Bacon Wrapped Dates with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce are the perfect appetizer for any party. Sweet and chewy dates are wrapped in salty bacon and baked until crispy and caramelized. These are so good as is, but even better with roasted red pepper sauce. You gotta try these!
Bacon wrapped dates are one of those restaurant appetizers. You know what I mean? If they’re on a menu (which is kind of rare) then they are ordered and devoured. We order them at an amazing restaurant called Meson Sabika, a Spanish Tapas restaurant in Naperville Illinois. If you’re ever in the area, you should totally go. The restaurant is set in an old historic mansion with an amazing garden and patio. It’s absolutely beautiful and the sangria is spot on.
So this is recipe is inspired from Meson Sabika’s bacon wrapped dates. They are seriously the best thing ever, so I decided to make them at home so every time I have a craving, I don’t have to go the restaurant to stuff my face.
I knew they were easy to make but I honestly didn’t realize just HOW EASY they are to make. You buy some pitted dates, wrap them in a piece of bacon and bake them.
That is it.
You can eat them as is – they are still very VERY good but I wanted to make the sauce to go with them (because that’s what the restaurant does), plus I used the leftover sauce for pasta dinner. So you know…winning.
The roasted red pepper sauce is pretty easy, too – the recipe is from The Pioneer Woman…she can do no wrong.
The sauce is amazing with the dates but it can also be used for so many other things…pasta (naturally), over chicken or fish, or you can dip some crispy french bread in it. Juuuuust saying.
Oh, and the whole reason I’m sharing this recipe with you now is because these would be a great Super Bowl app. Duh! Hear I am talking about this restaurant when Super Bowl is right around the corner and you are probably looking for recipes!
So here you go…a fancy and easy appetizer for the big game.
Get it. Get it.
Don’t forget to pin this recipe on Pinterest by clicking the image below!
- 1 container pitted dated
- Slices of bacon, cut in half so you get two pieces of bacon per slice (how ever many dates you get, get half of that in bacon)
- Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 15.5 ounce container roasted red peppers, drained and roughly chopped
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup of 1/2 & 1/2 or heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil (or 1 teaspoon minced fresh basil)
- 1/2 teaspoon fried parsley (or 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley)
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Wrap each date with half of a piece of bacon and place it seam side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 22-25 minutes until bacon is crispy. Remove from oven.
- To make the roasted red pepper sauce, drizzle olive oil in a large saute pan and place over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for 3 or 4 minutes. Next add roasted red peppers and saute for a few additional minutes.
- Place mixture into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
- Add butter into the already used saute pan and pour puree into it. Heat for a few more minutes.
- Next add chicken stock and 1/2 & 1/2 or heavy cream. If mixture seems too thick add a little more chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper then add herbs and stir.
- Serve dates with sauce and enjoy!
Erin
I’m so happy I found this recipe I could cry! We lived in Naperville from 2012-2015 and went to Meson Sabika a few times. Their bacon wrapped dates were a long time favorite and I used to make them myself complete with the roasted red pepper sauce. It’s been so long though and I haven’t made them in years and had forgotten exactly how to make it. I’m having a party and wanted to make these so have been scouring the internet. Thank you so much for sharing this!!
Jessica Erin
SO glad you came across my blog! Meson Sabika is SO good! Enjoy the bacon wrapped dates!