Chutney and Cheese Stuffed Dates | Friday Night Bites

Happy Thanksgiving Day Everyone!  What a special day in our country’s history.  It is a day where we gather together with our family and friends to reflect on what we are thankful for along with enjoying great food, laughs and restful moments.  Hubby and I head to my parents house for a day of food, fun, and laughs with my family.  As you can imagine there is an abundance of food. 

It is a day to see my sister, brother in law, brother, sister in law and my four adorable nephews and my lovely parents.  My parents just remodeled their kitchen and it should be fun to cook the turkey and sides in the newly updated kitchen. It just got finalized last week and I had a sneak peak last weekend. It is simply stunning and makes me want to remodel my own kitchen, yet it really doesn’t need it – perhaps in a few years. Smile. Believe it or not, I have never cooked a turkey.  I know – “shut the front door”!  It is probably time for me to take the plunge.  I look at the turkey roasting task as being simply a roasted chicken on steroids.  Smile.

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I am in charge of bringing the appetizers and a couple side dishes. This year I am bringing this appetizer, this salad and this sidedish.  Oh and a beautiful cheese platter for all to enjoy.  My sister is in charge of desserts and my sister in law is bringing a sweet potato side dish.  I am confident that all will be delicious.  For me, it is just spending the day with family and enjoying the time together – that is what is special and what I am thankful for.

I thought I would extend the Thanksgiving holiday spirit into this week’s Friday Night Bites with my Chutney and Cheese Stuffed Dates.  They are simple to make and easy to eat.  You can choose different cheeses and chutney flavors to put inside – the choices are endless.  I went with a cave aged gruyere and my handmade Cranberry Orange Ginger Chutney with Madjool Dates.  There are many types of chutney available at your local grocery store or online, if you are not able to make it from scratch. A bit of rough chopped flat leaf parsley adorns the top to add a punch of color and herbaceous flavor. The recipe below is rough and not exact, since this appetizer is quick and simple.

Chutney and Cheese Stuffed Dates

Madjool Dates (remove pit)

Gruyere Cheese

Cranberry, Orange and Ginger Chutney (or your favorite chutney or savory jam)

Flat leaf parsley

Remove the pit by slicing the lengthwise the top of Madjool date.  Take the opposite ends and push together to open up the date to stuff.  Add a small cube of the gruyere cheese and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees the desired number of dates.  Remove and top with a small drop of the chutney and sprinkle with the flat leaf parsley.  Enjoy.