You can take time out of the preparation process by choosing bacon-wrapped water chestnuts to be your starter. These are a quick yet very creative appetizer to whip out at your holiday party.

Use whole, unsweetened, ready peeled chestnuts for this recipe ... Fry until the bacon has browned, and the liquid in the pan has reduced (bacon has quite a lot of water in it).

Cut the bacon strips in half crosswise. Wrap a piece of bacon around each water chestnut and secure with a toothpick. Place the water chestnuts in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bake until lightly ...