Shelly's Recipe

BACON WRAPPED GRILLED STUFFED PRUNES

Category: Grilled Starters

4 ounces Gouda cheese
16 pitted prunes
4 lean slices of bacon, or more as needed
16 short, thin bamboo skewers or wooden toothpicks, soaked for 1 hour in cold water to cover,and drained; an aluminum foil grill shield

Cut the cheese into 1/4 x 1/4 x 1-inch pieces and stuff them inside the prunes.

Cut each slice of bacon crosswise into 4 pieces; each piece should be just large enough to wrap around a prune. Wrap each prune in bacon and secure it through the side with a bamboo skewer or toothpick so that it resembles a hammer. These can be prepared several hours ahead to this stage.

Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat it to high. Leave one section of the grill fire-free for a safety zone.

When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Arrange the wrapped prunes on the hot grate, with an aluminum foil shield under the exposed ends of the skewers or toothpicks to keep them from burning.

Grill the prunes, turning with tongs, until the bacon is crisp and the cheese is melted, 1 to 3 minutes per side.

In the event you get flare-ups, move them on top of the grill shield or to the safety zone. Transfer them to a platter and serve immediately. Serves 4