bringing home the bacon

More than a year ago, we caught wind of the Bacon Explosion, a bacon weave packed with bbq seasoning, Italian sausage and more bacon. I'm certain we would have already cooked this masterpiece (10 times) if we had a grill. We've considered taking it to cookouts, but because it takes more than two hours of slow smoking, we didn't want to be 'that couple.'

Tuesday night, we went to a friend's low-key apartment house-warming dinner. Knowing how much bacon is loved in the CrossFit community (it's paleo-ers' version of chocolate), I decided on an easy appetizer that was packed with the savory good stuff: Bacon-Wrapped Prune Smokies.

Now, I know what you're thinking: prunes?! Yes, prunes! It's that delicate relationship between salty and sweet that really makes this appetizer.


Bacon-Wrapped Prune Smokies

Ingredients

• 1 package of bacon
• 1 package of little smokies (beef smoked sausage)
• 1 package of prunes
• agave nectar or honey for drizzling

Note: Make as many of these as you want, then you can freeze the leftover ingredients.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Cut bacon into halves or thirds, depending on length.

3. Place sausage in middle of strip, top with prune and wrap strip around both.

4. Use toothpick to secure, making sure to stick through center of prune and sausage.

5. Arrange wraps on a baking sheet lined with tin foil, and drizzle with agave nectar or honey. 

6. Bake 25 minutes, then broil for 2 to 4 minutes until bacon is crispy to your likeness.

Confession: Since this was my first time making these, I knew it was imperative that I taste one before the get-together, in case they turned out awful. Luckily, you can't go wrong with bacon, which I knew. It was just my excuse to have one hot out of the oven.