Super Bowl Tasties! Turkey Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese!

I don't usually go crazy for super bowl, maybe some chips and hummus, pizza and the usual apps. This year I wanted to try something new. And it was actually pretty easy!

I grabbed all the ingredients from Trader Joe's for this tasty concoction.

These dates still had the pits in them. So I just cut a slit down the middle, enough room to fit the goat cheese in, and took the pits out. Make sure you set your oven to preheat at 400 F.

This goat cheese had the perfect texture and flavor, and I had plenty left over for salads, etc! I scooped a small amount into each slit with a teaspoon.

I thought the peppered turkey bacon would be a little bit healthier, lower fat alternative and add a bit more complexity than unpeppered regular bacon. I cut the lot in half so I had 16 half strips to wrap around the stuffed dates.

I used your typical wooden toothpick but I wet them a bit and stuck it right through the middle to both hold the turkey bacon in place and as a means to pick them up. Set them in the oven for 20 minutes, and then turn them over so the dates cook evenly for a total of 40 minutes in the oven.

Once you put these tasties in the oven, if you'd like to make a balsamic reduction (it's easier than it sounds!) to drizzle on top - trust me its a worthy addition. Take 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar, and put it in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then let it simmer at medium-low for 40 minutes. I didn't get a picture of this but it also makes these morsels look better!

And ouila! Delicious cheesy salty sweet snacks! 

About 100 calories a piece. I would be careful because these are extremely addicting :) You can also buy smaller dates or use smaller pieces of bacon for lower calories. But on super bowl sunday, there aren't any calories, right??

Note: Use a thin type of bacon, or a prosciutto for a less chewy texture than the turkey.