With summer grilling season underway, Easy Luau Bites are an easy-to-make appetizer for your next party that’s impressive. Combining two party favorites – bacon and shrimp – Easy Luau Bites bring the flavors of summer to your party without having to grill outdoors!
And, with pre-planning, Easy Luau Bites are a simple party appetizer that can be made ahead of time and popped in the oven before your guests arrive. Served on pineapple rings, they make a beautiful presentation and your guests will think you spent hours in the kitchen making this delicious appetizer just for them!
Here are a few pre-planning tips to insure that your Easy Luau Bites leave you stress-free and with time on your hands to enjoy your guests:
Tip #1
Buy whole water chestnuts and slice them in half so that you have two “coins” from each water chestnut. The pre-sliced water chestnuts are just too thinly sliced; 9 times out of 10, the pre-sliced water chestnuts will break when you skewer them with a toothpick.
Tip #2
Pre-cook the bacon to lessen the cooking time AND so that you don’t overcook the pre-cooked shrimp!
Tip #3
This recipe can be pre-made a few hours ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Increase baking time slightly to account for refrigeration.
Tip #4
The pineapple rings are optional and although delicious, too, are mainly for presentation. There are about 9 pineapple rings to a can, so if you want to use only one can, place the nine rings in a circle on your platter, top each one with an Easy Luau Bite and place the remaining Easy Luau Bites in the center of the platter.
Here’s the recipe:
Easy Luau Bites
Easy Luau Bites are a simple appetizer that combine party favorites, bacon and shrimp, for a delicious treat for your guests.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 mins
- Yield: 28 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Island
Ingredients
- 1 – 8 ounce can of whole water chestnuts, drained and rinsed
- 14 pieces of thick-sliced bacon, cut in half to make 28 pieces, each slice about 4 to 4 1/2 inches long
- 28 pre-cooked, peeled, deveined shrimp (26–30 count size; about 1/2 pound), defrosted per package instructions
- 1 – 20 ounce can of pineapple chunks, drained
- 1 cup of Easy Homemade Barbecue Sauce, divided
- 4 – 20 ounce cans of pineapple rings, drained
- 4 green onions, green part only, chopped (reserve white parts for another recipe)
- 28 toothpicks soaked in water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cut water chestnuts into two “coins” and set aside.
- Carefully remove the pineapple rings from the cans and drain on paper towels, patting dry; set aside.
- Line several large baking sheets with heavy-duty aluminum foil and place a cooling rack on top of the foiled-lined pans (you may have to make the bacon in several batches, if you don’t have enough baking sheets and cooling racks).
- Place bacon halves on top of cooling racks.
- Add 1/2 cup of Easy Homemade Barbecue Sauce to a small bowl and using a pastry brush, brush both sides of each slice of bacon with barbecue sauce.
- Bake bacon in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes until almost cooked (not crispy).
- Remove from oven and allow to cool to touch.
- Once bacon has cooled to touch, transfer to a plate, discard bacon grease in foil-lined pan and line baking pan again with new foil.
- Place one shrimp in the center of each bacon slice; top with one piece of pineapple chunks and one slice of water chestnuts.
- Holding shrimp, pineapple and water chestnut in place on top of bacon slice with one hand, use your other hand to wrap the bacon around the shrimp, pineapple and water chestnut.
- Skewer all pieces (bacon, shrimp, pineapple, water chestnut) with a toothpick that has been soaked in water and return to baking sheet/cooling rack.
- Repeat until all are skewered and placed on baking sheet.
- Bake in pre-heated oven for 15 to 20 minutes until bacon is cooked and slightly crispy (do not burn!).
- While Easy Luau Bites are cooking in the oven, place the pineapple rings on a large serving platter; these will be the “bed” for your Easy Luau Bites.
- Remove Easy Luau Bites from the oven and place one on top of each pineapple ring on serving platter OR line serving platter with nine pineapple rings (one can), place one Easy Luau Bite inside each ring and pile remaining Easy Luau Bites in center of platter.
- Sprinkle with sliced green onions and serve remaining 1/2 cup of Easy Homemade Barbecue Sauce on the side as a dipping sauce.
Tootles,
Related Posts:
(other appetizer recipes)
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