Apple BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with Caramelized Onion, Bacon, and Apple Topping

I know that's the longest recipe title ever. But I just couldn't leave anything out. All of those ingredients listed up there are such important components to this delicious sandwich that they all deserve to be mentioned. 

Since the title is so long, I'll try to keep this post short and just tell you to MAKE THESE SANDWICHES. If you're anything like me this (and every) fall, you probably have more apples than you know what to do with right now. Use a couple of them in this savory application and I promise, your entire family will love them. The flavor combination is just fantastic, with the salty, sweet, and smoky elements working together so perfectly.

Also, make double the chicken and use the leftovers in these BBQ chicken taquitos, and your family will practically fall at your feet. I know this from experience.

By the way, if you're a fan of The Bachelor, you should know that I found the inspiration for this recipe from the blog Mix and Match Mama, which is written by Bachelor Sean's sister Shay. She is adorable, and she posts some really amazing recipes. Go check her out!

Apple BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with Caramelized Onion, Bacon, and Apple Topping
inspired by Mix and Match Mama 

For the chicken:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste
2 whole cloves garlic, peeled
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cups apple juice
1 bottle BBQ sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar

For the onion-bacon-apple topping:

6 strips bacon, diced
4 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, sliced
1 large apple, sliced (I used a Honeycrisp, my fave)
1 thyme sprig
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon maple syrup 

For the sandwiches: 

Sandwich buns, toasted if desired
Mayonnaise

1. Place the chicken in a Crock pot and season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic, thyme sprigs, and apple juice. Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours. Before serving, remove the thyme sprigs and shred the chicken with two forks. Add the BBQ sauce, vinegar, and brown sugar and stir to combine. Turn off the slow cooker and cover while preparing the topping.

2. To make the topping, cook the bacon in a large, high-sided skillet until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Drain all but one tablespoon of the bacon drippings from the skillet. Reduce heat to low and add the butter to melt. Add the onions, apples, and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown and caramelized. Remove the thyme sprig, return the bacon to the skillet, and add the maple syrup. Heat through, then remove from heat.

3. To make the sandwiches, add a pile of chicken to the bottom half of the buns. Top with the onion-bacon-apple topping. Smear some mayonnaise on the bun tops and serve.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie

It's September, so we gotta talk apples. This seems like the perfect time to tell you about this pie, which I am ashamed to say that I made one entire year ago. It's truly heinous that I haven't shared it with you before now, because it's insanely delicious. I made it last fall after our trip to the apple orchard, and since we're planning another trip soon, this pie has been on my mind. It will be happening again in my kitchen very, very soon.

This pie. Oh, this pie. It's like a cross between pecan pie, apple pie, and cheesecake, all in one delicious slice. I don't really know what I need to say beyond that. I actually probably didn't need to say anything, right? I think the photo says it all. Apple-y, caramel-y, creamy deliciousness.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake  Pie

slightly adapted from Ezra Pound Cake

For the crust: 

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

1 cup chopped pecans

For the apple filling:

5 apples, peeled, cored, sliced very thin (I used Rome; you could really use whatever cooking apple you like)

5 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the cream cheese filling:

8 ounces cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

For the topping:

1 1/2 cups whipped topping

1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. For the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Mix well and press into a 10-inch pie plate and up the sides. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until golden in color. Remove pie shell from oven and cool completely.

3. Pour caramel into pie shell, and sprinkle with 1 cup of chopped pecans. Refrigerate pie shell while making apple filling.

4. For the apple filling: In a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat, melt butter and add brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Stir with a wooden spoon. Add apples and stir. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 15 to 20 minutes until apples are softened and tender. Let cool for 10 minutes and pour into pie shell.

5. Reduce oven to 350 degrees. 

6. For the cream cheese filling: In a medium bowl, using a hand-held mixer on low speed, combine cream cheese and sugar for about 1 minute until smooth. Add egg, lemon juice and vanilla and beat for 1 minute or until fully blended. Pour over apple filling in pie shell.

