Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed With Blue Cheese

Bacon, blue cheese, and dates make the perfect sweet and salty combo. This is my go-to party appetizer, because it is super easy to make and always a crowd pleaser. I discovered it once at a friend's party, and I have been addicted ever since.

You probably recognize this appetizer because I've posted it on my blog before. I wasn't thrilled about how the pictures in the original post turned up, so I decided to do an update post. I love this appetizer so much that I had to do it justice with better pics!

Ingredients:

• 1 package of dried, pitted dates (about 30 dates)
• 1 container crumbled blue cheese
• 1 (12 oz.) package of bacon (cut raw bacon strips in the middle if they are very long strips)

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
• Slice each date on top, stuff with as much blue cheese as it can hold, wrap in bacon, and secure with a tooth pick. Repeat with the remaining dates. Simple right?
• Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, or until bacon is crispy. Usually i also like to turn the dates halfway through so that they crisp up evenly on all sides. 
• Serve warm.  

Note: If you're taking it to a friend's house, bake the dates for about 10 minutes at your place so you are not traveling with raw bacon. When you arrive at your destination, bake for another 5 minutes or so until bacon is crispy. 

 

Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza

Here is a recipe in honor of National Cheeseburger Day. Yes, there is such a day and yes, it is in fact today! I have no idea who makes up these days, but I'm not complaining because I get to share this amazing recipe with you. You might be thinking that there is no way pickles on a pizza would taste good. In fact, it is probably one of the most amazing combos ever. And of course, I had to turn it up a notch by adding bacon and making it a BACON cheeseburger pizza. So delicious!!

Ingredients:

• 1 can of Pillsbury pizza crust
• 1/2 lb of ground beef
• 1/3 cup diced white onion
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 lb of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup mustard
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp relish 
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• dill pickle slices

Recipe:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a baking pan with cooking spray.
• Press the pizza dough in the pan and bake crust for 8 minutes. 
• In a large skillet, brown the beef and onion. Drain. Add Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to taste.
• In a small bowl, add the ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and relish.
• Remove crust from the oven and spread the sauce on evenly. Sprinkle on half of the cheese.
• Sprinkle on the beef mixture and bacon. Top with remaining cheese.
• Bake for 6-10 minutes or until cheese has melted and crust is golden brown.
• Top with pickle slices  and serve.

Bacon-Wrapped Blue Cheese Stuffed Dates

Check out the updated recipe here ---> http://www.girlsgonefood.org/2017/03/bacon-wrapped-dates-stuffed-with-blue.html

Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots

Today I was looking through my pictures and came across the one below.

 I made this appetizer months ago and it was a huge hit. I can't believe that I forgot to post it.

It's nothing fancy....

(the original recipe doesn't call it "tasty trashy taters" for nothing..)

It's not healthy...

(it's fried, oozing with cheese, AND wrapped with bacon and sugar...)

But it sure does taste good thanks to the salty bacon and sweet brown sugar! 

In my opinion salty and sweet is the best combo.

This would be PERFECT for the next time the man in your life invites all his buddies over.

Not to be sexist, but this just screams man food for me.

It's probably because my boyfriend loves anything that is wrapped in bacon haha. 

I'll certainly be saving this recipe for football season.

Football, beer, and trashy taters...

Sounds good to me!

Recipe Source: The Chew

Ingredients:

• 1/2 bag tater tots (thaw to room temperature)
• 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (cut into tiny blocks-about 1/4 inch)
• frank's hot sauce
• 16 ounces of bacon strips (cut strips in half)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Recipe:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Line a cookie sheet with foil.
• Create an assembly line to make the tater tots:
• First, cut a small whole in the tater and place a cube of cheese in the opening.
• Dash tater with hot sauce. 
• Wrap the tater with bacon and secure with a toothpick.
•  Roll the bacon bundle in brown sugar. 
• Place on baking sheet. 
• Repeat with each tater.
• Bake for 10 minutes. 
• Flip tater tots over and bake for a remaining 5-10 minutes.

On another note, this is my first week co-hosting Tasty Tuesdays over at Anyonita Nibbles.

Link up below!
 

Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta with Bacon and Veggies

Hi everyone! I'm Sarah - I blog over at Fantastical Sharing of Recipes. I'm excited that Lauren was willing to let me take over the blog for a day :) Fantastical Sharing is my way of documenting (and sharing) all the recipes I test out. I'm a cooking/baking maniac. My family strives on variety and I try to stay away from prepared or boxed meals as much as possible.

I have been exploring foods lately that I have never tried including "weird" cheeses like Gruyere and super secretive things like pesto. I always thought pesto was some kind of concoction that only vegetarians ate. Don't ask me where I got that from - I don't have an answer.

Anyways, one day I stumbled across a blog post sharing a pesto recipe (I think on Chef in Training). I looked at the ingredients and my jaw dropped. Everything in pesto was something I would eat and something all of my family would eat. So now I'm definitely trying to be careful of what I assume of foods. Most likely it isn't true!

This recipe combines some of my favorite things, like pasta, broccoli, and bacon, with pesto, beans, and chicken. It's fantastic. There are many different textures and flavors in each bite - it was such a hit at my table!


Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta with Bacon and Veggies (Print)


from Picky Palate

What you need:

• 2 Tbsp. EVOO
• 2 chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper
• 1 lb. mini bowties
• 2 Tbsp. EVOO
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 2 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 15 oz. white beans
• 15 oz. chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup prepared basil pesto (I used this one from Savory Sweet Life)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions:

1. Heat 2 Tbsp. EVOO in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken for 4 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Remove to a plate and set aside.
2. Cook bowties al dente, rinse, and drain. Set aside.
3. Heat 2 Tbsp. EVOO in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, pepper, garlic, and broccoli. Saute for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, slice chicken into strips, cubes, or bite-size pieces - whatever you prefer. Set aside.
5. Stir in beans, broth, cream, pesto, and Parmesan. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to heat everything through.
6. Add bacon, pasta, and chicken. Heat through.

Loaded Baked Potato Dip

 I am so behind in all my posts! I cook things, take pictures of them, and then never post them! I am embarrassed to say I made this dip on memorial day....which was almost a month ago....oops! Summer is really flying by! I feel like it has something to do with summer classes. As I wish my semester away, I'm also wishing away my summer. :(  Thankfully, there is only 3 weeks left to go (YAY!). 

So basically I made this dip because I really wanted to make something different and unique. This dip turned out to be delicious. It tastes exactly like a loaded potato! What else could be better than bacon, sour cream, cheese, and chives. Serve with ruffle potato chips and you have the perfect dip. :)

Today I found a blog post with a collection of all different types of dips (loaded baked potato included!). You can check it out here. As the summer goes on I'm going to try to make as many of these as I can. Don't they look delicious?!

Recipe Source: My Recipes

Ingredients:

• 1 (2.1-oz.) package bacon 
• 1 (16-oz.) container sour cream
• 2 cups (8 oz.) freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup sliced fresh chives
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• Garnishes: cooked, crumbled bacon; sliced fresh chives; freshly cracked pepper
• Ruffle potato chips

Recipe:

• Cook bacon until crispy.  Drain excess oil on paper towels. Crumble into small pieces.
• Mix bacon, sour cream, cheese, chives, and hot sauce together.
• Garnish with bacon, chives, and cheese
• Serve with ruffle potato chips and dig in!!