Bacon-Wrapped Dates with Blue Cheese or Gorgonzola
You just need three ingredients to make these easy Bacon-Wrapped Dates! Fill them with blue cheese or Gorgonzola and dip them in soy sauce. They're even delicious plain!
Use a knife to make a slit in each date, without cutting all the way through.
Fill each date with about a teaspoon of gorgonzola, pressing it into place. Gently squeeze the date as if to close it, to make the filling more secure.
Cut each strip of bacon in half horizontally, so you have strips about 3 ½ inches long. (It's easier to cut one strip of bacon at a time, then wrap it around a date.)
To wrap: Horizontally place a gorgonzola-stuffed date on top of a vertical bacon strip, about an inch from the bottom. Bring the bottom edge of the bacon over the date and continue rolling securely.
Place your wrapped dates, with the seam side down, on two ungreased, rimmed baking sheets.
Bake the dates for 15-20 minutes, or until the bacon is cooked through. Transfer the dates to a paper-towel-lined platter to absorb some of the bacon grease.
After a couple minutes, transfer the dates to your serving dish, provide toothpicks or mini-forks, and have soy sauce available for dipping.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Notes
Serving size & caloriesThe calories listed are for two bacon-wrapped dates without any dipping sauce.Gorgonzola vs. Blue CheeseGorgonzola is Italian blue cheese. It's milder than regular blue cheese and is made from cow's milk.You can use either one here, or even another blue cheese variety. But, if you don't want these bacon appetizers to be boldly zesty, go with the Gorgonzola. Can you use a different cheese?If you're not a fan of blue cheese or Gorgonzola, you could try these with goat cheese or cream cheese. They'll be more mild. Or, try feta for a saltier contrast to the sweet dates.Can you use a different dipping sauce?You can certainly try something besides soy sauce, or even eat these plain. I prefer the umami flavor from soy sauce here and found that balsamic glaze didn't work well with these dates.