Bacon-Wrapped Dates

Ingredients

1 lb. Indiana Kitchen thick-cut bacon cut in half

12 - 16 oz. (about 2 dozen) Medjool dates pitted

24 toothpicks

parchment paper and baking sheet

Serving: 24 bites

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. (Make sure your dates are pitted--you don't want your guests breaking a tooth! If not pitted, make a small incision in each date and remove the pit.)

3. Wrap each date in a half-slice of bacon and pin securely with a toothpick. Arrange on parchment paper on a baking sheet.

4. Bake for about 15 minutes. Then turn dates over, baking for another 15 to 20 minutes.

5. Serve warm or at room temperature. Dates can be made a day in advance and refrigerated.

Recipe Notes : Larger dates, about thumb-sized, work better. If desired, dates can be stuffed with a little something extra, like goat cheese, cream cheese, almonds or pecans!