Cacique® Panela Passers
Nothing makes my friends and family happier than the start of football season. Favorite team jerseys get pulled out from the closet, bets are being made with fantasy football, and we all get together for #SundayFundays to watch a full day of NFL football. In Los Angeles, sadly we are still team-less so for us the tailgate menu carries even greater importance.
The Panela Passers recipe offers your tailgating fans a savory and sweet bite to be served as an appetizer. The Cacique® Panela, one of the company’s artisan cheeses, is a crumbly curd style, all-natural fresh cheese made with pasteurized Grade A part skim milk, enzymes and sea salt. The taste is a mellow and mild, delicious fresh milk flavor. What I love about it is that it will soften when heated but won’t string, which makes it perfect to skewer and grill.
The Panela also embraces the slice of jalapeño and maple and black pepper bacon. The flavors meld together beautifully. Once grilled to perfection, the Panela Passers are drizzled with a lightly sweetened Cacique® Crema Mexicana sauce.
Note: Click the ‘Products‘ tab above to learn more about the Cacique® ingredients used in this recipe. You can find these ingredients near you by clicking the ‘Find Stores‘ tab, selecting the products you are looking for, and entering your zip code.
WHAT YOU NEED
- 1 package thick cut premium bacon
- 1 package Cacique® Panela cheese, sliced in 2 inch squares and 1/4 inch thick (thick enough to hold up to the heat and skewer)
- 2 jalapeños, thinly sliced on the bias
- 1/4 cup 100% maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- For the Sweetened Cream
- 1/4 cup Cacique® Crema Mexicana
- 1 tablespoon 100% maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper (adjust heat to your liking)
HOW TO MAKE IT
- On medium-high heat in a large skillet, pre-cook your bacon in small batches. You want the bacon to cook, but not get crispy, about 1-2 minutes on each side. Place on a paper towel and set aside.
- Slice Cacique® Panela into squares and place one slice of the jalapeño pepper on each of the pieces of cheese. Wrap each cheese square and jalapeño slice with one piece of bacon and secure it with a skewer, making sure the bundle is tight and firm.
- Preheat the grill to 350°F.
- In a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the cream sauce and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- At this point, the grill should be nicely pre-heated and ready to go. Place the skewers and grill until cooked through, about 2 minutes each side, brushing generously with the maple syrup. Place the skewers on a serving platter and drizzle the cream sauce on top. Serve immediately.
