Hot Honey Bacon Wrapped Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates

 

Dates are highly underrated.

I think I spent about 35 years on this planet before I ever had a date. Why? I don't know. Maybe they weren't readily available in the 80's or 90's or maybe nobody knew what to make with them. Or maybe people just overlooked them and only stumbled on delicious date recipes recently. Or maybe everyone knew and I just missed out for years.

Whatever the case, you should put dates on your holiday menu! They are like nature's candy. Sweet and chewy and they go perfectly with some tangy goat cheese all wrapped up in some crispy, salty bacon with a little hot honey drizzled over them. 

These Hot Honey Bacon Wrapped Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates are somewhat of a texture and explosion: chewy, crispy, creamy, sticky, sweet, cheesy, and salty. If you love dates, then these are for you!

Hot Honey Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Dates

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 10-20

2o Medjool dates

10 slices bacon

4 ounces goat cheese

hot honey, for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 400F. Slice the dates open lengthwise (do not cut the entire way through!) and remove the pits. Stuff the inside of the dates with some of the goat cheese. 

Cut each slice of bacon into half or thirds (depending on the length of your bacon). You want a length of bacon that will wrap around your dates without overlapping (overlapping bacon won't cook well). Secure with a toothpick. Place the dates on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for easy clean up.

Bake for 10 minutes, then flip the dates over using tongs and bake for 10 minutes more, or until the bacon is crispy and crunchy on all sides.

Remove the dates and drizzle with hot honey. Serve immediately! 

 

Festive Snacks @ I Heart Cooking Clubs

Hot Honey Roasted Salmon

 This is such a fun and easy recipe! If you want to hop on the hot honey trend, this is a good way to do it. You don't need to buy any hot honey because you're gonna make it yourself! And...it's easy peasy. Just honey and thinly sliced jalapeno that simmers for about 5 minutes on the stove-top and you're all set. The honey gets a little spicy and the jalapeno slices get all candied and all kinds of delicious.

 The salmon gets seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and lemon slices, then topped with the hot honey before getting roasted and after. It's the perfect mix of sweet and spicy and those candied jalapenos are tasty as ever.

Give this one a try if you're in the mood to shake things up!

 

Hot Honey Roasted Salmon

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 4

1/2 cup honey

1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced

1 (2 pound) salmon filet

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 lemon, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment. 

Heat the honey and the jalapeno in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Let the honey come to a light simmer then turn off the honey. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Strain the honey through a fine mesh sieve to remove the peppers and the seeds.

Place your salmon filet on the foil and sprinkle it with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Spoon a few tablespoons of the honey on top. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.

Before serving, drizzle a bit more honey on the salmon and add the peppers if you wish. Serve with an extra spritz of lemon.

 

Mark Bittman's Make Ahead Gravy

 Make ahead gravy is an essential part of my Thanksgiving dinner. I make a turkey stock weeks in advance, saving some drippings, so that I can make the gravy a day or two before Thanksgiving.

Once you've got the homemade stock, then the gravy is easy as can be. A stick of butter and an onion, some flour to thicken, and just whisk the gravy in until you have the consistency you desire!

The pack up the gravy, saving a little extra stock so that you can thin the gravy on the big day, and you're all set! On Thanksgiving, simply heat up the gravy in a pan, adding the saved stock to thin if necessary and you're all set.

An essential and delicious part of the Thanksgiving feast that can be made relatively fuss-free and easy as can be! I love this recipe!

                                                        

Mark Bittman's Make Ahead Gravy

Adapted from The New York Times

Serves 6-8

 1 stick butter

1 chopped onion

1/2 cup flour

salt and pepper, to taste

4 to 5 cups warm chicken or turkey stock

chicken or turkey drippings

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on the onions, stirring constantly, and cook until flour is golden to brown. Adjust heat so mixture does not burn.

Gradually whisk in 4 cups of stock until mixture thickens and is smooth. If it is too thick, add more stock. Cool. Cover and chill.

When ready to serve, reheat mixture over low heat, stirring. Scrape bottom of chicken or turkey pan and add drippings to gravy. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve, adding more stock if necessary to thin.

 Pilgrim Plates @ I Heart Cooking Clubs

 

 

Maple Brown Sugar Applesauce

 
If you're spending a lazy day at home, there is nothing like the smell of homemade applesauce bubbling away on the stove. The scent of fresh apple mingling with the caramel notes of brown sugar and maple syrup is so comforting.

This is an autumn-spiced applesauce with a good dose of cinnamon, clove, ginger, and nutmeg. It's perfect for enjoying all on it's own, with oatmeal, or even with vanilla ice cream and/or yogurt for dessert! 

Maple Brown Sugar Applesauce

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

Serves 4-6

4-6 apples, chopped

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/8 - 1/4 cup maple syrup*

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of ground cloves

pinch of ground ginger

pinch of nutmeg

vanilla ice cream, if you wish

Notes: I used 6 mini Honeycrisp apples for this, but feel free to use any apple you like. I also decreased the amount of maple syrup by half, but feel free to use the whole 1/4 cup, if you like!

