Reindeer Turds or Diablo Stuffed Peppers

My aunt used to stuff cherry peppers with a hot sausage mix and then deep fry them, they were served as appetizers. Being a chilihead I upped the anti by using jalapeno peppers

Step 1: Ingredients

Your going to need a couple of italian hot sausage links, cheese of your choice, bread crumbs or other filler, one slightly beaten egg and of course some jalapeno peppers.

Step 2: Getting Started

First lets strip the sausage meat from the casing. Next place it in a medium hot pan and lightly brown the meat, chopping it up with your cooking utensile into crumbley bits

Step 3: The Peppers

While the meat is browning lets get started preparing the peppers. Slice off the stem end and then using a small knife (I like a "steak" knife) carefully remove the ribs and seeds, try not to split the peppers open..

  Helpful hint :::: Do not touch your face or any other part of your body before washing your hands. Soap and water will eventually remove the capsaisin oil but alcohol will remove it quickly. A mix of soap and rubbing alcohol really works best in my opinion

Step 4: The Cheese

Grate up some cheese, the type depends on your taste, Im using a white cheddar this time but I've used crumbled blue cheese and even swiss in the past. You could use a processor but this old style box grater is fast, easy to set up and to clean

Step 5: The Stuffing Mix

Once your sausage is no longer pink but not deeply browned remove it from the pan and allow to cool. Add in your filler of choice (Im using left over doritos finely crushed but you could use bread crumbs or crushed crackers) add in the grated (or crumbled) cheese, add in a slightly beaten egg and stir the mixture to combine

Step 6: Getting Stuffed

 There's really no neat way to stuff the peppers so just get your hands in there and being careful not to split the peppers fill them with the stuffing mix

  NOTE: any leftover filling can be fried up in patty form or added to beaten eggs for an omlet

Step 7: Fryin Time

 You can coat the peppers with oil and either bake in the oven  or cook on the grill but I decided to deep fry these. Of course I don't have a deep fryer so I improvised by tilting the frying pan. I wouldn't recommend doing this especially if you have a gas stove because of risk of fire, even an electric stove like mine can cause the oil to burst into flame so be CAREFUL or use a deep fryer ! You could also fry them in less oil and keep turning the peppers.

  Use a lot of ventalation, deep frying jalapenos can make even a diehard chili head coff and gasp ! 

Step 8: Finally

 Once the peppers are cooked remove to papertowels or naplins and allow to drain and cool. Serve on a party tray with adult beverage of choice or do like I do and stick in the refrigerator and snack on during the day