Rattlesnake eggs!

Recipe by Brad O’Neill

12 jalapenos*

small block of Swiss cheese

a cup of shredded Cheddar

24 small pre-cooked shrimp without tails

12 strips of bacon (peppered is my preference)

24 toothpicks

Pre-heat oven to 475 or Broil

Cut the jalapenos in half with a sharp knife preserving the stem if possible

Scoop out the seeds (Grapefruit spoon works best but any spoon will do)

Cut tiny strips of Swiss cheese and fill bottom of Hollow Jalapeno

Fill the rest of Jalapeno with shredded cheddar

Cut shrimp into sections of three putting all three pieces of shrimp on top of cheddar  (this is so the shrimp fits easier)

Cut bacon strips in half then wrap one piece around Jalepeno being careful to hold in shrimp.

Secure bacon with Toothpick through center

Place rattlesnake eggs on a shallow baking pan that can hold the grease. (elevated if possible to lose some of the grease from the bacon, I use a a metal rack on top of my baking pan that just gets them a half inch above the surface where the grease drips this is not essential but I like the flavor better this way.) 

Place in the oven for 15 minutes then check every minute until bacon turns crisp or appears done.

Optional-Serve over a bed  of shredded lettuce and cabbage with tortilla strips

*mini bell peppers can be substituted for a milder taste.

Image via Wikipedia