Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Herbed Goat Cheese and Mascarpone

Everything is better with bacon!

I have had bacon wrapped dates a number of times, and love the sweet and savory flavors together. The only problem is that they can easily become very heavy in flavor and texture. With all of the football games going on right now, I wanted to come up with a great bacon wrapped date appetizer that wasn’t as dense.

Bacon and dates already have the great balance of sweet and salty, but the other flavors that were missing for me were acidity, creaminess, and brightness. As a filling for the dates, I mixed creamy mascarpone with tangy goat cheese. Then, to brighten everything up, I added in some fresh herbs. Once this mixture is stuffed in the date, wrapped with bacon, and baked, it really is perfection!

How to make perfect Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Herbed Goat Cheese and Mascarpone

*This may sound obvious, but use good dates. You want them to be large enough to be stuffed. Make sure to look for ones that don’t have a very tough exterior, or a “skin” around the outside. Don’t worry about buying ones that are pitted, because the pits are very easy to remove.

*Make sure the cheeses are room temperature. They will be easier to mix together.

*Lean towards less bacon. I like to find bacon that is cut thin, and only use half a piece. If you use thick bacon, as well as an entire piece, then the bacon will overpower everything else.

*Make sure to bake long enough so that the bacon is cooked, but be careful not to let it burn. 

Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Herbed Goat Cheese and Mascarpone

Author:

Maria Provenzano

Ingredients

• 15-20 dates

• 1/4 cup goat cheese, room temperature

• 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature

• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

• 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped; optional

• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 8-10 slices of bacon; depending on how many dates you are making; you will use a half slice of bacon per date

• toothpicks

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

2. Cut a slit into the top of the date, and remove the pit; repeat with each date

3. In a small bowl, combine the goat cheese, mascarpone cheese, fresh herbs, and honey

4. Stir until well combined

5. Fill each date with some of the cheese mixture, about a teaspoon or so

6. Cut each piece of bacon in half

7. Wrap the cut piece of bacon around the date, and secure it in place with a tooth pick; repeat with each date

8. Place the stuffed dates onto a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil

9. Bake until the bacon is cooked, and crispy, being careful not to let it burn though, about 20-30 minutes

10. Allow to cool slightly, and serve