7. Bake for 30 minutes until an inserted knife comes out clean. Remove pie from oven and let cool. Refrigerate for 4 hours. Let stand outside the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

8. Top with whipped topping and caramel. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Chipotle Pork Tostadas with Pine-Apple Salsa

I know I've mentioned this here before, but my absolute favorite cookbook is Cooking Light's Annual Recipes from 2008. So many instant family favorites have come from that cookbook, and here is yet another. Joe said that this is one of the best things I have ever made and, obviously, I make lots of things. And since he likes a lot of the things I make, I'm considering that very high praise.

The original recipe from the cookbook was for soft tacos rather than tostadas, but I love the crunch of tostada shells, so I decided to adapt the recipe a bit. These are crazy good, you guys -- spicy and sweet and crunchy and creamy and tangy and just mouthwaterningly delicious. The pineapple-apple salsa was fantastic, savory and sweet at the same time, and it perfectly balanced out the spicy pork mixture. Although I have made apple salsa and pinapple salsa on separate occasions, I never thought about pairing them together. I loved the fresh crispness of the tart apple paired with the sweet pineapple. The roasted red pepper added a level of smokiness that worked so well with the chipotles. This meal was just a winner on all fronts, and it will definitely become a part of the regular rotation.

Chipotle Pork Tostadas with Pine-Apple Salsa

adapted from Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2008, also available on MyRecipes

For the salsa:

2 cups minced pineapple

1 cup minced apple

1 roasted red pepper, patted dry and chopped

1 shallot, minced

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

Pinch of cumin

Generous pinch of salt

For the tostadas:

6 corn tortillas

1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into thin strips

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons chopped chipotles in adobo

Shredded Mexican-blend cheese or queso fresco

Sour cream

1. To prepare salsa, combine all salsa ingredients in a medium bowl; stir until well blended. Cover and chill.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray the tortillas lightly with cooking spray and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until browned and crispy.

3. Meanwhile, to prepare the tostadas, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 2 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes or until pork loses its pink color, stirring occasionally.

4. Stir in tomatoes and next 7 ingredients (through chipotles). Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer 10 minutes or until liquid is nearly evaporated.

5. Spread a thin layer of sour cream on each tortilla. Top with pork mixture, shredded cheese, and salsa.

Grilled Chicken Tacos with Green Apple Salsa

Every March, it happens. No matter how mild the winter was, I’m done with it. I’m ready for spring. I’m ready for flowers, sunshine, evenings spent entirely outdoors, and fresh fruits and vegetables. And the grill. I am very, very ready for dinner cooked on the grill.

One day a couple of weeks ago, I suddenly got it in my head that I wanted to make a Mexican-flavored grilled chicken with an apple salsa on top. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and even as I put it on our weekly menu, it was still coming together in my head. The results were absolutely amazing. The spicy, flavorful marinade made the chicken so tender, and the crisp apple salsa on top was the perfect textural contrast. The salsa itself had a great balance of spicy and sweet elements and was just incredible when paired with the chicken. At the last minute, I decided to slice the chicken and serve it in tacos. It was delicious that way, but would have been incredible all by itself too.

Grilled Chicken Tacos with Green Apple Salsa

For the chicken:

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons taco seasoning (or 1 store-bought envelope)
1 teaspoon sugar

For the salsa:

3 Granny Smith apples, diced
Juice of 2 limes
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of salt

Flour tortillas

1. In a large bowl, combine oil, lime juice, vinegar, taco seasoning, and sugar. Add chicken, coating all sides evenly with the marinade. Cover and marinate for one hour, up to overnight. I marinated mine for about 26 hours (due to a last-minute change of dinner plans the night I’d planned to make this) and it was perfect.

2. When ready to eat, preheat a grill or grill pan to high heat. Add chicken and cook until cooked through.

3. While the chicken is cooking, combine all of the salsa ingredients in a small bowl.

4. Slice chicken and portion into flour tortillas. Top with salsa.

Chicken Bacon Apple Quesadillas

The fact that I made these quesadillas last fall and am just now getting around to sharing them with you guys is an absolute travesty, for a couple of reasons: 1. The delicious Honeycrisp apples I used in them have long since gone out of season; and 2. These quesadillas are SO DELICIOUS OMG and you all should have been eating them for months now. Shall we agree that I totally suck for not sharing these sooner and move on? Okay then.

