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Bacon Wrapped Dates stuffed with goat cheese and smothered in a simple red wine reduction. A tasty and ELEGANT appetizer!

Sometimes, you have a dish at a restaurant that you never forget. The Bacon Wrapped Dates at Avenues Bistro in Kansas City is one of those dishes for me. It’s on their appetizer menu, and man, they are perfect.

They’re chewy, salty, sweet, and smothered with the most incredible red wine reduction. Luckily, I used to live within walking distance of Avenues, and would mosey over there every week for a glass of wine and those incredible Bacon Wrapped Dates.

A few years ago, we moved to a new neighborhood, which puts me over 30 minutes away from my favorite appetizer using dates!

So, I was forced to sort out the recipe on my own, and I think I’ve gotten dang close to recreating their fantastic Bacon Wrapped Dates!

But, I made one major modification, which was that I now stuff my Bacon Wrapped Dates with Goat Cheese.

Alternatively, you can stuff the dates with cooked chorizo or whole almonds for a change of pace! 

It is important to use high quality, thick cut bacon for this recipe so that the bacon does not shrivel up!

It’s so important that you choose high quality bacon that hasn’t been injected with water and fillers. Why? Because you bake these Bacon Wrapped Dates for a long time, and the bacon will shrink down.

If you use cheap bacon, it will shrivel and only cover a tiny fraction of the date! Ideally, you want bacon in every single bite. I love bacon that is dry cured, slow smoked, good quality bacon, which makes it the perfect choice!

I recommend serving these Bacon Wrapped Dates as an appetizer for the holidays. This recipe will make enough for about 8 people, each eating 2-3 dates. 

Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Goat Cheese

Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Goat Cheese

Yield: 24 dates
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Bacon Wrapped Dates stuffed with goat cheese and smothered in a simple red wine reduction, using Burgers’ Bacon!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound thick cut bacon
  • 1 pound dates, pitted
  • 2 ounces goat cheese

For the sauce:

  • 1 cup red wine
  • ½ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Line a large baking tray with aluminum foil, and then place a cookie cooling rack within the tray. This will keep the bacon from getting soggy in the grease that cooks off the bacon.
  3. Stuff each date with a dab of goat cheese, and then wrap with about a half a slice of bacon. Secure with a toothpick.
  4. Place each wrapped date on the cooking rack nestled within the tray. Bake for at least 30 minutes, checking frequently. When the bacon is mostly crispy, but not burned, remove from the oven.
  5. For the sauce, combine wine, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Stir well to combine. Heat on medium high until the liquid boils, then allow to simmer until the sauce is reduces to a thick syrup. At this point, add the rosemary and salt, then remove from heat.
  6. Plate the wrapped dates and drizzle red wine reduction over the top.
  7. Serve warm or at room temperature, both are delicious.
Nutrition Information
Yield 24 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 138Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 13mgSodium 148mgCarbohydrates 20gFiber 2gSugar 14gProtein 4g

The nutrition for this recipe is calculated by an app, and may be incorrect.

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© Michelle Goth
Category: Appetizer Recipes