- 32
- 20 mins
- 60 mins
Ingredients
- Chorizo Filled Variation:
- 1 pound sliced bacon, cut in half; par cooked
- 1 pound pitted dates
- 4 ounces blue cheese
- Almonds
- Brown Sugar
- 1 small Spanish chorizo sausage (about 2 ounces), casing removed
- 24 Medjool dates, pitted
- 12 slices of bacon, halved crosswise
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Slice dates in half, and open them up. Pinch off pieces of blue cheese, and place them into the center of the dates along with an almond. Take bacon slices and coat lightly with brown sugar. Close the halves of the dates, and wrap a half-slice of the coated bacon around the outside. Secure each one with a toothpick. Arrange in a baking dish or on a baking sheet with sides to catch any grease.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bacon is crisp. Turn dates over after the first 20 minutes for even cooking.
Serve with a Balsamic Reduction Sauce.
Chorizo Variation:
Slice the chorizo crosswise in thirds. Halve each piece lengthwise, then cut each half into 4 lengthwise strips to make a total of 24 small sticks.
Tuck a chorizo stick into each date and pinch the dates closed. Wrap a strip of bacon around each date and secure with a toothpick.
Place the wrapped dates in a large skillet, seam sides down, and sauté, turning, until the bacon is browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.