They may not be pretty, but they sure are delicious!
Don’t judge a book by its cover. It’s true of these dates also. They look less than appealing. I completely agree and understand. BUT their flavor? It’s out of this world. Take a sweet and tender date. Stuff it with some cheese that melts nicely. Wrap it in a salty, cured meat. Roast for a few minutes. The result is an amazing finger food that you’ll want to hide so that they can be all for you. Give them a try. I think you’ll find you feel the same way.
Read on to learn more about this recipe, originally published in March 2010.
I feel very fortunate that I have the husband that I do. Many husbands complain about shopping, spending an afternoon in stores. My husband isn’t that sort of person. In fact, if we have a weekend day without plans, we enjoy spending time shopping, whether it be looking for clothes, rummaging through consignment shops, or checking out gourmet food shops.
This past Saturday was one of those days. After a late breakfast at a local restaurant, we headed to the mall and shopped for a couple hours. We found some great buys and fun clothes for each of us. Then we headed to a favorite grocery store and stocked up on meats, cheeses, and more. Initially we had planned on cooking a menu of snacks for our dinner, but our shopping took longer than planned. So, we saved that plan for Sunday evening.
We made three different munchies: barbecued beef on apple chips, tomato bruschetta on garlic crostini, and wrapped & stuffed dates. While we enjoyed all three dishes, the dates were our favorite. They had a wonderful combination of sweet and salty, chewy and crunchy. I think I could have eaten dozens of them.
The one negative aspect to this snack was their appearance. As they were brown and oval, they didn’t have the most aesthetically pleasing look. So, I would forewarn you to tell your fellow diners how delicious these are before they see them. I’m pretty certain if someone saw them without any information, he or she might decide to skip on trying them, and that would be a shame.
- 3 oz. firm, sharp cheese
- 24 medjool dates, pitted
- 8 slices pancetta, cut into thirds
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Cut goat cheese into 24 thin strips, about the size of matchsticks.
- Place one cheese strip inside each date.
- Wrap pancetta strip around date, and place on baking tray.
- Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until pancetta is crisp.
- Place on paper towel covered plate to drain excess grease, and then serve immediately.
[…] Valentine’s Day, my husband and I enjoyed a candlelight dinner at home. Our meal began with Wrapped & Stuffed Dates and shrimp cocktail. When shopping for the meal, I had assumed that we had cocktail sauce at […]