By Amanda Hill

Does this happen to anyone else? I love hosting friends for parties at our home and cooking up lots of food to serve our guests. But, inevitably, I always spend too much time in the kitchen and not enough time with my friends and family. What’s the point? Sure, the table looks great and my guests are happy – but the point is to spend time with them, not just to feed everyone.

A few weeks ago, we hosted a baby shower for two of our dear friends. It was very important to me to really enjoy time with our friends and celebrate this exciting time in their lives. So, rather than spending the night in the kitchen, I decided to purposely find recipes that required only a few ingredients and took less than 20 minutes to make.

Enter Bacon-Wrapped Apricots. These appetizers are so simple to make and were an absolute hit!

For Bacon-Wrapped Apricots, you will need…Bacon-Wrapped Apricots: Recipe Ingredients
1/2 lb. bacon, thick-cut
4 jalapeno
1 pkg. dried apricots
toothpicks

 

First, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. While the oven is preheating, prepare your bites. Start by seeding each jalapeno. Slice the jalapeno into strips, and then cut each strip in half. Set aside.

Sliced peppers

Next, cut each slice of bacon into three equal pieces.

Thick-cut bacon

Now it’s time to assemble your bites. One at a time, layer a dried apricot and piece of jalapeno on a piece of bacon.

Layering bacon-wrapped apricots

Secure with a toothpick, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once all of the apricots are wrapped, put the baking sheet in the oven. Cook in the oven for 7-8 minutes. Then, using a pair of tongs, turn each bite over. Cook another 7-8 minutes, or until the bacon is cooked. Remove bites from the oven and cool on a baking rack lined with paper towels. Then, serve and enjoy!

Bacon-Wrapped Apricots: Thumbnail

This really is a great recipe for entertaining. You can make the bites ahead of time, pop them in the freezer and then take them out and bake when you are ready. My party guests seemed to love them, and I actually had time to enjoy their company and celebrate our friends.

Keep checking back with Texas Table Top for more fast, easy and delicious party recipes—and more, of course. From all of us at Texas Table Top, enjoy!

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Recipe: Bacon-Wrapped Apricots

Summary: A fast, easy and delicious appetizer

Bacon-Wrapped Apricots: Thumbnail

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb. bacon, thick cut
  • 4 jalapeno
  • 1 pkg. dried apricots
  • toothpicks

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Seed the jalapenos.
  • Slice jalapeno into strips, cut each strip in half. Set aside.
  • Cut each slice of bacon into three equal pieces.
  • One at a time, layer a dried apricot and piece of jalapeno on a piece of bacon. Secure with a toothpick.
  • Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  • Cook in the oven for 7-8 minutes.
  • Using a pair of tongs, turn each bite over. Cook another 7-8 minutes, or until the bacon is cooked.
  • Remove bites from the oven and cool on a baking rack lined with paper towels.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Cooking time (duration): 20 minutes

Number of servings (yield): 10 (approximately 3 per serving)

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