Add chopped apples to a pot and just cover with water. Add sugar, syrup, lemon zest, vanilla and spices and bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered until apples are mushy, about 45-60 minutes. Add more water if needed. Turn off heat and mash apples. Serve as is or with vanilla ice cream.

 Comfort Food @ IHCC

Sweet Potato Chili Cheese Rounds

  I have been living off of sweet potatoes and chili this fall, so when I saw this dish these Sweet Potato Chili Cheese Rounds it's like it was just made for me!

Jessica of How Sweet Eats mentions that she always seems to have lots of chili in her freezer. Me too! In fact, I had some of her Maple Turkey Chili in my freezer so I thawed it and set about making this recipe. I thought the maple in the chili would be a perfect pairing with the sweet potato rounds, and turns out it was.

If you happen to have chili on hand, then this is a really easy dish. You simply cut and saute some sweet potato rounds until they are golden brown and cooked through. Then you place them into a skillet, top with cheese, broil until the cheese is melted, then top with the warmed chili and toppings. 

It is fast, it is healthy, and it is really delicious and satisfying! I loved this and will be making it again!

Sweet Potato Chili Cheese Rounds

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 2-4

2 large sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch rounds

2 tablespoons oil

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

6 ounces mozzarella, grated

1-1/2 cups leftover chili, warmed

1 avocado, sliced

1/3 cup plain greek yogurt

3 green onions, sliced

 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

Note: You can feel free to make this recipe your own. The recipe was written using fontina cheese, but I used mozzarella. Originally the dish was topped with avocado, greek yogurt, green onions and cilantro but I was working with what I had and just used greek yogurt and chives.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Place the sweet potato rounds in the oil and cook until crispy, about 6-8 minutes per side. Remove the potatoes from the skillet and place them on a paper towel to remove any excess oil. Season them with the salt, pepper, and paprika.

 Turn on your broiler in your oven. Layer the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet or in a skillet and cover them with the cheese. Broil them until the cheese is golden and bubbly, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately top with the chili, avocado, yogurt or sour cream, green onions and cilantro and serve!

Puff Pastry Pepperoni Pizza {So Good It's Scary}!

Did you know that you could make pizza with puff pastry? If not, you've been missing out. It is SCARY good how delicious a puff pastry pizza crust is: puffy, flaky, crunchy and oh so easy! 

All you need to do is thaw the puff pastry and then slather it with toppings: pizza sauce, cheese, pepperoni, seasoning, and then some Parmesan! It couldn't be easier! Throw it in the oven at 425 for about 20 minutes and you have a quick and delicious meal that everyone will love. 

 

Jessica Merchant's blog, How Sweet Eats, is full of different versions of her puff pastry pizzas. There is a breakfast version, a pesto version, one for pickle lovers and my favorite -her Zucchini, Lemon and Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Pizza that I made several times this summer. They are all delicious and quick - perfect for busy weeknights!

Puff Pastry Pepperoni Pizza

Adapted from How Sweet Eats 

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 4-6

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed

1 cup tomato or marinara sauce, your favorite

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese

a bunch of pepperoni, to your liking

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 425F. Place the thawed puff pastry on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

 Spread the tomato sauce evenly over top, leaving a small border at the edges. Sprinkle on the herbs and garlic, evenly between both sheets. Cover with the cheese and pepperoni. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until super puffed and the cheese is golden. The pastry will look crazy puffed up, but then it will deflate once it is out of the oven. Cover with Parmesan and cut each pastry into 6 slices. Serve! 

 

Spooky Soiree @ I Heart Cooking Clubs!

Quick and Easy Maple Turkey Chili

 Have you ever put maple syrup in your chili? I hadn't and guess what? Turns out I had been missing out because the maple syrup adds a depth of sweetness that pairs very well with the savory smokiness of chili! 

Trust me, we loved it! Plus, this is the perfect chili to top your baked sweet potatoes with because the sweetness of the sweet potatoes pair perfectly with the sweetness of the chili!

If you're in the mood for a quick weeknight chili with a touch of sweetness, give this a try! I would definitely make it again!

Quick and Easy Maple Turkey Chili

Recipe adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Makes 4

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt and  pepper

1 pound lean ground turkey

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 (14-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes

1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 to 3/4 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions, peppers and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add in the ground turkey and another pinch of salt and pepper. Break it apart with wooden spoon and brown it, about 6 to 8 minutes. Once the meat is browned, add in the chili powder, paprika, oregano, cumin and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.

Add in the tomatoes, beans, stock, and maple syrup. Bring the mixture to a b oil then reduce it to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, avocado, sour cream or whatever you love on your chili! 

Chili Cook Off @ I Heart Cooking Clubs+