Remember the pepper-jack, chicken, and peach quesadillas I made last summer? My whole family absolutely loved those, and they were my inspiration for this version. Why not replace the peaches with apples, and add some bacon just to make them extra delicious? The results of this little experiment were just as tasty as I thought they'd be.

The bacon's salty smokiness pairs perfectly with the sweet, crisp apples. I used a mild cheddar-jack cheese for this version, but all cheddar would also be great if you want a stronger cheese flavor (and all Monterey jack would be great if you want a really mild cheese flavor). If you're feeling really decadent, you could even use Brie. Mmm. And even though you can't get Honeycrisp apples right now, Granny Smiths or even Red Delicious apples would work just fine in this recipe. With some honey-lime sour cream on the side for dipping, this is a quick and easy lunch or dinner that I think you're going to love.

Chicken Bacon Apple Quesadillas

1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/2 cup sour cream
4 8-inch flour tortillas
3/4 cup cheddar-jack cheese
1 cup chopped skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast

4 slices of bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled
1 apple, thinly sliced
Cooking spray

1. Combine honey and lime juice in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Stir sour cream into honey mixture; cover and chill until ready to serve.

2. Place tortillas flat on a work surface. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons cheese over half of each tortilla; top each tortilla with 1/4 cup chicken, the equivalent of 1 slice of crumbled bacon, and a quarter of the apple slices. Fold tortillas in half.

3. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place 2 quesadillas in the pan. Cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until tortillas are crisp and lightly browned. Remove quesadillas from pan; set aside, and keep warm. Repeat procedure with the remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into wedges. Serve with sauce.

Apple Whoopie Pies with Cinnamon Caramel Cream Cheese Filling

It seems like when fall weather first hits, my mind automatically goes to all pumpkin, all the time. My pumpkin love runs deep and true. But with all my pumpkin adoration, I tend to forget about that other delightful seasonal fall ingredient: the apple. I couldn’t let autumn pass without baking with apples at least once, and right about the time I vowed to make something apple-icious, Stephanie serendipitously posted these whoopie pies. Done, and done.

I learned a lesson while making these. I knew the filling was going to be amazing (cinnamon cream cheese frosting, I mean, come ON), but I decided I wanted to make it even better and add some caramel. Sounds delicious, right? I had half a bag of caramels in the cupboard from when I made these snickerdoodles, so I thought that would be the perfect thing to use. But, um, do you know what happens to caramel after you melt it? It starts to harden up IMMEDIATELY. When I tried to add it to the frosting, it got all clumpy – not to mention the mess I made of my stand mixer. There were bits of caramel everywhere. In hindsight, I should have tempered the caramel with the frosting. Or I should have just made my own caramel.

My second attempt at the frosting was much better (good thing I always keep myself supplied with cream cheese and powdered sugar!). I used caramel ice cream topping instead. I don’t know what they add to it to keep it soft (nor do I really want to know), but it worked perfectly. The filling was AMAZING – nutty and sweet from the caramel, and spicy from the cinnamon. It was such a perfect flavor combination.

The apple whoopie pies themselves were pretty delicious, too. They had a nice amount of spice, and I loved the texture that the bits of apple added to them. Joe and my boys loved them. Andrew kept calling them “apple pie whoopie cookies,” which was pretty cute. :)

Apple Whoopie Pies with Cinnamon Caramel Cream Cheese Filling
adapted from Macaroni and Cheesecake

For the whoopie pies:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup milk
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated

For the frosting:

1/2 cup butter
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
3/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
5 cups confectioners’ sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add butter and beat on medium speed until creamy (about 30 seconds). Add in brown sugar, baking soda, apple pie spice and salt. Beat on medium speed until well incorporated. Add egg and beat until combined. Add in applesauce and milk and mix on low speed until fully incorporated. Add in flour a little at a time and mix until combined. Add apple and fold into mixture with spatula.

3. Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets approximately 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until tops are lightly browned. Let stand a couple minutes on cookie sheets to set and then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

4. For the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter and cream cheese until creamy. Add caramel and mix until combined. Add in confectioner’s sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Beat until light and fluffy and a spreadable consistency.

