Itsy Bitsy Foodies

When I recently had the opportunity to create recipes with Prosciutto di Parma, {my first recipe was a Parma Ham & Veggie Quiche with Potato Crust} I thought of the jalapeno poppers wrapped with bacon that my husband makes.  When compared with bacon, the Parma ham is more subtle and fine in substance yet has the same salty goodness, and I love how it tastes when it crisps up in the oven.  Depending on how spicy you like things you can roast the jalapenos for a bit before stuffing them with goat cheese and wrapping them with prosciutto so that they cook longer and the spice mellows out.  If goat cheese is not your preferred cheese, you can substitute a mixture of cream cheese and blue cheese (which makes the blue cheese easier to work with as seen in my blue cheese-walnut grapes).

These jalapeno poppers look fancier than they really are.  In terms of the ingredient list and the preparation steps they are as simple as an appetizer gets.  Dress them up for a holiday cocktail party or share them at a casual summer BBQ.

*It may go without saying that if you want to forgo the spice altogether, simply spread the goat cheese on a thin slice of baguette or other artisanal bread, top with a piece of prosciutto and broil for a couple of minutes until lightly browned and crispy.