GRILLED STUFFED PEPPERS

24 miniature sweet peppers

12 to 14 hickory-smoked bacon slices

8-ounce container garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese

Eight 5-by-3-inch disposable foil loaf pans

Heat a grill to medium-high, about 350 to 400 degrees.

Cut and remove about 1/2 inch from the stem end of each pepper. Remove and discard seeds and membranes.

Cut the bacon slices in half crosswise. Place half of the bacon slices on a large, microwave-safe plate and microwave on high for 90 seconds, or until the bacon is partially cooked. Repeat with remaining bacon.

Spoon the cheese into a 1-quart zip-close plastic bag. Close the bag, but do not seal it. Snip one corner of bag to make a small hole. Carefully squeeze the bag to pipe cheese into the cavity of each pepper.

Place 1 bacon piece over the top of each pepper, folding the ends down the sides of the pepper and securing them with a wooden pick inserted through the pepper.

Carefully cut three 1-inch holes in bottom of each loaf pan. Turn the pans upside down and stand the peppers, cut sides up, into the holes in pans.

Place the pans on the grill, close the lid of the grill, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the bottoms of the peppers are charred and the bacon is crisp.

Start to finish: 30 minutes.

Recipe from the May 2008 issue of Southern Living magazine