5. Add frosting to the flat side of one cookie, and top with another cookie. Chill before serving. Makes 18 whoopie pies.

Potatoes and Apples "Risotto-Style"

I saw this recipe last fall, and I was so intrigued by it. Potatoes and apples, together? Cooked “risotto-style”? It sounded so strange, I just knew I had to give it a shot. And I’m glad I took a chance on it, because the end result was quite tasty!

My boys and I liked this side dish a lot, although my husband wasn’t really a fan. I believe the word he used to describe it was “weird.” And it definitely is different, I’ll give him that. You don’t often see parmesan cheese and apples together in one dish. I’ve cooked with apples in savory applications before, but I can’t remember a time I’ve ever seen them paired with potatoes or parmesan cheese. For me, though, the combination just worked (and it must’ve worked for my sons, as well, who both asked for seconds). The starchy, earthy potatoes balanced out the sweet-tart flavor of the apples nicely, and as the apples cooked, they broke down and made this wonderful sauce that coated the potatoes.

I think this is one of those divisive dishes that people are either going to love or hate. For my part, I thought this was an interesting seasonal side dish with tons of flavor, and something I’ll definitely try to sneak onto our menu again.

Potatoes and Apples “Risotto-Style”
adapted from Epicurious

2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into small dice
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into small dice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, cut into small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup crisp, dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Line a baking sheet with 2 layers of paper towels.

2. In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring salted water to a boil (use about 1 tablespoon salt for every 4 quarts water). Add the potatoes and apples and boil, uncovered, until just starting to get tender, about 4 minutes. Drain the potatoes and apples and transfer to the paper-towel-lined baking sheet to cool.

3. In a small, heavy saucepan over moderate heat, heat 1 tablespoon butter until melted. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, apples, and chicken stock and simmer, stirring constantly, until the liquid is absorbed and the mixture is creamy and slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cheese, the remaining tablespoon of butter, and lemon juice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

Fruit salsa is one of those things I love so much that it came as a bit of a shock to me when I realized I'd never made it myself. When I saw this recipe on Carrie's Sweet Life, I knew I had to remedy that, and soon. Fresh, sweet fruit salsa, paired with homemade cinnamon tortilla chips? Yes please!

I can't even begin to describe how delicious this salsa is. It's sweet and tangy and so incredibly decadent. The cinnamon chips are irresistible (and addictive!) on their own, but pairing them with the fruit salsa takes them to a completely new level. This was a huge hit with everyone who tried it, and I will definitely, absolutely, certainly be making it over and over again.

I adapted Carrie's recipe to fit our tastes, and you can adapt it to fit your tastes too. Use whatever seasonal fruits you like -- peaches would taste amazing in this salsa. You're going to love it!

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

adapted from Carrie's Sweet Life

For the salsa:

1 pint fresh strawberries, stemmed, hulled and cut into chunks

1 kiwi, peeled and chopped

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced

Juice of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lime

2 teaspoons sugar, divided

For the cinnamon tortilla chips:

5 flour tortillas, cut into triangles

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. For the salsa: In a large bowl, combine kiwi, apples, and all but 1/4 cup strawberries. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar and stir to combine. In a blender, combine remaining 1/4 cup strawberries, lemon juice, lime juice, and remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar. Pulse until liquefied and add puree to fruit. Refrigerate until serving.

2. For the tortilla chips: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lay tortilla triangles on baking sheet. Brush with melted butter. Stir together sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle each tortilla. Flip each tortilla and brush the other side with melted butter and cinnamon sugar. Bake for 15 minutes in preheated oven or until crunchy.

Apple Week: Pumpkin-Apple Streusel Cake

To finish up Apple Week, I present to you the ultimate fall dessert: pumpkin-apple streusel cake. It has pumpkin. It has apples. It has streusel. And it has spices. In a word, it is perfection.

The dessert starts with a dense, moist pumpkin cake, which is topped with a layer of spiced sweet-tart apples, which are topped with a crumbly streusel topping. All of the flavors combine perfectly so that you get a little taste of autumn with each bite. The only thing that could improve this in any way would be the addition of some pecans, so if you make this (which you definitely should), add some to the streusel.

