Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts Are The Easy Appetizer Your Christmas Party Needs

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, and Jack Frost nipping at your nose. These lyrics from the classic 1946 release "The Christmas Song," evoke all the warm, fuzzy feelings and nostalgic memories one can have. And alongside that — a slight yearning for the unique taste provided by chestnuts. So with the holidays right around the corner, what better way to keep the sentiment going than by creating a festive dish that uses the ingredient people so commonly associate with Christmas? Wrap those chestnuts in bacon, and you've even got yourself an appetizer.

Between cleaning the house and cooking the main course, there's already much to be done before a Christmas get-together. You can take time out of the preparation process by choosing bacon-wrapped water chestnuts to be your starter. These are a quick yet very creative appetizer to whip out at your holiday party. They only take 15 to 20 minutes of active prep, meaning you have more time to take care of other tasks or bond with loved ones.

Making bacon-wrapped water chestnuts consists of only a few steps. To start, wrap each water chestnut with a strip of bacon, poking a toothpick through the center to secure it. Put these onto a baking sheet, and pop them into the oven until the bacon is crispy. As your treats are heating, you can make the sauce that goes with it. This typically consists of mixing ketchup and brown sugar at the very least, though you can also add soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and ginger for more flavor. Generously dip your bacon-wrapped water chestnuts into this concoction, and return it to the baking sheet. Allow it another 15 minutes in the oven, or remove them once the sauce has become stickier and less runny. And there you have it! They're now ready to be served.

The reason bacon-wrapped water chestnuts work so well is the same reason popcorn in bacon fat and cheesecake with bacon crumbles are so successful. The same even goes for adding bacon fat to homemade mayo. There's very little that won't benefit from the smoky, meaty flavor the pork provides. It adds more depth and complexity to the water chestnuts, which on their own can be described as nutty, sweet, and tart, yet still mild overall. Take that combination and slather it with the sweet and simultaneously acidic taste of the sauce, and you've got an explosion of flavors that'll have you caroling all night long.