Dates and bacon make the perfect sweet and salty appetizers with a little blue cheese in the middle to balance out the flavors. Note: the amounts will vary based on the size of the date and how many strips of bacon you have in the package. You can use other dried dates than Medjool dates, they are likely going to be smaller so you’ll need more.
Author: Gravel & Dine
Recipe type: Appetizers
Serves: 26
Ingredients
26 Medjool dates, approximately
12 oz package of bacon
Blue cheese, about a cup crumbled
Maple syrup
Instructions
Carefully pit the dates by making a slit the long way through one side of the date. Use the tip of your knife to pry the pit up and remove with your fingers.
Layout back on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place in a cool oven and turn on to 400 degrees. Cook about 7 to 10 minutes until bacon starts to render fat but doesn’t turn crispy, this will vary based on your specific oven.
Stuff dates with 1-2 teaspoons of blue cheese. Press the edges of the dates together around the blue cheese.
Cut the bacon into strips long enough to wrap around a date. Wrap bacon around the dates and secure with a toothpick.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place stuffed and wrapped dates onto a baking sheet lined with parchment.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with maple syrup. Bake for another 5 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe by Gravel & Dine at https://gravelanddine.com/bacon-wrapped-blue-cheese-stuffed-dates/