SWEET AND SPICY CHICKEN BACON WRAPS

A wise sage once said; "to make things better, add bacon." In my experience this has been true to form. And as if bacon weren't enough, chicken wrapped in bacon would make a vegetarian convert. The sweet and spicy part puts a proverbial cherry on top of this delicious baconized starter.

A fantastic and simple appetizer idea, sweet and spicy chicken bacon wraps are a snap to make, and weigh in as a finger-licking finger food that is perfect for a pot luck or a party requiring appies. Cubed chicken breast, strip bacon, sugar, chili spice, and cumin are all it takes to whip up this delectable dish.

Another installment in the prolific library of recipes from "101cooking for two.com", the part time blog of multitalented hobby chef and Pediatrician Dr.Dan, chicken and bacon wraps are among a throng of over three hundred and fifty "easy everyday" recipes that are just as easy to find scrolling through the blog. An aid in de-stressing from a week of work, Dr.Dan cooks, photographs his dishes, blogs, and makes sure to savour every ounce of his culinary creations.

Now, to the bacon. With the oven preheated, mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, cube the chicken, wrap each piece in a strip of bacon (or half a strip depending on size), and skewer the wrapped final product with a toothpick. Place in the oven, and bake until the chicken is cooked through and/or the bacon is golden brown. Alternately you can fry the chicken separately first, which then allows you to a) be sure the chicken is cooked thoroughly, and b) not overcook the bacon once in the oven (for those who like it medium rare).

Additionally, the recipe can act as a template for a number of easy variations you can try for yourself. Substitute the cumin for coriander or basil; use cayenne pepper or paprika instead of the chili; and try honey instead of sugar. You can also season the chicken any way you like before moving on through the recipe. The sky's the limit. With the glory of bacon, you can't mess this one up.

Bacon has never been as popular as it is today. Don't get me wrong the tasty meat has always been popular, but in recent years it has earned a status that is on a whole new level, it used to be seen mostly at breakfast tables served with eggs and toast, or include in the popular bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich or BLT sandwich. Now you see bacon everywhere! From maple donuts with bacon crumbled overtop, chocolate covered bacon candies, maple buttercream cupcakes with bacon sprinkled overtop, bacon brownies (yes bacon brownies, that really is a thing), bacon jam, bacon wrapped meatloaf, bacon wrapped sushi, woven bacon taco shells (you really have to see these, they are pretty cool), maple bacon cookie dough truffles, chocolate almond bacon clusters, bacon rice crispy treats and more.