CHEDDAR CRACKER HACKS...YUMMY BACON APPETIZER

Whether your team or teams are in the Super Bowl or not, (still reeling about the Saints call), I think we can all agree on one thing: the snacks!! 

I like making appetizers, especially for football games and the holidays and they are always better when made with bacon! Last week, I brought you the Bacon Wrapped Date & Goat Cheese and now for the delicious, warm from the oven, Cheddar Cracker Hacks! You talk about easy! And only 4 ingredients. These cook at a low temp for a long time, blending in those flavors and making the yummiest aroma in the house. These get gobbled up quickly and will probably be one of the first appetizers to go! BEST WARM & CHEESY from the oven! Just a little Sweet and oh so savory! YUM! 

Cheddar Cracker Hacks take Cheese and Crackers to a whole different Level.

What you'll Need

CRACKER HACKS

INGREDIENTS 

48 townhouse original crackers

1 8oz Block of mild cheddar cheese

24 slices of bacon

1/3 cup brown sugar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and spray with cooking spray. Cut cheese into 24 slices. Cut all the pieces of bacon in half. Place a piece of cheese between two cracker and wrap in a pice of bacon. Place seam side down on your cookie sheet. After all 24 are done, sprinkle brown sugar over the top. Bake for 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until bacon is crisp. (I Baked mine for 1 hr. and 45 min)
Low and slow makes this flavors blend so well!

Into the oven they go...

I'll be making a batch of these on Sunday for sure! HAPPY TASTY TUESDAY!

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xoxo

BACON WRAPPED DATES & GOAT CHEESE

Since I promised not to bring you any sweets this month, I had to bring out a couple of the new appetizer recipes I tried recently. I mean the Super Bowl is coming up and you are for sure going to need some tasty apps. Today I’ll start with the one I couldn’t wait to pull from the oven and gobble. I love dates and I have always wanted to make a stuffed date of some sort. You can actually stuff them with sweet filling but I had my mind on a savory type with bacon of course. My mom then made these on Christmas Eve with Gorgonzola cheese, mine are a little milder if you don’t like your cheese to pungent. 

What you'll need

BACON WRAPPED DATES WITH GOAT CHEESE

INGREDIENTS 

16 Medjool dates (pitted)

8 slices of bacon (not thick)

4 oz of goat cheese

Toothpicks

DIRECTIONS 

Preheat the oven to 350°. Slice the top of the dates lengthwise on one side to create an opening. Using a small spoon stuff each date with a small amount of goat cheese and then press the sides together to close. But the bacon slices and half and wrap each date with a slice of bacon, securing it with the toothpick. Arrange the dates evenly on a baking sheet with raised edges and bake for 10 minutes remove from the oven and use the toothpick to turn over each date so it’s laying on the other side. Bake for an additional 5 to 8 minutes until browned to your liking remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

So easy and so delicious! 75 calories per appetizer.

HAPPY TASTY TUESDAY!

Linking up with Tasty Tuesdays // Wonderful Wednesday's Blog Hop // Full Plate Thursday // Tickle My Tastebuds Tuesday // Creative Muster Party // Wow Us Wednesdays // Thursday Favorite things Blog Hop //Best Of The Weekend// Handmade Hangout // Grace At Home // Cup // The SITS Girls // Create, Make, Take // Dishing It & Digging It // Feathered Nest Friday  // Pretty Pintastic Party // Metamorphosis Monday // The Scoop  // Best Friday Features //  Meal Plan Monday  // Delicious Dishes Recipe Party  // Clever Chicks Blog Hop // Cooking & Crafting with J&J // Sweet Inspiration Link-Party

xoxo

BRAT BITES with Beer Cheese Dipping Sauce

So I realized, there are five Tuesday's in January and while I wanted to wrap up the brunch bonanza for this month, I realized Super Bowl is on Sunday so I absolutely had to share a Super Bowl snack recipe. However, when you think about it, the brats are your sausage in a flaky crust with cheese sauce, so, come on, those are all things that could be at a brunch anyway. So we will kind of consider this brunch meets super bowl food, lol. 

Yum  

I love a good cheese dip but add beer to the mix, and you really have the perfect dip for any party. Perfect for dipping things like these brat bites, soft pieces of bread, pretzels, crackers, even veggies.

Nothing beats hearty finger foods!  Heck, I could make a meal out of just appetizers.

What you'll need

BRAT BITES
Ingredients
4 Brats, cooked (can use chicken or turkey) brats
1/2 package Phyllo dough, thawed
1/2 stick butter, melted

Beer Cheese
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup flour
12 oz beer, I used Miller Lite
2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut your cooked brats into 2-3" pieces. Cut phyllo dough sheets into thirds lengthwise. Roll each brat piece in cut strip of phyllo dough. Place on baking stone or cookie sheet and with a pastry brush, coat each piece in the melted butter. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve immediately or keep warm in warmer.

To Make the Beer Cheese 
Add butter to saucepan; melt over low heat. Stir in flour; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in beer. Increase heat to medium-high; heat to boiling. Boil 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and smooth. Slowly add the cheese, then add dry mustard, pepper, and salt and stir until smooth. Keep warm in a small crockpot on warm. 

HAPPY TASTY TUESDAY!!! 

Linking up with Tasty Tuesdays // Tuesday Talk // Wonderful Wednesday's Blog Hop // Meal Plan Monday #117 // Pretty Pintastic Party // Metamorphosis Monday // The Scoop // Flaunt It Friday // Celebrate 365, Football Party Food!

xoxo