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Irresistible Bacon-Wrapped Blue Cheese Stuffed Dates: Your Go-To Holiday Appetizer
Sweet, creamy, sharp, and smoky – these Bacon-Wrapped Blue Cheese Stuffed Dates are the quintessential appetizer for your next gathering! With just three simple ingredients and minimal effort, they are poised to become your favorite show-stopping bite for all the upcoming holiday festivities. Prepare to impress your guests with this delightful combination of flavors and textures.
Embracing the Magic of the Holiday Season
After a wonderful Thanksgiving, our hearts are full and our bellies satisfied, signaling the official start of “the most wonderful time of the year.” The sound of Christmas music has become the constant soundtrack in my home, car, and anywhere else I can play it. There’s something undeniably magical about the festive tunes, from classic crooners like Frank Sinatra to upbeat pop anthems, that instantly sets the holiday spirit ablaze. For me, Christmas isn’t just a holiday; it’s a feeling, a cherished time of warmth and togetherness. Nothing brings me more joy than decorating our Christmas tree each year.
Our tree is a living scrapbook of memories, adorned with ornaments collected since my childhood, those marking our first years of marriage, and new ones added with each sweet memory we create with our children. Every bauble tells a story, and I could spend hours just admiring its beauty and the rich tapestry of memories it holds. It’s a tradition that grounds us and fills our home with love.
Navigating the Holiday Hustle and Bustle
While the holidays are truly beautiful, they can also be undeniably chaotic. It’s a season defined by hustle and bustle, from gift shopping to party planning. I usually begin my holiday shopping in late summer, but this year, I confess, I was a major procrastinator and only started last week! Now I’m scrambling to compile a list of all the “I want this and I want that” requests I hear daily. Thankfully, my kids are relatively easy to shop for: dinosaurs for my boy, princesses for my girl. That, I can handle, allowing me to focus on the other delightful, albeit demanding, aspects of the season.
Along with the flurry of gift-buying comes a packed schedule of holiday gatherings. Our calendar is booked solid every weekend in December, filled with various parties. We have a lively cookie exchange, a cheesy sweater party with our college friends, a warm neighborhood Christmas party, then the grand celebration of Christmas Day with family, and finally, a festive New Year’s Eve bash. Needless to say, my schedule is jam-packed, leaving little time for anything else. But despite the whirlwind, it truly is the most wonderful time of the year, and there’s nowhere I’d rather be than in the joyful company of the ones I love, sharing laughter, stories, and of course, delicious food.
The Quest for the Perfect Party Appetizer
Every social gathering revolves around food, and often, lots of it. But what do you bring that truly stands out? You want to avoid the predictable fruitcake or the standard cheese log. The goal is to bring something that will genuinely “WOW” your friends and family, an appetizer that sparks conversation and leaves a lasting impression. With my busy December schedule, I was on a mission to discover a party food that was not only delicious but also incredibly easy to prepare and transport. I needed a finger food that guests could enjoy while mingling, without the hassle of a fork and knife.
The answer, as it so often is, was bacon! Who can resist the crispy, savory allure of bacon? But I wanted to elevate it beyond simple strips. My vision: stuffing sweet Medjool dates with pungent blue cheese and then wrapping this delightful package in thick-cut bacon. The result promised to be a harmonious blend of smoky, creamy, and sweet flavors – a perfect love triangle in every bite. This unique combination ensures a sophisticated yet approachable appetizer that everyone will adore.
Selecting the Stars of the Show: Wright® Brand Bacon
During my shopping trip to Kroger, I specifically sought out a heartier, thicker, and more robust bacon than my usual choice. While thin-sliced bacon has its place, for this recipe, I needed something that would truly stand up to the blue cheese and dates, providing a substantial, smoky flavor. That’s when I decided to purchase Wright® Brand Bacon. I chose their classic smoked variety, but I also spotted their Applewood Smoked Bacon in the meat section, which sounded absolutely delicious and perfect alongside pancakes and eggs for a hearty breakfast.
I was also pleased to find that Wright® Brand Bacon came in a generous 24-ounce package, larger than many other brands. Knowing I’d be bringing these appetizers to multiple parties, having ample bacon was essential to feed all the hungry guests. The quality and thickness of Wright® Brand Bacon are unmatched, ensuring that each bite of my Bacon-Wrapped Blue Cheese Stuffed Dates would deliver a satisfying crunch and deep, smoky flavor. This premium bacon truly makes all the difference in this three-ingredient wonder.
I also picked up a package of plump Medjool dates and a wedge of high-quality blue cheese. Eager to bring my culinary vision to life, I promptly rushed home to begin experimenting and see how this delightful idea would pan out in the kitchen.
