This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hass Avocado Board featuring Hass Avocados for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I happen to be one of those women who loves football season. This year I’m even in a fantasy football league! But, even if you’re not a football fan (and I realize a lot of you aren’t), keep reading. I think there’s something that we can all get excited about… Football food!

I was asked to develop an avocado recipe for the Kick Off with Hass Avocados Recipe Contest, and I jumped at the chance. I cannot get enough avocado, and I love football season. So, it’s the perfect pairing for me. I’ve had game day appetizers on the brain lately, and my mind immediately jumped to jalapeño poppers. I made a creamy guacamole filled, bacon wrapped jalapeño popper. And, they were good. Really good.

While my jalapeño poppers are certainly not what I’d consider a healthy snack (and we won’t even discuss the fact that I may have eaten them for dinner one night!), avocados are a pretty healthy option for game day fare… They are packed with vitamins and are very nutrient dense. Plus, they’re a great source of healthy fats. That makes me feel better about snacking on some poppers or digging into a big bowl of guacamole… Wouldn’t you agree?

Want to join in the fun? By entering in the contest you could win a free box of avocados (a sweepstakes, one winner chosen each week for 14 weeks!). And, if you submit the winning avocado recipe for the Kick Off with Hass Avocados Recipe Contest, you and three of your best friends (or perhaps, whoever is willing to wash the dishes?) could be headed to California (with round-trip airfare and a free hotel for four nights!) for the Rose Bowl Game® on January 2nd and other great events.

If you’re looking for some ideas to get your creative juices flowing, be sure to check out the avocado recipes on the Hass Avocados site. You can also check out a few of my personal favorites…

Bacon Wrapped Guacamole Poppers

(Makes 20)

10 large jalapeño peppers

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 ripe Hass avocado

Juice from 1/2 lime

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

10 slices of bacon

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray a baking sheet lightly with cooking spray and set aside.

Prepare the jalapeño peppers but cutting off the stems and slicing them in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds.

To prepare the filling, mash together the cream cheese, avocado, lime juice, cumin, and salt until well combined (but leaving the avocado a bit chunky). Spoon the filling into the prepared jalapeño halves.

Cut the slices of bacon in half and tightly wrap one half-slice of bacon around each of the stuffed jalapeño halves. Arrange the bacon wrapped jalapeños on the baking sheet. Bake for about 15 – 20 minutes, until the bacon is cooked and crisp and the filling is bubbly. Transfer the cooked poppers to a plate lined with paper towels before placing them on a serving dish to remove any excess grease. Serve immediately.