Bacon Holiday Side Dishes

With the holidays here, I try to be mindful about how I’m going to contribute to the appetizer / food table. My goal is to make something for EVERYONE to eat, not just those with food sensitivities or restrictions. So I came up with two recipes below that are so incredibly simple and savory. Each is paired with lots of veggies, in this case in the form of a salad or grilled. Plus if you make an enormous bowl of vegetables and toss some bacon in it, I think there’s a far greater likelihood loved ones who are allergic to the word “healthy” may just try it. Recipes below!

Bacon Wrapped Dates

Ingredients:

• Applegate Naturals Sunday Bacon
• dates (I used 30)
• cheese of choice: cashew, goat, whatever you prefer!
• cinnamon and nutmeg
• toothpicks

Wrap it up:

1. set the oven to 350F
2. pit dates and stuff with cheese of choice (I chose a dairy free cashew cheese, but goat cheese is also awesome with this!)
3. sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg
4. roll with half a slice of Applegate Naturals Sunday Bacon, and spear with a toothpick
5. bake for 7 minutes, turn, then bake for another 7 minutes.

Cauliflower Sage Cherry Stuffing 

Ingredients:

• Applegate Naturals Sunday Bacon
• 3 cups riced cauliflower 
• yellow onion
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup shaved brussels sprouts 
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic 
• fresh thyme
• fresh sage 
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• salt and pepper to taste
• garnish: pumpkin seeds, fresh chopped sage 

Get Stuffed:

1. saute 1/2 onion, 1 cup chopped carrots, 1 cup chopped celery until soft
2. add in 1 cup shaved Brussel sprouts, 1 cup sliced mushrooms, and 2 cloves of garlic (minced) until soft
3. sprinkle 1 tbsp thyme, 1 tbsp sage, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup dried cherries and stir throughout
4. in a separate pan, sauté Applegate Naturals Sunday Bacon until browned
5. dd bacon into vegetable mix, and top with sage, thyme, and pumpkin seeds to serve