Recently I put up a recipe about bacon wrapped liver pieces, a suggestion from a patient of mine. They turned out amazing! As I was eating them, I thought “a little cream cheese would be nice with these '' which then led me to thinking of jalapeno poppers.
Thus began the quest to find the perfect ratio of liver in a jalapeno popper that would go unnoticed by the general public. My idea was to put a small sliver of liver inside each jalapeno, filling them with cream cheese and wrapping them in bacon.
Store bought cream cheese is not technically GAPS Legal. If you are following the GAPS Protocol, you could instead substitute a yogurt cheese, which is made by dripping the whey from the yogurt.
For the bacon, you have multiple options. You can cure your own bacon (see directions here) or if tolerating, you can purchase a commercially available bacon following these guidelines. It’s best if the pigs were not fed antibiotics or hormones and uncured bacon, depending on the ingredients, can also be considered Full GAPS Legal. Curing agents include high nitrates which can be irritating to your body and detrimental to your healing journey. Also to legally be called a curing brine, it must contain a certain ratio of salt and sugar thus any bacon that is labeled cured will contain some amount of sugar, which is not GAPS Legal. Uncured bacon may avoid these issues but be sure to read your labels.
If possible, wear gloves when you are cutting your jalapenos. If you don’t have gloves, coat your hands in fat to avoid having the oils seep into your skin. If you have burning on your skin from the jalapenos, fill a cup with 50% apple cider vinegar and 50% filtered water to dilute it. Place your fingers in the cup for 5 to 10 minutes until the sting goes away.
While you may not be able to pass these off at a party, hopefully this is a treat your real food eating family can enjoy.
Ingredients for Liver Jalapeno Poppers:
10 Jalapenos
12 oz. Bacon
3 Chicken Livers (this is the mildest liver, you can use other liver if you have it)
6 - 8 oz Cream Cheese or Yogurt Cheese
Directions for Liver Jalapeno Poppers:
Put on your gloves OR coat your hands in oil. If at any point you start to feel heat, add more oil!
Rinse your jalapenos in filtered water. Slice in half longways and remove the pith and seeds. Optionally, rinse the jalapenos again in filtered water to remove any leftover seeds. Dry with a paper towel.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the bacon in half. Put the cream cheese on another plate so you don’t cross contaminate any remaining cream cheese from your package with blood from the livers. Allow the cream cheese to warm slightly so it is pliable but not soft.
Rinse the livers in filtered water. Cut into long slices.
Assemble the poppers by placing a piece of bacon on a cutting board or plate. Add one half of the jalapeno on top. Place long strips of liver inside the jalapeno. Take a chunk of cream cheese and squish it to make a log. Place on top of the liver pieces. Wrap the bacon around the livers.
Place in a glass baking dish. No other fat is needed. If you have extra livers and bacon when you are done assembling your jalapenos, I suggest making bacon wrapped livers.
Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes until bacon is crispy.
Enjoy!