I hope you enjoyed Apple Week. These themed weeks are really fun for me to do, so I have a few questions for you: What ingredient would you like to see highlighted for October or November? Would you like a week of pumpkin recipes, or possibly a Halloween Week like I did last year? What other ingredients, sweet or savory, would you like to see featured in coming months? (Just don’t say truffles or caviar. I am on a budget, you know.)

Pumpkin-Apple Streusel Cake
from Epicurious

For the apples:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups diced peeled cored Granny Smith apples (about 4 large)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the cake:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed golden brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs

1. For the apples, melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples; sauté until apples begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add sugar and cinnamon and sauté until golden brown, about 3 minutes longer. Cool.

2. For the cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Combine flour, brown sugar, butter, and salt in large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until mixture resembles coarse meal. Set aside 2/3 cup of mixture for topping. Beat pumpkin, sour cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, spice, and baking soda into remaining flour mixture, beating just until smooth. Beat in eggs. Transfer batter to pan. Scatter apples evenly over top. Sprinkle reserved topping over apples.

3. Bake cake until topping is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 20 minutes. Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Release pan sides from cake. Transfer cake to platter. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream.

Apple Week: Apple Pie Cookies

What kind of Apple Week would be complete without a good old apple pie? Well…this one. I just haven’t had the time to make an apple pie for, well, EVER, but in place of a traditional pie I offer you this fun recipe for apple pie cookies.

These cookies were so much fun to make. I was smitten with this idea as soon as I saw it. I added lemon zest to the dough (and it needed it; I think it would have been too bland otherwise), and I made the cookies circular instead of apple-shaped. I even used a fork around the edges to make these look even more like little hand pies. (And I sprinkled cinnamon sugar on the top, because I can think of few things that aren’t improved by a little bit of cinnamon sugar.)

I wish I could have gotten a picture of Andrew’s face when he bit into one of these cookies and discovered the sweet, apple-y filling inside. He was delighted! And that’s what these cookies are, in a nutshell: a surprising little delight.

Apple Pie Cookies
adapted from Taste of Home

For the sugar cookies:
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

For the filling:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 medium tart apples, peeled and grated (about 2 cups)
3/4 cup water

1. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, milk, vanilla and lemon zest. Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Divide in dough in half. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours or until easy to handle (dough will be soft).

2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the filling ingredients. Cook over medium heat until apples are softened and mixture is thickened; cool.

3. On a lightly floured surface roll out each portion of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Spread with 2 teaspoons of filling to within 1/4 inch of edge. Top with another cutout seal edges.

4. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, if desired. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Apple Week: Apple- and Cheddar-Stuffed Chicken

I couldn’t let the week pass without sharing a savory apple recipe with you, and the one I chose turned out to be delicious. This cheddar- and apple-stuffed chicken has the perfect balance of flavors: It’s buttery from the cracker coating, sweet from the apples, and sharp and tangy from the cheddar.

If you’ve never tried cooking with apples in savory dishes, you should definitely give it a shot. Apples are perfect with pork (like in these sausage-stuffed apples), and they also pair nicely with the sweetness of shellfish (like in this scallop saltimbocca). And don’t even get me started on how much I love putting apples in stuffing! Chicken and apples is another natural pairing, since chicken is such a mild meat that it takes on the flavor of whatever you pair it with. In this dish, the chicken takes on the flavors of apples and cheese, and the result is delicious.

I chose a sweet Honeycrisp apple to use in my filling, because I thought the sweetness would pair nicely with sharp cheddar. It did! Give this chicken a try; it’s so quick and easy, and I promise you’ll be tantalized by this combination.

Apple- and Cheddar-Stuffed Chicken
inspired by Taste of Home

4 chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
1 cup diced sweet apples
1/4 shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
1/2 cup crushed buttery crackers (like Ritz)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine apples and cheese in a medium bowl; sprinkle 1/4 of the mixture over the top of each flattened chicken breast. Roll chicken up and secure with toothpicks. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Combine crackers and breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and scramble egg in another. Dip each chicken breast in egg, then in cracker mixture.

