Texas Twinkies are the best party appetizer you’ve never heard of
Whether you’re preparing food for a bridal shower or a birthday party, appetizers can set the tone for the whole celebration. A more formal gathering warrants a fancier appetizer, like strawberry goat cheese bruschetta or mini quiches, while a casual party’s appetizers can be a bit less intensive, like cheese pinwheels or hummus.
If you’re throwing a party that’s somewhere in between fancy and casual, it can be difficult to decide on an appropriate appetizer to serve. Enter Texas Twinkies. Similar to bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers, these cheesy, spicy, and salty snacks are the perfect versatile appetizer—and no, they’re not of the Hostess variety.
What Are Texas Twinkies?
Texas Twinkies are bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers filled with tangy cream cheese and smoky brisket and glazed with barbecue sauce. They are a creation from the award-winning Hutchins BBQ restaurant in McKinney, Texas. Ever since their debut in 2013, they’ve become not only a staple at the restaurant but in home kitchens across the country.
At Hutchins BBQ, no brisket goes to waste since the restaurant uses the leftovers to stuff its Texas Twinkies. The Twinkies are then cooked in a smoker until the jalapeños are tender. Then, they’re coated in barbecue sauce and finished on the grill.
To make these at home, sans smoker, just bake the stuffed peppers in the oven. You can also swap the filling for another type of meat if you don’t have any leftover brisket on hand. Allrecipes home cook PuffyCod6356 used round steak, which they thinly sliced and grilled, while SmartMeal4165 opted for ground sirloin. Whichever you go for, we’re positive you’ll be transported to the South with these iconic tailgate appetizers.
How To Make Texas Twinkies
You only need five ingredients to make this craveworthy appetizer: jalapeño peppers, softened cream cheese, cooked chopped brisket, thick-cut bacon, salt and pepper, and your favorite barbecue sauce.
To begin, preheat your oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Slice your jalapeños into a “T” shape by cutting them halfway into a straight vertical line from the top to the bottom, ensuring that you add a crosscut underneath the stem. Then, discard all of the seeds and membranes.
Place the jalapeños on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. This step helps soften the peppers, making them easier to stuff. Then, transfer them to a bowl of ice water to extract the seeds’ oils, taking care to blot the peppers dry with a paper towel before continuing.
Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and allow it to preheat while you stuff the peppers. Add one tablespoon of cream cheese and some brisket to each jalapeño, then wrap each jalapeño with a slice of bacon. Place them on a baking tray and season with salt and pepper before returning them to the oven.
After the Texas Twinkies have baked for about 30 minutes, remove them from the oven and brush with barbecue sauce. Put them back in the oven to glaze for about five minutes, and enjoy them while they’re nice and warm.
Don’t hesitate to customize these to your liking, swapping the meat or even adding additional seasoning. Allrecipes home cook franke62 commented, “I added a little sharp Cheddar cheese on top of the brisket before I wrapped the popper with bacon,” noting that the Twinkies have an “excellent taste.” These appetizers are already decadent as-is, but however you choose to elevate them is sure to make them even more of a hit at your next gathering.
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Read the original article on Allrecipes
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