Sausage-Stuffed Long Hots Wrapped in Bacon

Glazed with a sweet bourbon-maple kick—these always steal the show at summer cookouts.

Ingredients:

• 12 Italian long hot peppers, washed and slit lengthwise (keep the seeds in for that extra heat)
• 1.5 lbs hot Italian sausage
• 1 lb bacon
• Your favorite BBQ rub (I use Meat Church Honey Hog for this)
• 1 cup bourbon (Makers Mark is my go-to)
• ½ cup natural maple syrup
• Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Stuff each pepper generously with sausage, then wrap them tight with bacon. Dust lightly with BBQ rub.
2. Fire up your grill—I ran these at 350°F over indirect heat on the Weber Searwood using Bear Mountain maple pellets for that extra layer of flavor.
3. While the peppers are cooking, make your glaze. In a small saucepan, whisk together the bourbon, maple syrup, and cracked pepper. Bring it to a low boil, then reduce slightly so it thickens up just enough to stick.
4. Let the stuffed peppers cook until the sausage hits about 130°F internally. Once you’re there, start glazing every 5 minutes until they reach a final temp of 145°F.
5. At the end, I like to bump the grill temp up for an extra 5 minutes to crisp and caramelize the bacon a bit more—just keep an eye out for flare-ups.

To Serve:

Plate them hot and sticky with a side of napkins—you’re gonna need them. These are always a Fourth of July favorite at my uncle’s place and a guaranteed hit at any summer BBQ.