Grilled Southwest Chicken and Stuffed Jalapenos

Tried a couple new recipes tonight and they came out so darn yummy I had to post them here... I paired these two dishes with grilled asparagus coated in extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, fresh minced garlic and grated parmesan cheese, YUM!

Grilled Southwest Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbls chili powder
• 2 Tbls. cumin
• 1 Tbls. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 Tbls. packed light or dark brown sugar
• 3 Tbls. extra virgin olive oil
• 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Directions:

1. In a large ziplock baggie, combine all the spices and brown sugar. Pour in olive oil and mix until well combined.
2. Place the chicken in the baggie and rotate inside bag to fully coat the chicken. Place inside the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 10 hours.
3. Grill the chicken over medium heat until cooked through, about 6-7 minutes per side, depending on the size and thickness of the chicken breasts. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes.

Stuffed Jalapenos

Ingredients:

• 5-6 large jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise, and seeded
• 1/4 C. real bacon pieces
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 C. shredded cheddar jack cheese mix
• 1/4 C. diced green onion
• 1/2 tsp. fresh lime juice
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic

Directions:

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2. Combine bacon, cheeses, green onion, lime juice, salt and garlic in a bowl, stirring to combine.
3. Divide mixture evenly, and fill in pepper halves.
4. Place peppers cheese side up on grill, cover and grill peppers 8 minutes, or until bottoms of peppers are charred, and cheese mixture is lightly browned.
5. Serve immediately, you may garnish with chopped tomato and cilantro.