Stuffed Pepperoncini

Ingredients:

• 6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces 
• ½ cup minced onion
• 1 large sweet pepper, minced 
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 
• 1 cup grated Mexican cheese blend
• 32 ounce jar of pepperoncini 

Directions:

• In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until bacon is browned and crisp. Move the bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain the grease and cool. Keep the bacon drippings. When the bacon is cool, dice it up.
• Sauté the onion and sweet pepper in bacon drippings over medium heat until translucent and tender. About 5 minutes. Remove the onion and peppers with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain and cool for about 10 minutes.
• In a mixing bowl, mix the cream cheese and grated cheese. Stir in the bacon, onion and sweet peppers into the mixture.
• Spoon cream cheese mixture into a heavy weight plastic bag. Cut a small hole in one corner to make a piping bag to squeeze the filling from. 
• There are two ways to prepare the pepperoncini, depending on size. Cut the stems off and remove the seeds, or use a small knife to cut a slit lengthwise into each pepper and remove the seeds. Do not cut the whole way through the pepper. Pipe the cheese mixture into the peppers. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve within 24 hours for best flavor.