The men in my life are highly motivated by two things, snacks and football.  So obviously, the Super Bowl is considered a major holiday worthy of the same snack lineup as other holidays.  One snack always stands out as the king of football snacks.

Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with smoked almonds.  How do I know?  Try it and move out of the way.  The tray will empty in real time before your eyes.  It could be that the main ingredient is bacon.  Most men I know consider bacon essential to life.  If I put out a plate of dates there would be no fan fare but remove the pit replace it with a couple salty smokey almonds, wrap it in bacon and it’s a new animal.  Smokey, crispy, bacon with salty, crunchy, almonds tucked into a sweet gooey date brings together a taste sensation that will be a touchdown for all your football fans.

This year we added a new ingredient. Dates stuffed with Italian sausage and wrapped with bacon.  Yes Please!!

Bacon Wrapped Dates

18-24 Large Medjool Dates Pitted (these are the large meaty dates you will find in the produce section)

1 pound of the best applewood smoked bacon

small can of smoked, salted whole Almonds

optional: your favorite spicy italian sausage

Preheat your oven to 425°.  Pit your dates by making a slit in one side length wise with a parring knife.  Replace the pit with 2 almonds. (or a tsp of Italian sausage) Use 1/2 of a slice of bacon to wrap the stuffed date.  If you use thick cut bacon you may need to secure the wrap with a toothpick.  Place on a baking pan lined with parchment.  Cook until the bacon is cooked and crispy.  Cooking times may vary.  Mine usually take about 10-15 minutes.

You can wrap these ahead of time and store them for 24 hrs in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator.  Cook just before serving.

I hope your gang loves them as much as mine.  Leave me a comment to let me know how you liked them or what variations you tried.

Enjoy!