Thanksgiving, Course 1: Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Dates

Prepare for flavor overload!!! As I just love cooking, and this is a really special holiday for me, I've kinda went minorly crazy. I'll be posting recipes as I go along, because I'm kinda doing the pantser thing. Ready?

Here we go!

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Dates

Any number of medjool dates
Matching number of bacon strips

1/2 pomegranate seeds

1/3 cup honey, approx

1/2 cup torn cilantro, approx
1/2 cup salty/sharp/acrid cheese

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup browned butter

In a bowl, combine most of the pomegranate seeds (saving a few for garnish), most of the cheese, almost entirely all of the cilantro (garnish). Stir. Add teensy splash of wine. Stir. Add a couple squeezes of honey; stir again. Set aside.

Brown butter in small sauce pan over low heat. Remove and set aside.

Slit, pit and stuff dates with above mixture. Preheat oven to 400.

Heat remaining wine to low boil in another small sauce pan. Add most of honey (to taste). Cook alcohol off. Set aside.

Wrap each date with bacon slice. Place in baking dish, bacon edge down (slit up though), evenly spaced apart. Bake for 3 or 4 minutes, flip. Bake 3 or four minutes/until bacon is cooked through. Flip again; sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake just long enough to melt.

Meanwhile, arrange serving plate like this: squeeze honey onto plate in design. Sprinkle plate with last of cilantro and pomegranate seeds as garnish.

When finished, place dates on serving dish. Splash dates and dish first with the granules of browned butter, then with the white wine honey sauce. Serve immediately and enjoy!

ohmygodyumohmygodnoreallyyum...