Maple BBQ Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

This appetizer is bacon me crazy! Seriously though, this stuff is amazing! I have had bacon wrapped shrimp before but wanted to add BBQ sauce and some maple syrup so the sauce would get caramelized and super flavorful. It could almost be called "crack shrimp"! This is the perfect summer appetizer to make when having family or friends over or you could just make it for yourself and eat them all! This recipe is also naturally dairy free and is made gluten free by simply using gluten free Worcestershire sauce in place of the normal sauce.

I like using shrimp in a variety of dishes because they are generally low in calories but high in protein and key nutrients. A common misconception with shrimp is that you should always buy it "fresh". Unless you live somewhere close to the ocean where you are certain that the shrimp is coming fresh directly off the boat, it is generally better to buy it frozen. The "fresh" shrimp stacked on top of ice behind the counter at your local super market has likely been frozen before and thawed recently, so it is actually just getting older and older the longer it sits, loosing its flavor. Frozen shrimp also lasts much longer (for weeks in the freezer) opposed to thawed shrimp that lasts a day or two in the fridge.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb thick bacon

• 1 lb large, raw shrimp, devined, tail and peel removed

• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce of choice

• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup

• 1 tbsp GF Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tbsp dijon mustard

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp paprika

• salt and pepper to taste

• 4 wooden skewers

• optional: green onions for topping, preferred dipping sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. On a large foil lined baking sheet, evenly spread out the pieces of bacon. Place in the oven for about 9 to 10 minutes. You want the bacon to start cooking but to be raw enough that you can still wrap it around the shrimp.

2. In the meantime, rinse and pat your shrimp dry. In a small bowl, whisk together the BBQ sauce, maple syrup, GF Worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, garlic powder, paprika, and salt and pepper and set aside.

3. Remove the bacon from the oven and move to a plate with paper towels. Clean the tinfoil and excess grease off of the pan and set aside. Pat the bacon with paper towels to remove the excess fat. Then, cut each piece of bacon in half (not lengthwise, the other way, like you're folding it in half).

4. Then, carefully wrap each shrimp with 1/2 piece of bacon and place a skewer through the shrimp. You can try to insert the skewer so it also catches onto the wrapped bacon so the bacon stays in place.

5. Complete this with all the remaining shrimp and bacon halves. You should have roughly 16 wrapped shrimp.

6. Place the shrimp back on the same cleaned up large pan with a new line of tinfoil. Using a kitchen brush, brush about 3/4 of the sauce mixture evenly distributed amongst the front and back of all the shrimp.

7. Place the shrimp into the oven for about 15 minutes. Before taking them out, check to make sure that the the bacon on the upward facing side is mostly cooked, then remove the pan from the oven. Turn the oven to broil.

8. Now that the shrimp is out of the oven, flip all of the shrimp over. Use the remaining sauce to brush over all of the shrimp on the side that is now facing up. Return to the oven and broil for about 4 to 5 minutes, until the bacon is crispy and the sauce has caramelized.

9. Allow to cool slightly and serve hot. Top with green onions and a preferred dipping sauce (I like a DF ranch) if you would like and enjoy!