½ cup whole almonds or pecan halves, toasted* and chopped
½ cup finely shredded Manchego or Parmesan cheese (2 oz.)
24 unpitted whole Medjool dates (about 1 lb.)
3 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. snipped fresh thyme
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain; crumble bacon. In a bowl stir together the bacon, almonds, and cheese.
2. Make a slit down one side of each date and remove pit. Spoon about 1 Tbsp. of the bacon mixture into each date; press date to shape around filling (filling will still be visible). Arrange dates, filling sides up, in an ungreased 13×9-inch baking pan.
3. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until heated through and cheese is lightly browned; cool slightly. Before serving, drizzle warm dates with honey and sprinkle with thyme.
number of servings 24 (1 filled date each)
*TIP To toast nuts, seeds, or coconut, preheat oven to 350°F. Spread them in a shallow baking pan. Bake 5 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned, shaking pan once or twice.
per serving112 cal., 3 g fat (1 g sat. fat), 4 mg chol., 79 mg sodium, 21 g carb., 2 g fiber, 18 g sugars, 2 g pro.
MAKE AHEAD
Prepare as directed through Step 2. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Continue as directed, baking 15 to 18 minutes.
