Make bacon. Preheat oven to 425F. Lay five slices on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Bake for 15-18 minutes, then drain, crumble and set aside. Be careful! The bacon will be hot.
Make topping. In a small mixing bowl, thoroughly combined cream cheese, butter, Manchego, dates, and bacon. Season with a pinch or two of salt.
Assemble party bread. Put roughly ½ tbsp of the topping each on the bread slices and bake 8 minutes, or until cheese is melty.
Finish and serve. Brush each slice with honey and bake again for 2 minutes. Add parsley or chives, if using, and serve.
