The latest catering gig was for a meeting where some of the participants were flying into Texas from Indiana. So providing lunch for this group was FUN because I wanted to welcome them TEXAS-STYLE! I literally named the menu "Welcome to Texas, Y'all!". Of course that meant stuffed barbecue chicken thighs, home-made baked beans, mini cornbread muffins, bacon-wrapped green bean stacks, cabbage salad with slaw dressing, and Texas tornado bars for dessert! It was a huge hit and the chicken was delicious!! So I have given you the gift of the easy recipe below! Y'all.

Peppers & Cream Cheese-Stuffed Barbecue Chicken Thighs

extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

1 green bell pepper, diced finely

1 red bell pepper, diced finely

1 yellow bell pepper, diced finely

1/2 red onion, diced finely

1 tbs sea salt

1 tbs pepper

1 tbs cumin

1 tbs paprika

2 pkgs cream cheese, softened

2 pkgs chicken thighs

sea salt

pepper

garlic powder

1 cup barbecue sauce

1/2 cup mustard

1 tbs Worcestershire sauce

In a heavy pan (I use my cast-iron skillet, of course!), sprinkle enough evoo to cover the bottom and heat for one minute on medium flame. Add all peppers and onion, and cook for two minutes. Add sea salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic, and then stir and cook another two minutes. Remove from heat and add to the cream cheese in a bowl. Stir until creamy smooth. Pound each chicken thigh out to make sure it is not uneven. Add a teaspoon of the cream cheese and bell pepper mix to the middle and roll, laying each one on a prepared baking sheet, fold-side down. Place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, up to an hour.

Remove from freezer and sprinkle the tops with evoo, and then sprinkle a little sea salt and a little pepper and garlic powder as well. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Meanwhile, mix barbecue sauce, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce together in a bowl. Once fifteen minutes is up, baste the chicken thighs liberally with barbecue sauce mixture. Bake another fifteen minutes. Cowboy up!!

NOTES: The longer you keep the thighs in the freezer, the less the cheese mixture will run out as the chicken cooks. This is low-carb, too!