Confession: before this recipe, I’d never eaten a date. I didn’t know what they were like and was curious about them. They don’t really look appetizing and appear on weird charcuterie boards so I tend to avoid them in favor of cheese. But when I read Bread and Wine there is a recipe for something that sounded so easy and so decadent at the same time I decided I needed to give it a try. Bacon-wrapped dates.

I searched through the Gucci Kroger and found some (Shauna calls for pitted but I overlooked that fact – however, the pit was very easy to remove so if you miss this step it’s not a problem). If you are looking for something delicious and amazing that you can make in under 30 minutes and wow everyone with your tasty dish this is the one for you. It requires very few ingredients and minimal prep, but the best part – almost no clean up. So go to the store tonight and grab:

8 oz of pitted dates (or not…see note above)
4oz of goat cheese
1 16oz package of bacon

I also bought a split of Prosecco because I heard these were delicious with Champagne and it’s true. You’ll want a drier bubbly since these tend to be on the sweet side, but it made for a perfect appetizer dinner. You may have to try really hard not to eat them all and save a few for your husband :)

Slice along one side of the dates but not all the way through so it opens like a little book.

Take a scoop of goat cheese and stuff the date and then close them back up.

Cut the bacon in half so each strip is now a half-strip.

Wrap 1/2 a piece of bacon around each date and lay seamside down on a foil covered pan (or in a baking dish). For making it this time I followed the recipe exactly but since I prefer salty things over sweet, next time I would wrap a second piece of bacon going the other way as well so it had more salt. I found the sweetness of the date read more like a dessert and less like a starter.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the bacon is crispy – or just a little under, it will harden more as it cools.

Pour some bubbly and enjoy!

Not the prettiest but super tasty!

Taken from Bread and Wine, by Shauna Niequist

 

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