order online
weekly specials
Bacon wrapped anything is good, but a variety of bacon wrapped appetizers to serve at a holiday gathering or tailgating party is even better! You and your guests will devour each recipe I’m going to share with you today. I don’t remember when the “bacon craze” started but it seems to be sticking around, and I’m here for it! These recipes are all fairy easy to make, can be made ahead of time, are bite-sized / finger foods, and make a decent amount so you shouldn’t have to double or triple the recipes (but you can if you want).
Here are the recipes and we’ll walk through how to make each one:
- Glazed Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
- Bacon Wrapped Tater Tot Cups
- Brown Sugar Bacon Crackers
- Parmesan Bacon Crackers
- Brown Sugar Bacon Wrapped Lit’l Smokies
One thing I want to point out is you want to use normal, everyday bacon that is thin or relatively thin. Avoid anything thick cut as it will not have enough time to cook through with these recipes. Keep it simple and save the fancy or thick cut bacon for breakfast 😊
Glazed Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts – A delicious one-bite appetizer that is sweet, savory, salty, and crunchy.
The recipe can be found here.
Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9×13 baking dish with aluminum foil. You can skip the foil, but the pan will become pretty sticky. The foil helps with cleanup. Drain and rinse the water chestnuts and slice the bacon into thirds.
Wrap one piece of bacon around one water chestnut and fasten with a toothpick. Place in the baking dish and repeat until all water chestnuts have been wrapped. Add the brown sugar, sweet chili sauce, and mayonnaise to a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine then pour over the top.
Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the bacon is cooked through. Stir every 15-20 minutes to fully coat each water chestnut in the sauce. This will help the bacon caramelize a bit when cooking as well. Once done, serve warm out of the dish or transfer to a serving platter, and enjoy!
If you have any leftovers, let them cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Simple reheat for a few minutes to serve as leftovers.
The recipe can be found here and makes approximately 30 pieces.
Bacon Wrapped Tater Tot Cups – A finger food that is salty, crispy, and crunchy, and held together by the bacon.
The recipe can be found here.
Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the bacon into thirds.
Place 2 pieces of bacon in each muffin cup, alternating the direction of the bacon to create an X. Place 3 tater tots in each muffin cup. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the bacon is cooked through and the tater tots are crispy.
Remove from the oven and top with shredded cheese. I prefer to use cheddar, but pepper jack or Colby jack would work well. Return to the oven and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Remove from the oven and carefully transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with chopped chives (optional). Serve warm and enjoy!
If you have any leftovers, let them cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Simple reheat for a few minutes to serve as leftovers.
The recipe can be found here and makes 12 pieces.
Brown Sugar Bacon Crackers – A snack that is crunchy, sweet, and salty. The bacon becomes candied while baking, making these even better!
The recipe can be found here.
Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. This will help with cleanup after baking. Place a wire rack on top of the aluminum foil. This will help with airflow during baking and keep the crackers from getting soft and mushy.
Arrange the crackers in 3 rows of 7. I found this to be the perfect number of crackers to fit on the baking sheet without being overcrowded and leaving room for airflow while baking.
Slice the bacon into thirds and place one piece on top of each cracker. It’s OK if the bacon hangs over the top/bottom or sides a bit. Top with brown sugar, about 1 Tsp per cracker.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the bacon is cooked through and the brown sugar starts to melt. It’s OK if not all the brown sugar is melted when you pull the crackers from the oven. They will taste just as good.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Some of the crackers might be stuck to the wire rack due to the brown sugar so use a spatula to carefully remove the crackers to a serving platter. You want to serve these immediately while still warm. If you are not serving right away, let cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge. When ready to serve, pop them in the oven for a few minutes to warm up. Enjoy!
The recipe can be found here and makes 21 crackers.
Parmesan Bacon Crackers – An appetizer that is crunchy, salty, and savory. The parmesan gives these crackers a slightly nutty taste.
The recipe can be found here.
This recipe is essentially the same as the Brown Sugar Bacon Crackers, but you substitute parmesan cheese for brown sugar. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. This will help with cleanup after baking. Place a wire rack on top of the aluminum foil. This will help with airflow during baking and keep the crackers from getting soft and mushy.
Arrange the crackers in 3 rows of 7. Slice the bacon into thirds and place one piece on top of each cracker. It’s OK if the bacon hangs over the top/bottom or sides a bit. Top with parmesan cheese, about 1-2 Tsp per cracker.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the bacon is cooked through and the parmesan starts to melt. I highly recommend using grated parmesan if possible. It melts easier than shredded or grated but these will also work fine if you don’t have grated on hand or can’t find it at your local Festival Foods.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Some of the crackers might be stuck to the wire rack due to the parmesan melting so use a spatula to carefully remove the crackers to a serving platter. You want to serve these immediately while still warm. If you are not serving right away, let cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge. When ready to serve, pop them in the oven for a few minutes to warm up. Enjoy!
The recipe can be found here and makes 21 crackers.
Brown Sugar Bacon Wrapped Lit’l Smokies – A bite-sized appetizer that is bursting with flavor! The smokies are hot and tender, the bacon is salty and crispy, and the brown sugar add a lovely, sweet flavor and candies the bacon while cooking.
The recipe can be found here.
Start by preheating the oven to 325 degrees F. Have a 9×13 baking dish handy.
Combine the brown sugar, cumin, and chili powder in a small bowl. Set aside. Slice the bacon into thirds.
Wrap one piece of bacon around one smokie. Fasten with a toothpick and place in the 9×13 baking dish. Repeat until all smokies have been wrapped with bacon. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the top. It looks like A LOT of brown sugar but don’t skimp on this part. It melts and caramelizes the bacon, so you won’t be disappointed!
Bake for 1 hour or until the bacon is cooked through. Remove from the oven and serve out of the baking dish or transfer to a serving platter. Leave the toothpicks inserted as they help create a finger-food style appetizer…simple grab and eat. Serve warm and enjoy!
If you have any leftovers, let them cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Simple reheat for a few minutes to serve as leftovers.
The recipe can be found here and makes approximately 30 pieces.
I thoroughly enjoyed making these recipes and sharing them with others. I don’t know which was the crowd favorite because each recipes received positive feedback. I hope you give them a shot! P.S. These recipes would be perfect for an upcoming Super Bowl party (hint hint) 😊
Happy Cooking!
Recent Comments