4. Shallow-fry chicken in olive oil or vegetable oil just until all sides are browned; transfer to a rack on a baking sheet. Cook in pre-heated oven until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Apple Week: Toffee Apple Dip

I guess I’m technically cheating with this recipe. It doesn’t actually contain apples, but its entire purpose is to serve as a dip for apples. So that counts, right? Regardless, this is too delicious not to share, during Apple Week or any time. I could have eaten this with a spoon.

...Okay, here’s the actual truth: I did eat this with a spoon. I forwent the apples for a good portion of this and just ate spoonfuls of it. That’s how good it was. It’s so sweet and creamy and warm-tasting, the perfect balance to crisp, tart Granny Smith apples. It reminds me quite a bit of chocolate chip cookie dough dip, but this version has toffee bits in addition to chocolate. YUM.

Make this. You won’t be sorry. Just be aware that if you have less than one iota of willpower, you’ll be eating it with a spoon. Fair warning. Thanks for a great recipe, Leigh!

Toffee Apple Dip
from One Day at a Time – From My Kitchen to Yours

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cups brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 package Heath chocolate-toffee bits

Sliced tart (Granny Smith) apples

Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Serve with apples and refrigerate leftovers.

Apple Week: Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Muffins

As I mentioned yesterday, I thought it would be fun to do a whole week of apple recipes this week. I know most food bloggers’ minds automatically click to “pumpkin” when October arrives, but indulge me for a week, all right? And get ready for some delicious apple-y treats!

I bookmarked this muffin recipe last fall, but I never got around to making it. Needless to say, I never forgot about these muffins, and they were the first thing I wanted to try this year. And I’m so glad I finally made them, because these muffins are so good. Based on some of the Allrecipes reviewers’ comments, I amended the recipe a bit, and the result was a moist, flavorful, sweet and tangy and spicy muffin. They made a great on-the-go breakfast, and we all really liked them. I’ve since seen a similar muffin recipe I’d like to try (I really love the streusel topping on them), so if I try them I’ll let you know what I think.

Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Muffins
adapted from Allrecipes

3 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon or apple pie spice
1 cup peeled, diced tart apples

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and sugar. Mix until smooth and creamy, then add eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla; beat until smooth. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon or apple pie spice; stir into cream cheese mixture just until moistened. Fold in apples.

2. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Combine 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

Chocolate Chip Apple Bread

I love quick breads. I really, really love them. However, I always have one problem when I'm making one myself, and this has happened with every single one I've made: They're never done baking in the time the recipe states. Does anyone else have this problem? I always use disposable loaf pans -- could that be the issue? If you have any insight, I'd love to hear it.

Anyway, despite taking quite a bit longer to cook than I thought it would, this chocolate chip apple bread was absolutely delicious -- the perfect fall treat. I loved the combination of chocolate and apples; it's one I don't recall ever trying before, and it was really nice. The flavors all really worked well together, and the sugary topping was a nice touch. The original recipe called for walnuts, which I replaced with pecans because I prefer them -- but really, I think either one would be delicious. I doubled the recipe so I could freeze a loaf, and I'm really looking forward to eating this again (especially since I only got two pieces of the loaf I didn't freeze; Joe ate the rest). I actually think this bread would make a great edible Christmas gift. It's definitely special!

(I just had to include this photo because I thought it was so cute. The place I get the best light in my house during the day is on the floor in front of the dining room window, where it's easy for curious little fingers to touch whatever food I'm trying to photograph.)

Chocolate Chip Apple Bread
source: slightly adapted from Allrecipes

2 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 cup chopped apples
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. To make the topping, in a small bowl mix the sugar, cinnamon and finely chopped pecans. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

3. In a separate large bowl cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla extract, and mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk. Stir in apples, pecans, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Pour into a greased 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan. Sprinkle with topping.

4. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes. (Mine took considerably longer -- probably about an hour and a half.) Cool for 15 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool on a wire rack.

