Yum, Yum, Yum—what more can I say?
The first time I tasted a stuffed date was at Mercat a la Planxa in Chicago. The appetizer was a Medjool date stuffed with a Marcona almond, wrapped in bacon, and served with a blue cheese fondue. The presentation —pouring a little pitcher of warm bleu cheese over a tray of stuffed wrapped dates—had our mouths watering before we even took the first bite.
After that first “date”, we traveled to Israel, and I came home with 25 pounds of Medjool dates. With those dates (after giving a good amount to my kids), I tried my first Amaretto Date Nut Shake (here on the blog), Bacon Wrapped Dates with Balsamic, dates wrapped in prosciutto instead of bacon, and of course, Green Beans and Brussels Sprouts with Dates. The prosciutto-wrapped dates are especially good because you don’t have to overcook the date just to get the bacon crispy.
My go-to date appetizer has always been some version of wrapped—often with an almond and blue cheese tucked inside—and I almost always overcook them. Until now.
Thanks to my New York Times Cooking app, I found this skillet version—and I happen to own a nice collection of cast-iron skillets. This method gives you all the creaminess of goat cheese (I added a bit of blue for extra bite), the saltiness of bacon, and the sweetness of Medjool dates sprinkled on top—exactly the combination that keeps you going back for more.
I garnished mine with roasted salted pistachios, a drizzle of honey, some crushed red pepper flakes, a pinch of fleur de sel, and a few grinds of black pepper. I served it with an assortment of crackers since I overbought for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but crusty bread would be perfect here, too.
I hosted mahjong at my house on January 2, and this skillet appetizer was served—along with homemade Chocolava, some wine, and lots of gameplay. What better way to start the New Year?
Happy New Year!
Ingredients ready to go.
Mix the softened goat cheese, blue cheese, and cream cheese together. Add in the lemon juice and stir to mix.
Chop the bacon after frying or baking it until cripsy.
Put the chopped dates in the skillet with about 1-2 tablespoons of the bacon fat and stir until they have warmed. Watch your dates! I burned my first batch; lucky me, I had more. Set aside.
Mix the cream cheese, goat and blue chesses and press in the bottom of a 8-9″ cast iron skillet or baking dish about that size.
Chop pistachios and set aside for garnish.
After removing the cheese from the oven top with the dates.
After the dates, scatter the bacon, red pepper flakes, and pistachios over top. Drizzle with honey and a little flaky salt. Serve warm.
The cracker at the top is Trader Joe’s Trail Mix cracker and one of my favorite crackers to go with cheeses.
Hope you will try and enjoy!
Blue/Goat Cheese Bacon Date Dip
Ingredients
- 10 oz. goat cheese room temperature
- 6-8 oz. blue cheese room temperature
- 4 oz. cream cheese room temperature
- 2 Tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 5 oz thick-cut bacon, cut in 1/2" pieces
- 10 Medjool Dates pitted ad roughy chopped in small pieces
- Garnish:
- Honey to drizzle
- red pepper flakes
- black pepper
- flaky salt
- roasted and chopped pistachio
- Crusty bread or cracker for serving
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 400°. In a medium bowl, stir together the goat cheese, blue cheese, cream cheese, lemon juice and pinch of salt and pepper, Transfer this to a 9" cast iron skillet (or a 1-quart baking dish) and spread into an even layer. Bake until warmed through and bubbling, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet until golden and crisp, about 10 minute. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate, then add the dates to the bacon fat in the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the insides are warm and the outsides blistered, about 1 minute.
Top the baked cheese with the dates and bacon and garnish as you wish. I used the above garnishes on my dip. Serve at once with crackers or bread.
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