: this is what Earl worked the mines for. This is what Betty made the soup beans for. This table. These people. This noise. All of it was for this, and they will never know and they don't need to because the knowing is mine and the keeping is mine and the porch is cold but the kitchen is warm and warm wins. Warm always wins.
Sarah’s honey-jalapeño cornbread was the dish I resisted the longest and now eat three pieces of every year, and that tells you something about how jalapeño earns its place on a Hensley Thanksgiving table — slowly, by proving itself, by being too good to argue with. These jalapeño pepper appetizers are the same kind of thing: a little heat, a little richness, the kind of bite-sized thing that disappears off the tray before the turkey is even carved. I started making them a few years back as something to keep hands busy while the mains came together, and now they’re expected. Betty always took two.
Jalapeño Pepper Appetizers
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 12 large jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 12 strips bacon, cut in half crosswise
- 1 tablespoon honey (optional, for finishing)
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Heat oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack over it. The rack lets the bacon fat drip away and keeps everything crisp.
- Prepare peppers. Halve jalapeños lengthwise and use a small spoon to scrape out seeds and membranes. Wear gloves or wash hands thoroughly after handling. For less heat, rinse the cavities under cold water.
- Make the filling. In a bowl, beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Stir in shredded cheddar, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper until well combined.
- Fill the peppers. Spoon or pipe the cream cheese mixture into each jalapeño half, filling generously and mounding slightly above the rim.
- Wrap with bacon. Wrap each stuffed jalapeño half with a half-strip of bacon, stretching slightly to cover most of the filling. Secure with a toothpick if needed and arrange on the wire rack, filled side up.
- Bake. Bake at 400°F for 18—22 minutes, until the bacon is cooked through and beginning to crisp at the edges and the cheese filling is bubbling and lightly golden.
- Finish and serve. If using honey, drizzle lightly over the hot peppers straight from the oven. Let rest 3—4 minutes before serving — the filling is very hot. Remove toothpicks before plating.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 165 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 3g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 290mg