Maple-Drizzled Apple Muffins

Here's the funny thing about pregnancy: It makes you crave things that you may not have even liked before you got pregnant. Let me give you a couple of examples. All my life I've hated marshmallows, but last Friday I ate my weight in s'mores, and I currently can't get the thought of these treats out of my head (I actually think I may make them tonight). The other example, which is applicable to today's post, is maple syrup. I've never been a big fan of syrup itself or of maple-flavored things (maple sausage excluded; I have always liked that), but now? I can't get enough of it. So when I saw these muffins, they immediately attracted my attention.

These muffins are soooo delicious. Studded with chopped apples and drizzled with a maple glaze, they absolutely scream "fall" to me. The maple flavor is subtle and sweet, not overpowering at all. This is the kind of muffin that warms you up from the inside out. One Allrecipes reviewer said she added dried cranberries to the muffin mixture, which I'm definitely going to try next time. I think that would make these even better!

Maple-Drizzled Apple Muffins
source: Allrecipes

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups chopped, peeled apples
12 pecan halves
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. In a small bowl, mix milk, butter, syrup and egg; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in apples.

2. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Top each with a pecan half. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Cool completely.

3. For glaze, mix confectiones' sugar and syrup; drizzle over muffins.

Sausage-Stuffed Baked Apples

This just may be the perfect autumn supper. I mean, who doesn't love baked apples, right? This savory version made with maple sausage is absolutely impossible to resist.

These were absolutely delicious just as I made them, but you could play with the filling in lots of ways. The original recipe calls for dried figs, which I omitted, but I think they would have been delicious in these. Golden raisins or dried cranberries would be excellent too. And some brie would take these absolutely over the top. I made them during the week, but when I make them again I'll do it over the weekend, since these take a little bit longer to prep and cook than I prefer for weeknight cooking. But oh, these were so good. They were a literal taste of autumn. Served with a simple salad of mixed greens dressed with balsamic vinaigrette, this was a comforting, warm-you-up fall supper.

Sausage-Stuffed Baked Apples
source: adapted from Blue Ribbon Family Favorites

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 pound bulk maple pork sausage
1 small onion, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
3 baking apples, halved and cored (I used Honeycrisp)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until sausage is browned and onion is softened. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans.

3. Fill each apple half with some of the sausage mixture. Place apples, filling side up, in a baking dish; cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes or until apples are tender.

Burger and Fries Friday: Jerk Pork Cheeseburgers with Green Apple Slaw

I almost didn't make this burger this week. I almost scrapped my burger plans and went with an All-American version of a burger instead, in celebration of the Fourth of July. But this burger just sounded too good to scrap, or even to postpone for a week, so I stuck with it. And boy, am I ever glad I did!

This burger was a real hit in our house. It was almost too delicious for words. I've liked all the new burgers I've made so far since I started the Burger and Fries Friday feature, but this one was definitely the best. The real star was the green apple slaw, which had the perfect balance of tart and sweet and spicy, and which worked so well with the bacon and cheddar cheese on the burger. Yum, yum, yum. The only change I made to the recipe was using regular cheddar cheese rather than smoked, since that's what I had on hand, and I left the apples unpeeled and julienned them rather than grated them. Have I raved enough about this burger yet? It was just delicious!

This was also the first time I've cooked with ground pork (aside from, you know, sausage), and I was so pleased with the flavor. I'm definitely going to look for more pork burger recipes in the future!

I think you should all try this burger right away. It's summery and simple and absolutely stuffed with flavor. I promise you won't be disappointed!

Jerk Pork Cheeseburgers with Green Apple Slaw

Source: adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray

2 granny smith apples, julienned
Grated peel of 1 lemon plus 1 1/2 tablespoons juice
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup chopped chives
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons Jamaican jerk seasoning
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
8 slices applewood smoked bacon
4 thin slices cheddar cheese
4 kaiser rolls, split and toasted

1. In a medium bowl, toss the apples with the lemon peel and juice. Add the mayonnaise, chives, 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup and 1/2 tablespoon jerk seasoning; stir to combine; refrigerate.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup and 1 1/2 tablespoons jerk seasoning. Add the ground pork and combine. Shape into four 1-inch-thick patties, pressing your thumb in the center of each to prevent it from bulging.

3. In a large nonstick skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain, reserving the skillet with the drippings. Cover the bacon with foil to keep warm.

