Whipped Goat Cheese with Bacon and Dates

As featured in Holiday 2023 issue of The Applegatarian.

"When I found this recipe, I thought, 'Wow, this has everything: Fried rosemary! Bacon! Goat cheese!' It's so good that I made it for Thanksgiving, then for Christmas, and yet again for New Year's. Now I think of it as my go-to crack dip. One note: Make sure to use a thick Greek yogurt for this; regular yogurt will make the goat cheese too runny."

- Kerry Fabrizio, Applegate Director of Research and Development

Kerry Fabrizio, Applegate Director Of Research And Development

The Applegatarian, an outlet where employees and advocates of the nation’s leading natural and organic meat brand dish about their favorite recipes, tips, products, partners and more.

Serves 6 | Total Time: Less Than 60 Mins

Ingredients

6 ounces APPLEGATE NATURALS® Sunday Bacon® bacon
12 ounces crumbled goat cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup Greek yogurt
4 tablespoons honey, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tablespoon water
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
12 medjool dates {about 6 ounces), pitted and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Toasted bread or crackers, for dipping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Lay the bacon in one even layer in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Bake until crisp, 18 to 20 minutes.
While bacon is cooking, combine the goat cheese, Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons of the honey, 2 tablespoons olive oil, water, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt in a food processor. Process until smooth, scraping the sides down as needed. Spoon the whipped goat cheese onto a large plate or shallow bowl. Set aside.
Transfer cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Return skillet with drippings to the stove over moderate heat. Add the rosemary sprigs and fry, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer rosemary to the bacon plate to drain.
Add shallots to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the dates, apple cider vinegar, and the remaining 2 tablespoons honey. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook until reduced to a sticky, chunky syrup, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
Spoon date mixture over goat cheese. Crumble bacon and rosemary leaves over top. Drizzle with a little more olive oil and some fresh cracked pepper. Serve with toasted bread or crackers.