When it comes to finding a fun appetizer that also has the “wow” factor, looking no further than an item that combines cheese, bacon and fruit. Granted, it’s tried fruit, but still the sweetness of the dates combined with the creaminess of the cheese and the salty bite of the bacon makes for a perfectly delicious delectable bite. Here is how to make bacon wrapped ricotta stuffed dates.
Things You’ll Need
- 1 package of “thick cut” bacon
- 25 dates
- 1/3 cup of ricotta cheese
Assembling the Bacon Wrapped Ricotta Stuffed Dates Appetizer
- Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Using a pair of kitchen scissors cut each strip of bacon in half in the middle of the strip. This will double the amount of bacon slices. (A package of thick cut bacon usually has 12 or 13 slices. This will yield one piece of bacon for each date.)
- Lay four or five pieces of bacon on a couple of paper towels and place in the microwave for one minute. This will partially cook the bacon before roasting. Repeat this process until all of the bacon has been pre-cooked.
- Remove the pit from each date. Using an olive or fruit pitter simply place the date in the middle of the pitter and squeeze down. The pit will pop right out.
- Place the ricotta into a plastic sandwich bag. Tighten the bag so that all of the cheese is forced to one corner of the bag.
- Slice a hole into the corner of the bag where the cheese is. This hole should be about the size of the hole that was left in the date after the pit was removed.
- Fill each date with ricotta cheese.
- Wrap each date with the partially cooked slice of bacon. Secure the bacon by using a tooth pick.
- Place the bacon wrapped ricotta filled dates on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Keep an eye on the bacon to be sure that it does not burn.
- Remove the bacon wrapped ricotta filled dates from the oven and allow them to cool for five minutes before serving to the guests.
Change the Cheese
This recipe can be easily amended by using a bevy of cheeses. Any soft cheese from brie to bleu, cream cheese and more can be substituted for the ricotta. Just be mindful of the fat content of the cheese. The higher the fat content, the quicker the cooking time, so that the cheese does not just melt. If substituting a high fat brie for example, cook the bacon longer in the microwave and reduce the roasting time in the oven.
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