Recipe~Heart Attack on a Stick

This should be a funny post, since I am a vegetarian, but alas this was not always the case and so here is the proof! :)

This is actually a recipe for two appetizers, both bearing the same name and both for bacon lovers, a group of which I was once a card carrying member! Both are quick and easy, if you don't mind handling greasy, raw bacon.

Heart Attack on a Stick/Water Chestnuts

Ingredients:

1 can WHOLE water chesnuts
1 pkg bacon
wooden toothpicks, 1 per water chestnut (NOT with colorful plastic on top)

Do you see where I am going already?? That's right. Wrap bacon around water chesnut and secure with a toothpick! Whew! That was complicated.

There are a couple options for cooking. These can be microwaved, but it creates a lot of grease. I usually place SEVERAL paper towels on a plate and fit as many as I can on it, start at 5 minutes and then see where we are. The thickness of the bacon and each chestnut and how lean the bacon is, means not all will cook in the same period of time, but fast nonetheless.

Now, if you have the time, oven baking is healthier, creates a better taste and the bacon cooks nicely, ending up snug around the water chestnut. This I would do on a broiler pan so the grease can drip, about 300 degrees and just watch until they look done.

Want to go the extra mile? Add some color? Toothpicks are long enough to add one additional item... a slice of cherry tomato, zucchini, cheese!! These items can be added before, during or after, depending on how well you want them cooked.

Want to go crazy? Forget the toothpicks! Use disposable wooden scewers and throw all kinds of things on there for a kabob effect!

Heart Attack on a Stick/Breadsticks

Ingredients:

1 pkg bacon
1 pkg sesame seed breadsticks (these are hard, like you might have with a salad, not doughy, not soft, about a centimeter thick)
grated parmesan cheese, artificial works best

Wrap each stick in bacon and lay on a broiler pan, or something that will allow for grease to drip. When pan is full, bake as indicated above, just watching for bacon to be cooked fully. When these are done, much of the grease has soaked into the breadsticks, but not enough to make them too soft. Then sprinkle with parmesan on both sides or roll in parmesan. The saturated sticks will absorb the cheese as well. Yum!

Both of these are great for finger foods, sporting events, picnics. Nothing fancy, but oh soooo good!