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Sausage Stuffed Dates with Goat Cheese

Sausage Stuffed Dates & Goat Cheese
YIELD: Makes 12

Whether your looking for a flavor-packed side dish or a hearty dinner, these Sausage Stuffed Dates are sure to please everyone.

Ingredients

  • 12 Medjool Dates Whole
  • 1 Cup of Italian Style Sausage
  • 1-2 Pieces of Bacon
  • 1 Tbsp of Olive Oil
  • 1 Cup of Tomato Sauce
  • 1/4 Cup of Stock or Water
  • 1 Cup of Goat Cheese, Medallions
  • Crusty Bread & Fresh Herbs for Serving

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Slice the Medjool Dates alone the long edge and remove pits.
  3. Using a spoon, spoon the Italian Sausage into the dates, roughly 1 tbsp
  4. Place the dates on the baking sheet along with strips of bacon and par cook for roughly 5 minutes, remove from oven and set aside.
  5. In a medium cast iron dish, add olive oil, place the tomato sauce and stock mixture in the bottom of the pan and place the dates spaced out in the pan leaving room for the goat cheese medallions.
  6. Place 5 goat cheese medallions in the pan.
  7. Slice the bacon according to the size of the dates and place on top.
  8. Place a lid or aluminum foil on the pan and put back in the oven and allow to cook for a further 10-12 minutes until the sausage reaches an internal temperature of 155F. Then bake uncovered for 2-3 more minutes.
  9. Remove from the oven and place on a heat proof surface or trivet to serve immediately.
  10. Serve with some slice crusty bread, fresh herbs, and salt and pepper (optional).

*While Medjool dates are high in natural sugars, they are low on the glycemic index thanks to a balanced amount of soluble fiber. The complex carbohydrates found in Medjool dates are digested at a slower rate, making them a source of dietary fiber and releasing energy to the body over a longer period of time.