Giant Pepper Poppers

These super-sized pepper poppers are bigger and badder than ever. Anaheim peppers are stuffed with cream cheese, tangy pickled jalapeños, and your choice of pulled pork or brisket, all wrapped in bacon and grilled on the Traeger.

📝 Ingredients

• 6 Whole Anaheim peppers
• 1 Cup leftover pulled pork or chopped smoked brisket
• 8 Ounce cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 Cup chopped pickled jalapeño
• To Taste kosher salt
• 12 Slices center-cut bacon
• Cup Traeger 'Que BBQ Sauce

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Prepare the peppers: Using a sharp knife, make a horizontal slit about 1 inch wide starting about 1/2 inch from the top of each pepper. Then, cut vertically from the middle of the horizontal cut, stopping just before the bottom to create a T-shaped opening. Carefully open the pepper and use the handle of a spoon to scoop out the seeds and scrape away as much of the ribs as you like. Keep in mind the ribs and seeds give the pepper its heat.
2. 2If preparing the peppers a day ahead, cover them tightly with foil and refrigerate. Remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking.
3. 3In a medium bowl, combine the leftover meat ([brisket](https://www.traeger.com/brisket) or [pulled pork](https://www.traeger.com/recipes/pulled-pork)), cream cheese, and chopped jalapeños. Season with kosher salt to taste.
4. 4When ready to cook, set the Traeger grill to 225°F. Preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes. Use the [Super Smoke](https://www.traeger.com/learn/super-smoke) feature, if available.
5. 5Fill the peppers evenly with the meat mixture. Wrap each pepper tightly with two slices of [bacon](https://www.traeger.com/learn/how-to-cook-bacon), slightly overlapping. Place the wrapped peppers on a baking sheet lined with a wire rack, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Transfer the [baking](https://www.traeger.com/learn/master-traeger-baking) sheet to the grill and cook for 35 minutes.
6. 6Increase the grill temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Baste the peppers with barbecue sauce and continue cooking for another 35 minutes, flipping halfway through and basting again. Cook until the bacon is crisp and the sauce is tacky. Let the peppers cool slightly before serving.