Bison Cheeseburger Jalapeno Poppers

By: Chef Steve Squier

Serves: 6-8 people

Looking for game day snack or appetizer to spice up the party? What better way to impress your friends and family then bringing bison to the party. These Bison cheeseburger jalapeno poppers are fun and can be made well in advance to make party prep easy. This is a fun take on a classic that showcases the versatility of bison meat.

Ingredients:

1 LB Ground Bison

1 cup Onion, Fine Diced

2 cloves Garlic, minced

2 tsp Smoked Paprika

1 tsp Ground Cumin

½ cup Bison or Beef Broth

1 Lime

1 cup Cream Cheese

2 cup Shredded Tex-Mex Cheese

12 Jalapeno Peppers

12 Slices of Bacon

Salt and Pepper to Taste

2 Tbls Canola Oil

Method:

1. In a skillet on high heat, brown off the ground Bison and hit it with some salt and pepper.
2. Remove from the heat and drain off any liquid.
3. In the same skillet add the canola oil, fine diced onions and garlic. Sautee for 3-5 min on medium heat until the onions are translucent.
4. Add the Bison meat back to the skillet along with the cumin, paprika and broth, bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Now is a good time for a little more salt and pepper.
5. Simmer the bison for 5-10min or until the broth is almost cooked away. This is help intensify the flavours.
6. After simmering stir in the juice of one lime, remove from the heat and allow to cool for one hour.
7. Once the Bison is cool, in a large bowl mix together the cream cheese, bison meat and shredded cheese until it is all incorporated and set aside.
8. Slice the Jalapenos down the center starting from the stem end. Take a small spoon and scrape out the seeds and ribs.
9. Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees.
10. Spoon in the Bison cheese mix into the Jalapeno haves then wrap them with half a strip of bacon. Place the poppers on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
11. Cook the Poopers in the oven for 20-30min making sure the bacon is cooked. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5min.
12. Plate them up and let everyone enjoy.

The Bison cheeseburger mix can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for up to a week or can be frozen as well. The poppers can be made the day before if you're looking to save time on game day. These Bison Poppers are sure to impress and are best served with an ice-cold beer.