I never get sick of apple season. You?
I feel like the invasion of all things pumpkin spice has cut that season short and overshadowed its wonderfulness. However here in the Midlands, there is still plenty of time left to pick your own or take advantage of what apples are in season and available at the markets. Hopefully, the following recipes will give you some new ideas on how to use them. At the very least, they will fill your home with the smell of autumn!
Green Apple Cucumber Smoothie
Recipe via Curious Nut
2 green apples, cored
1/4 hothouse cucumber (or other cucumber)
1 stick celery
1 cup frozen pineapple
1 large frozen banana
1 cup almond milk
1/2 – 1 tsp lime juice
1-2 tbs sweetener of choice (optional)
Place everything in a high powdered blender and blend until smooth.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts W/Bacon & Apples
Recipe via Back to Her Roots
Sprouts are a member of the cabbage family, and like most cabbage, contain sulfur. The longer the Brussels cook, the stronger the sulfur smell and taste become. Not good eats for kids (or adults). Avoid the dreaded kid spit out by roasting these babies until they are just tender and brown.
1 pound Brussels sprouts, washed, trimmed and halved
1 large tart apple, cored and diced
4 slices, thick-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine sprouts, apple and bacon and stir until evenly distributed. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, maple syrup and balsamic vinegar. Pour olive oil mixture over sprout mixture and toss to coat. Pour out the sprout mixture in one layer onto a greased cookie sheet. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 10-15 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking, or until sprouts are tender and brown.
Acorn Squash Stuffed W/Apples & Raisins
Recipe via The Cookie Writer
1 acorn squash, halved and seeded
2 tbsp. coconut oil
2 small/medium apples, chopped
½ cup raisins
⅛ cup brown sugar (honey or maple syrup would be nice here, too.)
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
Salt
Preheat oven to 350F. Add the squash to a large baking sheet, cut side down, and add enough water to just over the bottom of the pan entirely. Place into oven and bake for 30 minutes. While the squash cooks, add the coconut oil to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and raisins. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until tender-crisp. Remove squash from oven. Drain pan and flip squash so the cut side is facing upwards. Sprinkle with some salt. Add in the apple mixture and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until squash is nice and soft.
Sweet Potatoes Baked W/Apples & Onions
Recipe via Brittany’s Pantry
This side is especially great with anything roasted.
Two firm apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 medium onion, halved and sliced into half moons
3 medium or two large sweet potatoes, peeled
2 T butter
1/4 c apple cider, preferably all natural and no sugar added
salt and pepper
1 T of brown sugar, optional
Butter a large, deep, oval or round casserole dish. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the peeled sweet potatoes into coins 1/8 to a 1/4 inch thick. Just eyeball it, but keep in mind that the thinner you cut them, the faster they will bake and vice versa. Layer about 1/3 of your sweet potatoes on the bottom of the dish, letting some overlap. Then add half your sliced apples and then 1/2 your onions. You don’t have to cover every single inch here as it will all bake together. Just spread evenly. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Then add potatoes, the rest of your apples, the last of your onions, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and then top with the last of your sweet potatoes. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Pour your apple cider evenly over the top and sprinkle lightly with a bit of brown sugar, if desired. Dot with butter, cover with foil, and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a knife or fork easily cuts through the layers. This will stay warm for quite awhile if it is kept covered and it reheats wonderfully!
Baked Apple Chips
Recipe via Love Lola
3 apples
brown sugar
cinnamon
nutmeg
Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Rinse and dry the apples. Cut them in thin slices … as thin as you can get it using a really sharp knife [be careful!]. Prepare a baking sheet, or two, by laying parchment paper on it. Lay each slice flat on the parchment paper. When all of the apples have been sliced and assembled on the baking sheet, sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, and just a small dash of nutmeg. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes. Take them out of the oven, flip them, and add more cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar to the opposite side. Bake for another hour in a half. Depending on how crunchy you want your chips, you made need to bake them a little longer…up to four hours. When they are finished baking, turn the oven off and leave them in the warm oven to harden up for another hour. Once you’ve got a batch cooked they can last in an airtight container for up to a week. Enjoy!
