While the weather may not be there yet, fall sports definitely are! There’s football–college and NFL, plus the MLB play-offs and upcoming World Series. You’re sure to please the whole crowd with Bacon-Wrapped Buffalo Chicken Bites when they come to watch the game.

Bacon-Wrapped Buffalo Chicken Bites
TOTAL TIME: 1 Hr(s) 3 Min(s)
PREP TIME: 35 Min(s)
COOK TIME: 28 Min(s) Cook
24 servings (conservative)

What You Need
1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 48 pieces
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cut into 48 pieces
1 pkg. (16 oz.) OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cut into thirds
1/2 cup Buffalo wing sauce (I suggest Frank’s brand)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar

Let’s Make It
1 – Heat oven to 400ºF.
2 – Top each chicken piece with cream cheese piece; wrap with 1 bacon piece. Secure with wooden toothpicks; place on foil-covered rimmed baking sheet.
3 – Bake 15 to 18 min. or until chicken is done. (Bacon will not be crisp.)
4 – Mix wings sauce and sugar until blended; brush onto bacon-wrapped bundles. Bake 8 to 10 min. or until bacon is crisp, and sauce is hot and bubbly.

Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – Don’t want lots of spicy? Substitute HEINZ Tomato Ketchup for the wings sauce Tip 2 – Serve with bleu cheese or ranch dressing for dipping.

If you want all the details, head over the My Food & Family for nutritional info, etc. Just CLICK HERE. I’m going back almost to the beginning with this recipe. My editor and I had a long discussion about the fact that Cassidy would be a St. Louis Cardinal fan. First, she grew up in Oklahoma and two, she lived in Chicago at the opening of the the book. He thought she’d support the Texas Rangers because…Dallas. Or either the Cubs or White Sox because…Chicago. He was also surprised that Chance’s family would own a minority share in the Cards–enough to get them a box and “green seats.” The green seats are directly behind home plate, are like a private club with very comfy and padded seats and seat-side beverage and food service. Those seats are passed down to heirs, have a long waiting list, and can cost up to $10,000 a seat, on the conservative side. We had a loooong discussion about it and I finally convinced him. And yes, I’ve pretty much been a life-long Cardinals fan from the days when baseball was far more often on the radio than TV. And this is far more information than y’all probably want but hey, maybe it’s stirred some interest in COWGIRLS DON’T CRY, which was the first contemporary romance I sold to Harlequin. And you know something? The opening scene of that book STILL makes me cry, even if cowgirls don’t. Usually. 😉 So, enjoy this snack and if you don’t want to watch a game, go grab my book and read it instead. If you click on a pick with the cover or the title, you’ll go to Harlequin. You can buy directly from there or find the links to all the stores where it’s available. What’s your favorite fall sport?