Bacon Wrapped Dates with Mustard-Greek Yogurt Filling

Hello, Happy Monday!  I hope your week is off to a good start.

I have a special sweet and savory recipe for you today.  A few weeks ago, Barhyte Specialty Foods offered me the opportunity to try some of their new mustards in conjunction with a recipe contest.  Recipe contest?  I do love a good competition!  The requirements for the contest were to use one of Barhyte’s new mustards, and for the recipe to be an appetizer…. that also incorporated bacon.  Bacon and mustard?  Sure, why not!

So, with appetizer + mustard + bacon requirements in mind, I got to thinking… and that’s when I decided to involve dates.  I’ve tried bacon wrapped dates before as an appetizer, but they were filled with cream cheese, which I don’t really love.   But what I do love is greek yogurt; a mustard and greek yogurt filling, perhaps?

Mmm, it was a very good idea!  The tangy, bold flavor of the mustard+greek yogurt filling perfectly complements the sweet, caramel-like flavor of a cooked date, and well, I’m fairly certain bacon can do no harm in any situation.

If you can’t find the particular mustard called for in the recipe below, you can order it online (or, if all else fails, just use your favorite easily accessible mustard). 🙂

Feel free to use your favorite type of bacon in this recipe.  I’d normally use turkey bacon, but on this particular day I was feelin’ the real stuff and went with center cut bacon.  But any kind will do the trick (you just might need to adjust the cooking time).

This recipe can be scaled up or down easily depending on the group you are cooking for.  Below, I’ve written the recipe for 16, but you can certainly make more or less.

[print_this]Bacon Wrapped Dates with Mustard-Greek Yogurt Filling

Sweet medjool dates filled with a creamy garlic mustard and greek yogurt filling and wrapped with bacon for a sweet and savory appetizer.

Makes 16

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

• 16 pitted medjool dates
• 8 slices center cut bacon (or turkey bacon, veggie bacon, etc.)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Saucy Mama creamy garlic mustard
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1 cup nonfat greek yogurt

Heat the oven to 450 degrees F.

In a small bowl, stir the mustard, honey, and greek yogurt until blended.  Place the mixture in a plastic bag, then use scissors to cut a small opening in a corner of the bag.  Pipe the filling into each of the pitted dates, filling each about 3/4 full.

Cut each bacon slice in half crosswise.  Wrap a slice around each of the dates; secure with a toothpick.  Set the dates on a baking pan.  Bake 10 minutes or until the bacon is cooked, turning the dates half way through baking to ensure even cooking.

This is an original recipe from http://www.littlebittybakes.com.[/print_this]