Crafting the Perfect Appetizer: Step-by-Step Guide
At the store, I could only find dates with pits, which meant a small extra step back home. I carefully sliced open each date, removed the pit, and then generously stuffed the cavity with as much softened blue cheese as it could hold. The goal was to create a substantial, creamy center. After stuffing, I gently sealed up the date, ensuring the blue cheese was mostly enclosed, and set them aside on a platter, ready for the next stage of transformation.
Next, I prepared the star ingredient: Wright® Brand Bacon. I took one thick slice of bacon and cut it in half, creating two shorter strips. Each half was then meticulously wrapped around a single blue cheese-stuffed date. To secure the bacon and ensure it held its shape during baking, I inserted a toothpick through the wrapped date. Once assembled, these delectable bites were carefully arranged on a baking sheet, ready for their brief but transformative journey in the oven.
The Culinary Revelation: From Oven to Absolute Delight
I popped the baking sheet into a preheated 350-degree oven for approximately 25 minutes. During that baking time, the most incredible aroma began to waft through the house. The scent of smoky, sizzling bacon filled every corner, making me check the timer several times in eager anticipation. The wait was almost unbearable! As soon as they were out of the oven, glistening and perfectly crisp, I couldn’t resist. I burned the roof of my mouth in my impatience, but it was absolutely worth it.
With the very first bite, it was true love. As a long-time fan of blue cheese, evident in my Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels and Strawberry Basil Bleu Burgers, and equally passionate about bacon and dates, this combination was pure genius. The smoky crispness of the Wright® Brand Bacon perfectly complemented the sweet, caramel-like chewiness of the date, which in turn gave way to the sharp, creamy tang of the blue cheese. It was an explosion of flavors and textures, a perfectly balanced bite-sized appetizer that had me doing flips over how incredibly good they were.
These Bacon-Wrapped Blue Cheese Stuffed Dates are truly the ultimate appetizer for any party. They are incredibly simple to make, requiring only three key ingredients and minimal oven time. Despite their fancy appearance, they are far from complicated, making them accessible even for novice cooks. Your guests will undoubtedly adore these flavorful bites, and you’ll love how effortlessly they come together. I’m already planning a trip back to Kroger to stock up on more Wright® Brand Bacon for all the upcoming holiday gatherings where I’ll be sharing these crowd-pleasing appetizers.
Print Recipe
Bacon Wrapped Blue Cheese Stuffed Dates
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Total Time:
Author: Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
Yields: 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
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- For each pitted date, carefully place about 1 teaspoon of softened blue cheese into the cavity.
- Gently seal up the date around the blue cheese, ensuring the cheese is as covered as possible.
- Cut each slice of thick-cut bacon in half.
- Take each half of bacon and tightly wrap it around one stuffed date.
- Insert a toothpick through the date and bacon to secure it, then place on a jelly roll pan or baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy and golden brown.
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.
More Than Just an Appetizer: A Holiday Showstopper
I am eagerly looking forward to preparing these Bacon-Wrapped Blue Cheese Stuffed Dates for all our upcoming holiday celebrations. They are truly quite the showstopper of an appetizer, guaranteed to elicit compliments and requests for the recipe. The beauty of this dish lies in its simplicity: with only three main ingredients, even the busiest individuals can whip them up in a snap. The minimal effort belies the sophisticated flavor, making them ideal for entertaining without added stress.
Beyond the classic smoked bacon, I’m already envisioning experimenting with the various enticing varieties that Wright® Brand Bacon has to offer. I believe their Barrel Aged Bourbon or Brown Sugar flavored bacon would be exceptionally good in this recipe, adding another layer of complex flavor that could elevate these appetizers even further. The possibilities for customization are endless, allowing you to tailor this dish to your guests’ preferences or your culinary adventurousness.
To learn more about the full range of Wright® Brand Bacon products, discover even more delicious recipes, and find a store near you, be sure to visit their official website. Their commitment to thick-cut, quality bacon truly makes a difference in recipes like this, where bacon is not just an accompaniment but a star ingredient.
Just gaze at that ooey-gooey blue cheese peeking out from the heart of the date, all wrapped to perfection in a smoky, delicious piece of crispy bacon. These savory-sweet morsels are so addictive that your guests won’t be able to stop at just one, so make sure you prepare extras! Trust me, they’ll vanish quickly from your appetizer platter.
Join the Conversation: Your Holiday Traditions
How do you spend your holidays? Do your party food traditions revolve around bacon as much as mine do? If so, what’s your favorite bacon-centric dish or appetizer to prepare for your loved ones? Share your culinary secrets and holiday stories in the comments below! I always love hearing about new ideas and traditions.