With the Super Bowl just a week from tomorrow, many of you are no doubt planning on either attending or hosting a Super Bowl party. Whether you're the host with the most or just striving to be the best of the guests, I've got the recipe for you. This year, don't settle for bringing (or serving) the usual chippies and salsa. If you want to impress and delight your friends you need to try this recipe.

First a few caveats:

1. This is not a healthy recipe. However, it won't kill you to make these once and no one is going to gourge themselves on 40 poppers anyway.

2. The recipe is pretty easy, but it is time consuming. Plan accordingly.

3. It's damn hot.

Jalapeno & Bacon Shrimp Poppers

Ingredients

• Jalapeno peppers. Look for jarred jalapenos, not fresh ones
• Cream cheese. Plan on one package per jar of jalapenos. Now, you could lighten this up with 1/3 fat cream cheese, but I'm not endorsing it. It's up to you
• Shrimp - peeled & deveined. I usually get the quick frozen shrimp with the tail on. Get the biggest ones that'll fit inside the jalapenos, thaw 'em and take the tails off
• Bacon slices. You want to go for some nice thick slices. Once again, you could use turkey bacon here, if you must
• Toothpicks - you want to have some basic toothpicks and then some fancy ones for serving.

Directions

Cut the stems off the jalapeno peppers and then slice them in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to clean out the seeds and stuff from the pepper. Fill the pepper with cream cheese. Lay the shrimp to bed and then tightly wrap the popper with the bacon.

Secure the popper with two soaked toothpicks in an X fashion to hold everything together.

Grill until bacon is good and crisp. Remove from toothpicks and re-skewer onto fancy toothpicks. Serve.

A couple of notes. You can make this up ahead of time and bring them to the party to be grilled. And, when you're grilling, remember you'll need a least one bottle of good beer. Why, you ask? To douse the flames? Oh no, honey... Finally, if you're up north with no access to a grill, you can also try to make these in your broiler. It's not quite the same, but they still turn out great.

Enjoy!