![Valerie Bertinelli's Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers](https://cdn.statically.io/img/people.com/thmb/dhAJNrYEAJAhmh7JXYdWW4pvKeE=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2)/valerie-bertinelli-people-poppers-deaa4b98e252404d8832dba165c5690c.jpg)
John Russo
After years of dieting, Valerie Bertinelli says sharing this “wildly delicious” dish is a “personal victory.”
"Deep-fried jalapeño poppers sent me to Jenny Craig years ago, but I was eating them for all the wrong reasons," she writes in her new cookbook, Indulge (out now). "In fact, I don’t think I ever 'tasted' a single one. So, including this recipe is a personal victory of sorts."
These days, “I don’t deny myself anything,” she tells PEOPLE for this week's cover story. "I think what do I want, as opposed to what am I going to eat because I need to be careful about calories."
Bertinelli's poppers are stuffed with a three-cheese mixture and wrapped in bacon. "I’m indulging in it," she writes. "You should, too."
![Valerie Bertinelli's Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers](https://people.com/thmb/OnAL0ggbh4_UN5DM38Tdp6jwnmI=/4000x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(599x0:601x2)/valerie-bertinelli-people-poppers-solo-87fc877e5a5f4b95bb226dae3787577c.jpg)
John Russo
Valerie Bertinelli's Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
2 oz. smoked Gouda cheese, freshly shredded (about ½ cup)
2 oz. mild cheddar cheese, freshly shredded (about ½ cup)
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh chives
1 tsp. grated lime zest plus
1 ½ tsp. fresh juice (from 1 lime)
1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt
⅛ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
8 medium jalapeños, halved lengthwise, seeds removed
8 bacon slices, halved crosswise
1. Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Stir together cream cheese, Gouda, cheddar, chives, lime zest, juice, salt and pepper in a medium bowl until combined.
3. Divide the cream cheese mixture evenly among the jalapeño halves, pressing to fill all the way to the top edge.
4. Wrap a slice of bacon around each stuffed jalapeño so the bacon ends are tucked under the jalapeños; place stuffed-side-up on prepared baking sheet.
5. Bake in preheated oven until bacon is crispy and cheese mixture is beginning to bubble, 16 to 18 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.
Serves: 8
Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes