Bacon Wrapped Cheese Stuffed Tots by Burnt Finger BBQ

Megan Day is a rising star in the world of BBQ and Foodie culture in general. She has made lots of TV appearances on notable shows like The Food Network’s BBQ Brawl and even The Today Show. Wherever she goes next, she usually makes quite an impression because her style of BBQ perfectly blends classic Kansas City tastes with a little modern experimentation! This smoky, cheesy recipe is going to be your next party’s big hit, guaranteed. Here’s how to make Bacon Wrapped Cheese Stuffed Tots!

Note: If you would rather watch Megan herself walk you through this recipe in a video, you can watch right here!

Ingredient list for Bacon Wrapped Cheese Stuffed Tots:

• 28 Tater Tots, slightly thawed
• 1 pound thick-cut Bacon (Thick cut holds the cheese in better)
• 1 block of cream cheese, cold
• Burnt Finger BBQ Smokey KC Rub
• Burnt Finger BBQ Smokey KC Sauce
• 28 Toothpicks

Pre-heat your smoker to 275 degrees F.

Dust the tots with your favorite barbecue rub, like Burnt Finger BBQ’s Smokey KC Rub.

Cut each slice of bacon in half to make 28 strips.

Pull cream cheese out of the refrigerator and cut into 7 equal slices. Lay each slice down and cut into 4 equal rectangle pieces.

Turn each seasoned tot horizontal and wrap it in bacon. Secure with a toothpick. There should be enough room above the tot to now tuck in a rectangle of cream cheese. Sprinkle top of cream cheese with rub.

Place the appetizer on a rack over indirect heat and let them smoke for one and a half hours. If you are using regular cut bacon, you only need to smoke them for about an hour. 

Pull them, let them cool and then serve with your favorite barbecue sauce.

If you want to get the most out of this recipe, Megan Day recommends going with thick cut bacon, to make sure that all the melted cream cheese stays inside and doesn’t fall onto the heat source!

Feel like getting the family involved? Here’s how: Once you have the bacon slices cut and the cream cheese portioned out, grab the whole family for this fun assembly line activity.

Keep the bacon and the cream cheese as cold as you can. This will make sure the appetizer maintains its shape as it cooks.

The tots should be cold, but not frozen. If the toothpick will not go through, give them a few more minutes to thaw out.

There are approximately 14 strips of bacon in a one pound package of thick-cut bacon. Count your slices and plan accordingly. Note, one block of cream cheese can be cut into 28 perfect chunks for this recipe.

When wrapping the bacon around the tot, lay the tot horizontally on your cutting board and wrap the slice around so the ends of the bacon slightly overlap. This will leave you enough room to then place the chunk of cream cheese on top of the tot, but still within the walls of the
bacon wrap.

This amazing BBQ recipe can be made on any type of grill or smoker. Just remember to keep the tots from being over direct heat, so the bacon stays the right type of crispy!

If you want to watch how easy this Bacon Wrapped Cheese Stuffed Tot recipe is, here’s Megan Day herself going through it quickly on YouTube!  

If you are using a charcoal grill, create a two zone fire and add wood chunks on the direct coals. The cook will take place on the cooler side of the grill.

If you are using a propane grill, only turn on one or two burners. The cook will take place on the cooler side of the grill.

If you are using a pellet grill or electric smoker, set your temperature to 275 degrees F.

If you are using an offset smoker, adjust your vents and fire to run your pit at 275 degrees F and monitor closely.

I hope your family enjoys this recipe! ~ Megan Day, Burnt Finger BBQ

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