This delicious appetizer is a classic! Throughout my life, mom has hosted our family thanksgiving dinner with our extended family many times. It is always such a great experience for everyone to get together and cook for the day before dinner time. One of our family traditions has been to make, what seems like hundreds, bite-size bacon wrapped dates in the oven. They are always a hit because mom made sure to use only the best ingredients so that the outside bacon is crunchy and the inside date is soft and flavorful!

Ingredients:
About 3-4 cups of whole, pitted dates
2-3 cans of whole water chestnuts
2-3 packs of center-cut bacon
Cutting board
Knife
2 Large sheet pan
Parchment paper
Tootpicks

Below are the brands that mom has chosen to make the BEST bacon-dates:

Step One: Making the Cuts & Prep
*Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Cut each strip of bacon into halves;
Cut your water chesnuts into elongated pieces (they look sort of like sliced almonds);
Stuff each pitted date with a slice of water chestnut;
Wrap each stuffed date in a half-strip of bacon;
Stick a toothpick in each bacon-wrapped stuffed date;
Cover your baking sheets in parchment paper;
Place each date on the baking sheets about 1 inch apart (the will shrink a little when cooked);

Step Two: Bake the Dates
With the oven at 350 degrees, bake your dates for about 45 minutes or until medium-browned;
When finished, take the trays out of the oven and let sit for about 10-15 minutes;
Place warm dates in a serving bowl (add a leaf or two of parsley for presentation, if desired);

Eat up!!!