When it comes to snacking or appetizers, I’m a big fan of combining unexpected tastes, like either sweet or citrus with more savory and salty flavors. Tortilla chips with lime? The best. Mango Habanero sauces and salsa? Absolutely – and for some reason those combinations always taste particularly amazing during the Summer months!
This past weekend while recording with Stef, I was tasked with whipping up a dish that incorporated bacon (because of a Kevin Bacon movie we were reviewing. The episode will be up next week!). It wasn’t a hard thing to do, because bacon can be used in any and all things – but this time around I opted to put together some bacon-wrapped pineapple spears given the season.
And with some brown sugar packed onto them? Perfection. Here’s the quick and easy way to prepare your next favorite Summer cookout classic!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
10 SERVINGS:
- 10 sliced pineapple spears, approximately 2-4″ in length.
- 10 slices of thick-cut bacon.
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, plus more to caramelize.
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 10 toothpicks, soaked in water (so they don’t burn in the oven!)
WHAT YOU’LL DO:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil (for a less chaotic clean-up), and place a cooling rack onto the lined baking sheet.
2. Wrap the strips of bacon around the pineapple spears, and fasten the bacon in place using one of the wet toothpicks.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and soy sauce, and then brush/spread a coating onto each spear. Using additional brown sugar, pack more onto the spears to caramelize.
4. Bake the spears for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until bacon is crispy and brown sugar has visibly caramelized. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
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These spears were sweet, savory, and had a great crunch to them – which is always a favorite when snacking. You could toss these on the grill for an additional charred texture if that’s more of your thing, as well – but I personally enjoyed them just the way they were!
Now I’m looking to wrap some more fruit – like mango! – in bacon, and maybe include some feta cheese in there too somewhere. The possibilities are endless.
Next week, I’ll be sharing a few of my favorite things from this past month and recapping July in it’s lovely entirety before we make way for August – including some guest posts and a lot more travel!
Have a great weekend, everyone!
xo
Coffee & Chiffon 