When I was growing up, Thanksgiving was our big feast day. And Christmas? Well, that was all about the finger food. I remember veggie trays, cheese trays, and things held together with toothpicks.
What I didn’t know until much later was that our Christmas “dinner” spread, was what most people would call appetizers.
But we loved it! To this day, there’s not much I love more than a good array of finger food – and it’s so easy!
But whether you’re Christmas celebration is a finger food celebration like ours was, or a full on feast, believe me when I say these bacon-wrapped butternut squash bites deserve a spot at your table. Even my five-year-old loved them!
Heck, I loved them, and I’m not usually a huge fan of butternut squash (don’t get me wrong, it’s good if it’s dressed up, I like it alright, just not a huge fan).
But as the cook, chief meal planner and party food preparer, these little guys appeal to me for more than one reason:
They’re simple: 2-4 ingredients – that’s it!
They can be prepped ahead of time. This finger food recipe will make your Christmas party prep a breeze! – just stash your wrapped squash bites on the baking sheet in the refrigerator. When party time arrives, pop them straight into the oven!
They’re nutritious. Usually when we think of over-the-top delicious party food, it’s junk food – sad face – but butternut squash is full of vitamins and minerals, while bacon contains appetite satisfying protein and fat. You can’t beat that!
Now, As I’ve mentioned before, Save-A-Lot is one of my top favorite stores to shop for affordable groceries. I mean, why pay more for what you want when Save-A-Lot can save you so much money? I couldn’t even afford bacon at some stores, so Save-A-Lot gets a huge thanks for this recipe, and their Smart Shoppers Club gets huge props for sending their weekly deals straight to my inbox.
Because of that, Save-A-Lot has generously given us not one, but two gift cards to give to two lucky winners! Go to the Save-A-Lot store locator to find the store nearest you, and enter the giveaway below!
Who couldn’t use a little extra grocery money during Christmas season?!
(Scroll down for recipe)
PrintBacon Wrapped Butternut Bites
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut squash
- 1 12 ounce package of bacon
- 3 Tablespoons male syrup (optional)
- 1 teaspoon chili or cayenne powder (also optional)
- Toothpicks
Instructions
- Using a large chef’s knife, Slice butternut neck into 3/4-1 inch thick rounds
- Peel rounds, and break them down further into 3/4-1 inch square cubes
- Open bacon, place on a cutting board
- Cut strips into halves or thirds (I like the ratio of half a bacon strip to each cube of butternut – even though you end up double wrapping part of the butternut)
- Place a cube of butternut on top of a bacon strip
- Wrap cube, stretching the bacon a bit
- Secure with a toothpick
- Arrange cubes on a lightly greased cookie sheet (jelly roll pan)
- Refrigerate until ready to cook and serve
- Preheat oven to 425º
- Place butternut-filled cookie sheet in center of oven, and bake for 30 minutes, until bacon is crispy, and butternut is soft inside
- Remove from oven, and transfer butternut bites to a serving tray
Optional glaze:
- Combine Maple syrup with chili powder, and brush onto each bite.
- This glaze is optional, but adds a tiny bit of sweetness, with a nice bite at the end.
- Serve as finger food or appetizers.
- Enjoy!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Save-A-Lot. The opinions and text are all mine.
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Harold Burton says
Can’t wait to try the recipes for Passover!! Thanks for the great recipes. I appreciate it so much!!
Holly Hooper says
What a great idea to dye your crust!!! These are such a fun idea for the 4th…pinning this for sure! I’m thinking I need to add to my baking collection with some of those cute rings.
★★★★★