These little halloumi with pancetta and date bites are delicious snacks. They are simple to make, need just 4 ingredients and will be done in less than 20 minutes. I call it the perfect combination – a delicious and easy recipe.
Ok, let’s be honest. Everyone loves cheese and bacon. The saltiness from creamy and silky cheese, combined with the fattiness from bacon creates the perfect flavour combination that can be described in one word – HEAVEN!
And this recipe takes things one step further by incorporating sweet and delicious dates…
This halloumi with pancetta and dates recipe is perfect for parties. But honestly, I made it over and over again just as an appetizer before dinner. You can serve these variations on pigs in blankets by themselves as they are, or you can combine them with salad and pears.
Ingredients for Halloumi with Pancetta
To be honest, the majority of these ingredients are already listed on the recipe title – this is how easy this meal is. But here’s the full ingredient list:
- Halloumi – squeaky, creamy and delicious cheese! Magic happens after it’s fried. If you haven’t tried this cheese before – this is the recipe for you.
- Pancetta – everyone loves bacon, but if you’d like to elevate the flavour, use pancetta for this recipe. The main difference between these two ingredients is pancetta is unsmoked and bacon is smoked. Unsmoked pancetta works better in this recipe, because it allows the other flavours to emerge and unfold.
- Medjool dates – these large, sweet and caramel-like dates are incredible. Just a touch of these wonderful fruits elevates this easy snack.
- Harissa paste – this paste was originally from Tunisia and is made from red chilies, garlic, oil, vinegar and spices. You might think it’s really spicy, but in reality it just brings a touch of warming heat.
Why This Halloumi with Pancetta Is So Good
- Even if you’re a beginner in the kitchen, you’ll wow everyone with this recipe.
- It’s very versatile – you can test this recipe with different types of cheese (for example mozzarella sticks, feta… etc.).
- It’s not labour intensive – you just need to make the halloumi and pancetta rolls (this won’t take you more than 5 minutes) and bake them in the oven (max 15 minutes). That’s it!
- You can serve this dish in different ways to make it unique and exciting. It’s great as a snack by itself or you can also serve it as a topping for a fresh veggie salad.
If you love snacks (and who doesn’t?), try these recipes:
Mushroom Toast with Butter Bean Spread
Prawns with Limoncello Sauce
Whipped Ricotta Spread with Roasted Cherries
Anchovy Dip with Roasted Peppers
Recipe
Ingredients
1 block of halloumi
8 slices of pancetta
4 Medjool dates
2 tablespoons of harissa paste (I used this one)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
- Cut the halloumi cheese into 8 same-sized strips.
- Cut the Medjool dates in half.
- Brush the harissa paste onto your pancetta slices. Place a halloumi strip and half of the date on top of one slice of pancetta. Roll everything up.
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
