Bacon Wrapped Blue Cheese Stuffed Dates

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Sweet, creamy, sharp and smoky, these Bacon Wrapped Blue Cheese Stuffed Dates are perfect for your next party!  3 ingredients and super simple, these are sure to be your next go to appetizer for all those upcoming holiday festivities.

How was everyone’s Thanksgiving? Ours was fantastic so now that our bellies are full and so are our hearts, shall we move on to “the most wonderful time of the year?”  I’ve been blasting the Christmas music nonstop in the house, car and anywhere else I can play it as it just makes me so happy. There’s something about Frank Sinatra and N’Sync that put me right into the spirit. I have to admit that Christmas is my favorite holiday.  Nothing makes me happier all year, than setting up our Christmas tree.  It’s a collection of ornaments from when I was little, from our first year’s of marriage and from the sweet memories we are making with our children.  I could spend all day just admiring its beauty and all the memories it holds.

But let’s be real, Christmas and all of its beauty, can be chaotic  It’s all about the hustle and bustle.  I usually start shopping late summer but I was a major slacker this year and just started, like last week. Oops.  Now I’m scrambling trying to get together a list of all the “I want this and I want that’s”  I hear on a daily basis.  Luckily, for me, my kids are pretty simple to buy for.   Dinos for the boy and princesses for the girl.  That I can handle.

Along with all the hustle and bustle comes all of the holiday gatherings.  We are booked solid, every weekend in December, for some type of party.  We have a cookie party, cheesy sweater party with our college friends, neighborhood Christmas party, then it’s Christmas Day with family and then an New Years Eve Party.  Needless to say, I’ve got no time for anything else, we are jam-packed.  But again, it’s the most wonderful time of the year and I’d rather be nowhere else than in the company of the ones I love.

And at every social gathering you are sure to find food and lots of it, but what do you bring?  Definitely not a fruit cake or a cheese log, you want to bring something that is going to WOW your friends and family.  So with the upcoming festivities we have I was on a mission to find something I could bring to every party that wouldn’t take up a lot of my time, as hence, I have none this month.  I also wanted to think of something that else would enjoy, a finger food, so while you’re mingling, you don’t have to worry about a fork and knife and something that’s easily transportable.  The answer to that question, Bacon.  Who doesn’t love bacon?  What’s even better is I’m stuffing blue cheese inside of a date and wrapping the whole package in said bacon.  It’ll be smoky, creamy and sweet, a perfect love triangle.

While I was shopping in Kroger for bacon, I wanted to try something a little more heartier, thicker and bigger than the usual bacon I buy.  On hand, I usually have the thin slices of bacon but I wanted something that had thick, robust flavor so I opted to purchase Wright® Brand Bacon.  I went for the smoked kind but they also had Applewood, in the meat area, of my Kroger, which sounded delicious and I could see right alongside my pancakes and eggs in the morning.  I was also happy to see it came in a larger package, 24 ounces, than most other brands.  As I’d be bringing this to a party, I would need all the bacon I could get to feed the hungry guests. 

I also grabbed a package of dates and a wedge of blue cheese.  I promptly ran home to see how this idea in my head, would all pan out.

At the store, I could only find the dates that had pits in them.  Therefore, when I got home I sliced open each date, discarded the pit and stuffed in as much blue cheese that would fit.  I sealed up the date, making sure to cover as much blue cheese as possible and set them aside.

Next I took out 1 thick slice of bacon and cut it in half.  I wrapped each half of bacon around 1 date, inserted a toothpick and placed them on a baking sheet.

Popped them into a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes and they were done.  The aroma wafting through the house was enough to make me check the timer on my oven several times in that 25 minutes span.  The smell of smoky bacon was all through the house and I was just dying to try one of these bad boys.  So much so, that I burned the roof of my mouth as I couldn’t wait any longer.  At first bite, it was true love.  I’m a big fan of blue cheese, as you can see in from the Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels and Strawberry Basil Bleu Burgers,  and I love bacon and dates too.  When they are all put together in one bite size appetizer, it was enough to have me doing flips at how good they were.

These Bacon Wrapped Blue Cheese Stuffed Dates are the perfect appetizer for any party.  Super simple, three ingredients and minimal time in the oven.  They look fancy but they aren’t at all complicated.  Your guests will love these and you’ll love just how easy they are to make.  I’ll be promptly going back to Kroger to stock up on Wright® Brand Bacon for all these upcoming parties I am bringing dishes to.

Print

Bacon Wrapped Blue Cheese Stuffed Dates

Prep 10 mins

Cook 25 mins

Total 35 mins

Author Strawberry Blondie Kitchen

Yield 16 servings

Sweet, creamy, sharp and smoky, these Bacon Wrapped Blue Cheese Stuffed Dates are perfect for your next party! 3 ingredients and super simple, these are sure to be your next go to appetizer for all those upcoming holiday festivities.

Ingredients

• 1- 24 oz package Wright® Brand Bacon
• 16 Medjool dates, pitted
• 3.5 ounces blue cheese, softened

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Into each pitted date, place 1 teaspoon blue cheese
3. Seal up the date, around the blue cheese, making sure to cover as much as possible
4. Cut each slice of bacon in half.
5. Take each half and wrap it around 1 stuffed date.
6. Insert a toothpick and place on a jelly roll pan.
7. Bake in an oven for 25-30 minutes or until bacon is crisp.

Courses Appetizer

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 16 servings

Amount Per Serving
Calories 117
% Daily Value
Total Fat 4 g		6%
	Saturated Fat 2 g	10%
Cholesterol 10 mg		3%
Sodium 168 mg		7%
Total Carbohydrates 18 g		6%
	Dietary Fiber 2 g	8%
	Sugars 16 g
Protein 4 g		8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

I’m looking forward to making these for all our upcoming parties.  They are quite the showstopper of an appetizer and with 3 ingredients even the busiest of people could whip them up in a snap!  I’m also thinking about experimenting with the different varieties that Wright® Brand Bacon has to offer.  I’m thinking Barrel aged bourbon and brown sugar flavored would be exceptionally good.  To learn more about Wright® Brand Bacon, explore recipes and to locate in a store near you, check out their website.

Just look at the ooey gooey cheese in the middle of that date.  All wrapped to perfection in a smoky delicious piece of bacon.  Make sure you bring extras as your guests won’t be able to have just one!

How do you spend your holidays?  Does your party food revolve around bacon like mine does?  If so, what’s your favorite dish and/or appetizer to prepare?

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