Oh, here's another dish my crew really likes for cookouts:
Chicken Hooters
(I got this idea from my former neighbor, J.P., so here's to him.)
Chicken tenders --three or four per person (I also have usd breasts that I cut into thirds in the shape of tenders.)
Bacon slices, cut in half --one half per tender
Jarred Jalepeno pepper slices (about one slice per tender)
That's the original recipe, but of course, I jazz it up:
Sprinkle the tenders with your favorite Mexican or Southwest spice mix. I combine salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder and garlic. Any seasoning salt will probably work, too. Oh, and you can marinate in a vinegar-based BBQ sauce if you like. Or, any basic chicken marinade.
So, season or marinate the tenders, then set up a work station. This is kind of messy and you're working with raw chicken, so be careful of cross-contamination and wash everything with hot water & soap when you're done.
I work on a large cutting board. Have your chicken in a small bowl to the left, the peppers in a bowl beside the chicken, the bacon to the right on the cutting board, and the toothpicks in a pile to your right.
Take a tender, put a pepper in the center & roll the tender around the pepper. Then, wrap it in bacon. Then, secure it all with a toothpick.
Grill over medium heat, turning occasionally until chicken is done and bacon crispy--takes about 10 minutes, depending on how hot your grill is.
These are really yummy and with just one jalepeno, they are not very spicy, but some people will whine--they can remove the peppers. If you really don't like heat, leave the peppers out. If you like it hot, put in two pepper slices and add some cayenne or tabasco to your seasoning mix.
You don't usually need a sauce, but if you like, stir some tabasco into some ranch dressing or use your favorite dip.
Great with typical cookout sides--pasta salad, potato salad, grilled veggies!
