Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts

       I was recently asked to bring an appetizer to a cocktail party and wanted to make something new. At our wedding reception, we had bacon-wrapped scallops that were fabulous. Since I wasn't sure how many people liked scallops, I thought that I would try bacon-wrapped water chestnuts.
      They were easy (although a bit time-consuming) and were a huge hit. You can easily make them a day or two in advance and keep in the fridge until it is time to heat them up. I recommend making a double batch of sauce and to have a dish of the deliciousness available to dip on the side.

• Ingredients:
• 1 pound bacon
• 2 (8 ounce) cans water chestnuts
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup chili sauce
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 
  
• Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cut each strip of bacon in half or in thirds (you will figure it out)
3. Wrap one strip around one water chestnut. Secure with a wooden toothpick. Place in shallow baking dish.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 minutes. D
5. While the wraps are baking, in a small mixing bowl combine brown sugar, mayonnaise, ketchup and chili sauce to make barbecue sauce. After the wraps have finished baking, transfer them (removing them from the grease) to a second shallow baking dish. Pour the sauce over the wraps.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 to 15 additional minutes, or until bacon is crispy. Serve hot out of dish with toothpicks.

Note: If you would like to make a less-spicy version, use 1/3 cup ketchup and 1 tbsp of chili sauce instead.