Turkey Apple Panini
Recipe via Brittany’s Pantry
Whether you use sliced deli turkey, thick slabs of a bird you roasted just a day or two ago, or even leftover roast chicken, it is ALL good in this sandwich. A good dill pickle on the side is highly recommended.
sliced turkey
granny smith-or other tart apple-cored and thinly sliced
apple butter
dijon or grainy mustard
swiss cheese
loaf of ciabatta bread, individual ciabatta rolls, or other thick and hearty crusty bread
garlic oil, olive oil, or grape seed oil
If using a loaf of bread, cut into thick slices, or halve the ciabatta, cutting into individual sandwich sizes if needed. Smear one half of the bread with mustard and the other half generously with apple butter. Lay a slice of swiss on the top and bottom. On the bottom half of the sandwich, layer on your turkey and then your apple slices. Top with the cheese/apple butter half and brush the outsides of the bread (top and bottom) with the garlic, olive, or grape seed oil. Press into a panini maker until the sandwich is flattened, toasted, and heated all the way through, melting the cheese. Remove carefully with a spatula and enjoy immediately! Alternatively, set the sandwiches in a hot skillet or cast iron pan and weight it down with another heavy pot or pan. Leave for three or four minutes and flip, weighing it down again. Serve immediately.
Cheddar Apple Thyme Scones
Recipe via A Southern Grace
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
6 tablespoons butter, cold and cubed
1 cup buttermilk
1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced
4 ounces cheddar cheese, diced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the first six ingredients and cut in the butter until a coarse, crumbly mixture is formed. Mix in the buttermilk, apple, and cheese using a fork until everything is moistened and then turn the batter out onto a floured surface. Form the dough into two 6-inch wide disk about an inch in height. Apply an egg wash and sprinkle with thyme, then cut each disk into 6 wedges. Transfer the wedges to a baking sheet with about 2 inches between them and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Crockpot Apple Oatmeal
Recipe via Brittany’s Pantry
If you have time to pop this in just before lunch and turn it on Hi instead of Low, it makes an outstanding after school snack. As for apples, use whatever you have in your fridge, but generally, I try to avoid anything too sour.
Spray or butter the insert of a standard sized slow cooker. In order, add:
2 apples, peeled and cored and sliced
1/2 c brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 c rolled oats-not quick cooking
4 c water
DO NOT STIR! Cover and set on low for 6-8 hours. I put this in right before I go to bed and it is done in time for my husband to eat some before he goes to work in the morning. He turns it off, keeps the lid on, and it is still piping hot and ready for us when we get up for school! Eat it as is or add a splash of milk, chopped walnuts or pecans, or even a handful of raisins or cranberries. Leftovers are great reheated the next day.
Honeyed Goat Cheese Apple Rings
Recipe via The Live-In Kitchen
Granny smith apples
Plain goat cheese
Honey
Chopped Pecans
Cut the top and bottom off the apples, then slice the remaining middle into two or three even slices (depending on the size of your apple) about ½ inch thick. Use a sharp knife or biscuit cutter to remove the core from each slice. Arrange the cored slices on a tray and fill the middle with about one tablespoon of goat cheese. Drizzle enough honey over the top to completely coat the top of the apples (this will prevent them from turning brown). Sprinkle with chopped pecans and serve.
Snickers Salad
Recipe via Brittany’s Pantry
1 large (or two small) tart/sour apples, cored and diced, such as granny smith
1 box (3-4 oz) instant vanilla pudding (you could also use french vanilla or cheesecake flavors)
1 1/2 c cold milk
1-8oz container whipped topping
2 regular sized classic Snickers candy bars or 6 fun sized from your kids Halloween bag, chilled
2 c mini marshmallows
Vigorously whisk together the instant pudding and milk in a large bowl until well combined, smooth, and starting to thicken. Chill for half an hour. Pudding should be extra thick! Meanwhile, cut the cold candy bars lengthwise down the middle, and then across into small, bit sized pieces. You should get 8 pieces out of a fun sized Snickers bar. They cut much easier when they are cold and they don’t stick together when you mix them in! Add the container of cool whip to the pudding and fold gently together. It is ok to leave some streaks in there since you are going to mix it more anyway. Add the apples, marshmallows, and candy and gently fold until combined. Chill or serve immediately. This dessert salad lasts for several hours and even overnight. Just note that the marshmallows may get a bit soft after a day and the more it is handled, the more they will break apart. The flavor doesn’t suffer though!
