Atomic Buffalo Turds-ABTs

chowhound

New member
This is how I make mine.

Ingredients

Plump, not too long jalapeno peppers
1 cheddar filled Hillshire Farms Lil Smokie for each pepper
1 slice of bacon for each pepper (I like Sugardale regular slice. The slices seem very consistent and it is often on sale here)
Cream cheese

An hour or so before building the peppers, take out the bacon and the cream cheese and let it warm up some. It will allow the cheese to spread more easily and the bacon to stretch and wrap more easily, sticking to itself so you won't need toothpicks.

Put on some latex gloves.

Cut the tops off the peppers, cut a slit in one side and clean out with a spoon. Removing the seeds and the veins will remove much of the heat.

Take the back of the spoon you used to clean the peppers with and spread some cream cheese in the pepper.
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Place a Lil Smokie in the pepper.
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Add more cream cheese with the back of the spoon, squeezing the pepper closed while doing so. Fill the slit and the end. Do this to all the peppers you are making.
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Now, time to handle the bacon. Things will get a little slippery here, but you'll get the hang of where best to grip the pepper. Lay the bacon over the cut end, capping it off in effect. Then I switch hands and use my right hand to grip the pepper and bacon flap and the left to handle wrapping the bacon. Stretch the bacon towards the other end of the pepper, catching the other end and wrapping the bacon back towards the cut end. You should be able to wrap the bacon over the flap of bacon you used to cap the open end, holding it in place. In order for you to have enough bacon to do this, you must stretch the bacon as you go. This will also allow the bacon to stick to itself, so you can leave the toothpicks in the cupboard.
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Cook til done and the bacon gets a little crispy. If you are grilling, cook indirect, but smoking these procudes the best ABT (IMO). I have smoked these anywhere from 2-1/2 hours to 4 and they have come out great.
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suziquzie

New member
lol lefty.....

I may try me some for DH's snack when he gets home... I have extra jalapenos waiting for a purpose :)
 

chowhound

New member
I like hickory for these, Doc. Just to kick up the natural flavor of the bacon I use.
These were on for about 2-1/2 hours at 240, but ABTs are pretty forgiving in both time and temp.

And any leftovers nuke well.
 

Meme4251

New member
LOL.....Lefty, that was too funny...........:D Chow, these look and sound great......:agree:All of you have a great week, sh/Meme
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Magnificent, chow! Great tutorial and fantastic photos!

Lee
 

Sass Muffin

Coffee Queen ☕
Gold Site Supporter
:brows:
Oh wow- those look so easy to make!
That's it!
The first carry-in we have at work during the next month or so, I AM making these and Barb's fondue.
Been going crazy wanting two perfect dishes, now I know :D
 

chowhound

New member
Thanks.
It took a few sessions Cooksie, but now they aren't *too* tedious to make. Of course, if I was making a hundred of them I'd cut the peppers in half and use half a slice of bacon. That would simplify things greatly, but then they wouldn't look like turds, would they? (lol)

Let us know how they go over at work, Sass.
 

Sass Muffin

Coffee Queen ☕
Gold Site Supporter
Let us know how they go over at work, Sass.
I will!
First thing I need to know, is if these come out well if you make them in the oven? What temp and for how long?
Already told Barb I was going to make her Ultimate Fondue and take it in, in a crock pot with Hawaiian pull apart bread.
That'll satisfy a staff of 20 or so nurses, aides and housekeeping peeps who'll be working at that hour.
I'll be making about 2 dozen ABTs, so I need precise details on the proper preparation technique if indeed an oven method is going to work.
 

chowhound

New member
I see no reason they can't be made in the oven. They will still be good, but without that smokey flavor you get from grilling or ultimately, Qing. Figure the same temps, Sass, low, like around 225-250 and for a couple hours or so... until the bacon is done. Maybe setting a pie tin underneath them with some water and liquid smoke added will add a hint of smoke to them. Oh, and set them on the rack or perhaps a cooling rack so the bacon can cook all the way around without sitting in its own juice.
 

suziquzie

New member
maybe a little paprika in the cream cheese would add a little smoky-ness too for making them in the oven....
 

chowhound

New member
or... taking a cue from Sass' smoky sardine dip, add a few drop of liquid smoke to the cream cheese and mix it in.
I used to mix diced onions in with the cream cheese, but I didn't really notice them so it seemed like a waste.

Good call on the paprika, Suzi. Especially if you have smoked spanish paprika.
 

suziquzie

New member
lol, every time i say paprika i can't stop saying "smoky paparika" because of that Aaron McCargo guy that won next FN star a few years ago.....
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
I make these several times every summer - whenever I use my smoker.

I cut the peppers in half lengthwise (this time I used my mild variety of homegrown jalapenos and some of my Sante Fe Grande peppers).

Remove the membrane and seeds. Fill with cream cheese. Wrap with half slices (cut in half lengthwise) of bacon. Sprinkle with BBQ rub.

Smoke an hour or so, or until bacon is cooked.

Lee
 

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