4. Heat the bacon drippings over medium-high heat until sizzling. Add the pork patties and cook for 4 minutes; flip, lower the heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes more. Lower the heat to low and top each patty with a slice of cheese; cover the skillet and cook until the cheese is melted and the patties are cooked through, about 2 minutes more.

5. Place a pork patty on each toasted roll bottom; top with 2 bacon slices, a quarter of the apple slaw and a roll top.

Apple Chicken Chili

Every year, my company hosts a chili cook-off to benefit the individuals and organizations that we're sponsoring for the holidays. It's always a very big deal, building-wide, and it's so much fun to sample everyone's chili -- and to feel good about stuffing your face, since 100% of the proceeds raised go to support our holiday causes.

This year, I decided to enter a chili in the cook-off, but I didn't just want to make my regular old chili (which is very good!) -- I wanted to do something different. I found a Rachael Ray recipe for apple chicken chili in a recent issue of her magazine, and it sounded good, so I decided to go with that. I made it last night, and saved a small bowl for myself before putting the rest of the batch in the Crock pot.

The chili was good, but tasted like it was missing something. I've had this problem with Rachael Ray recipes before -- they're always pretty decent, but need some...something. So, I added some cinnamon (which works with apples, of course, and also with most Mexican flavors), and that was it. That took this chili from "pretty good" to "wow -- really good." The cook-off starts at 11:00, so I'll update later to let you know how Rachael and I do!

Apple Chicken Chili
Source: Every Day with Rachael Ray, September/October 2008

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds chicken tenders, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
4 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper
2 apples, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 onion, chopped
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup milk
Two 15-ounce cans pinto or white beans, rinsed
2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese (about 8 ounces)

1. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, chili powder, cumin and cinnamon. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes; transfer to a bowl.

2. In the same pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the apples and onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 6 minutes; add to the chicken.

3. In the same pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute; whisk in the chicken broth and milk until thickened, 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken-apple mixture and beans, bring to a simmer, then stir in the cheese.

**UPDATE**

Well, I didn't win, but I would have come in fourth -- if prizes were awarded for fourth place, that is. Out of 15 chilies, that's not too bad. One co-worker asked me for the recipe, and the consensus was that this chili was "intriguing." Everyone seemed to like it. And it's the day before the OSU-Michigan game, so OF COURSE the winner was the person who made Jim Tressel's famous chili. So I don't feel so bad about losing out this time!

Scallop Saltimbocca

Scallops are just about my husband's favorite food on earth; he absolutely loves them. Unfortunately, the only time he ever really gets to have them is when we go out to eat, because they're just too expensive ($14.99 a pound!!!) to buy and make at home.

But last week I came across a recipe for scallop saltimbocca in Tyler Florence's cookbook that sounded too good to resist. Luckily, when we did our grocery shopping yesterday, the butcher gave us a deal on the scallops because their "sell by" date was close. Since I was planning to make them last night anyway, this worked out fine.

This was a delicous meal -- the perfect balance of salty and sweet. The flavor profile is very simple, but all the flavors and textures work in such harmony. This meal is surprisingly filling, too. I added some onion, and I'm glad I did, because I love the combination of apples and onions. This was the first of many apple recipes I'll be making this fall!


Scallop Saltimbocca
Tyler's Ultimate by Tyler Florence

6 slices prosciutto
12 large sea scallops
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 fresh sage leaves
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 lemon

1. Wrap half a strip of prosciutto around the circumference of each scallop and squeeze gently so it adheres to the scallop. Tie a length of kitchen string around each to keep prosciutto in place. Trim the edges. (I used a toothpick to secure the prosciutto to the scallops, and it worked just fine.)

2. Heat olive oil and butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sage leaves and fry until lightly browned and crisp, 2-3 minutes. Gently lift the leaves out of the pan and drain flat on paper towels.

3. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Add the scallops to the hot pan and cook undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until well-browned. Remove scallops from pan and put them on platter.

4. Add apples and onions to the pan and give them a quick saute until the apples are wilted and both are caramelized, 4-5 minutes. Season with a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Discard toothpicks from scallops. Place on plate and spoon apples around, garnishing with the fried sage leaves.