Always a hit at any party! A great snack & easily reheat-able

Prep. time: 20 min

Cook time: 16 min

Ingredients:

• 20 Medjool pitted dates*

• 1 pound aged Manchego cheese, cut into 20 blocks

• 10 slices bacon, cut in half

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Make an incision on one side of each date and insert a block of Manchego. Squeeze the date shut in your hand to secure. Wrap each date with a bacon strip and secure with a toothpick. Place all the dates on a sheet tray lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Roast the dates in the oven until the bacon on top is starting to crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn the dates over and cook the other side until the bacon crisps, roughly another 10 minutes.

*I’ve started to replace the cheese with an almond, which makes them dairy free and adds a bit of a crunch.

*I often get dates with pits in them and de-pit them myself with needle-nose pliers. By cutting the tip of the date off and pulling out the pit.

~Recipe is based on Anne Burrell’s from foodnetwork.com