Everything tastes better with bacon, and dates are no exception. These sweet dates are stuffed with the rich, buttery Manchego cheese and then wrapped with salty, crispy bacon creating a delicious combination.
Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Manchego make a perfect starter for any dinner entertaining and it is a MUST MAKE Spanish Tapas recipe!
It is hard to make dates pretty…. And well, I just haven't figured out how to do it. None-the-less, these bacon wrapped dates do taste amazing!
I wouldn't touch dates as a child. They just looked gross to me. It was another foolish mistake I made in my youth.
A friend made me try them one day after roasting them in the oven. I was like, "Sweet Heaven! What have I been missing?" I loved the sweet, rich, caramel, vanilla taste the dates become when roasted. I certainly didn't stop at one…
Then I tried bacon wrapped dates. The sweet and salty were the perfect combination. They were wicked good!
Manchego cheese
Recently, I had to write an article for City View Magazine, called "Tapa Time!" featuring tapas. Dates were an easy pick to include.
How do you make bacon wrapped dates taste even better? Stuff them with cheese. Keeping with the Spanish Tapas theme, I stuffed them with the Manchego Cheese.
The Manchego Cheese has a very distinctive flavor. It is a full-developed cheese with buttery, salty flavors and a medium sharpness. The cheese integrates magnificently with the dates and bacon.
How to make bacon wrapped dates
Bacon wrapped dates are super easy! Follow these steps:
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Partially cook bacon, stopping before it becomes crispy.
- Chop Manchego cheese into small chunks, sized to stuff in dates.
- Remove seed from dates.
- Stuff dates with Manchego.
- Wrap dates with bacons, securing with toothpicks.
- Cook in oven for 10 minutes or until bacon becomes fully crispy.
Note: Serve with or without toothpicks.
Tip: Add some red pepper flakes if you like a little heat.
How to select dates?
Look for soft, shiny, unbroken dates. These will be the freshest with the best flavor.
I love the salty, sweet, and spicy combination of these bacon dates stuffed with Manchego cheese. They are great for parties. Or you can make them all for yourself… with a little glass of wine…. or pomegrante sangria.... Because life is short, why not?
More Tapas recipes:
If you like this recipe, check out:
- Moroccan-Style Crispy Roasted Potatoes
- Spanish Garlic Shrimp
- Sweet Potato Bites with Goat Cheese
- Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Cucumber Bites
- Italian Marinated Mushrooms
- Lamb Meatballs
- Cuban Sandwich on a Stick
Please leave me a comment below if you make the bacon wrapped dates and tell me what you thought about it. I would love to hear back, and so would my readers.
Also post your picture of your dates on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtags! I will share with my followers! xoxo!
Recipe
Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Manchego
Ingredients
- 12 medium sized dates
- 6 oz Manchego Cheese
- 6 slices bacon
- 12 tooth picks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Partially cook 6 slices of bacon, stopping before it becomes crispy.
- Chop 6 oz Manchego cheese into 12 small blocks, sized to stuff in dates.
- Remove seed from 12 dates.
- Stuff dates with Manchego.
- Wrap dates with bacons, securing with toothpicks.
- Cook in oven for 10 minutes or until bacon becomes fully crispy.
- Serve with or without toothpicks.
