Travel Destinations & Culinary Adventures

gorgonzola

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

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Sometimes you just have to give yourself a break…from the kitchen. Enter the crockpot!

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps, by SkinnyTaste.com, is a recipe that’s sat untouched in my old school recipe box for awhile now, but boy am I glad I used it this week. Have you ever had one of those incredibly busy weeks? I just talked to a mom who was busy trying to run a business, rush her kids to and from activities, and be a doting wife. She’s a superwoman! But, let’s be real. Moms like her, like you, need a break from hovering over a stove.

Pin this one! You’ll thank me later.

This recipe is as easy as dropping items in the crockpot, setting it on high for four hours, and walking away! Ah, I love the digital “ding!” of my crockpot’s timer when dinner is done and so will you.

For this savory recipe, you will need three chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts, celery, onion, garlic, chicken broth, and Frank’s hot sauce. After the crockpot “dings!” you’ll want to remove the chicken and place it in a bowl so you can shred it using two forks. Afterward, add it back to the crockpot and add in Frank’s hot sauce, mix again, and turn to the warm setting.

When you’re ready to plate, simply tear large leaves of Bibb lettuce and put them face up on a plate. Pile a heap of buffalo chicken, shredded carrots, and sliced celery. A lover of bright colors, I also added thinly sliced red cabbage. Oh, and I like my lettuce wraps spicy so I drizzled more Frank’s hot sauce on top.

Add blue cheese or gorgonzola for added flavor richness.

Your family will thank you for this tasty, light dinner that was ready when they entered the door and you’ll thank yourself for not stressing out over another weeknight dinner fiasco. Just set it and forget it.

You can view SkinnyTaste’s recipe for Crock-Pot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps here. What would you like me to recipe test for the crockpot next? Leave a comment in the space below.

For more delicious recipes, visit One Delightful Life on Twitter for daily updates of scrumptious food.

Now, if you’ll excuse me. I’ve got to take a moment to add this recipe back to its recipe box for later use.

Smoked Jalapeno Poppers with Gorgonzola and Buffalo Sauce

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Nothing says Super Bowl Sunday like stuffed jalapeño poppers and this recipe is a game day winner.

Nearly everyone serves stuffed jalapeños at their tailgate parties but what separates my recipe from theirs comes down to one added ingredient. Hickory smoke. These spicy bites will still satisfy game day guests even if you can’t smoke them on a Traeger because of the added gorgonzola and buffalo sauce flavor. And everything tastes better wrapped in bacon!

Watch the droolers gather around the kitchen when you bring in a platter of perfectly smoked poppers. The heat of the jalapeño, not the hottest on the Scoville Chile Heat Rating Guide for peppers, still brings noticeable mild to medium heat. If you’re serving beer, I strongly recommend you try a few of my more recent favorites Old King Krolsh (purchase a growler at Bricktown Brewery) or Boulevard Brewing Company’s Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale. They’re considered approachable beers by most craft brew drinkers and pair well with this appetizer.

If you leave the pepper’s membrane or seeds inside you’re guaranteed to light your mouth up with much more heat. Remove the insides with a metal spoon prior to stuffing them.
After mixing the cheese ingredients, you can begin stuffing each pepper with the filling.

The key to preparing this appetizer before game kick off time is to make sure you’ve prepped and preheated your smoker. We used Pit Boss’ BBQ Hardwood Pellets in Competition Blend pellets inside our Traeger the day we smoked these beauties.

Beginning at one end of the pepper, tightly wrapped the entire pepper in a slice of center cut bacon. You don’t need a toothpick to secure it.

While this recipe is meant to serve two people using three large halved jalapeño peppers you can certainly multiply it if creating more poppers for guests. I chose to include a small amount of store bought buffalo sauce into the mixture. If you wanted to crank up the heat even more, you could simply drizzle it on top making for a more colorful presentation too.

Should your team fall to the opponent during the game, you’ll still feel like a winner knowing that you served a delicious appetizer that everyone loved. Now, go fire up the smoker!

Smoked Jalapeno Poppers Gorgonzola and Buffalo Sauce

onedelightfullife.com
Your guests will rush the kitchen when they see you're serving smoked jalapeno poppers on game day. Touchdown!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Appetizer, grilled
Cuisine American
Servings 6 poppers

Ingredients
  

  • 3 large jalapenos
  • 1/3 of a 8oz cube of cream cheese softened
  • 2 T. gorgonzola cheese
  • 1 T. buffalo sauce
  • 6 sliced center cut bacon

Instructions
 

  • Turn on the smoker according to directions to 350 degrees. (If you're not using a Traeger, prep your smoker according to directions.)
  • Half each jalapeno with a knife.
  • Hollow out each jalapeno halve using a metal spoon to rid of all membrane and seeds.
  • Using a fork, mix the filling ingredients in a small bowl.
  • Fill each jalapeno halve with cheese filling.
  • Gently wrap each jalapeno halve with one strip of bacon. Tuck the ends under the pepper and place end side down on the grill.
  • Smoke the jalapeno poppers with the lid closed for 15 minutes.
  • Remove and let rest a couple minutes before serving.