Apple Crisp

I was looking for an easy, yet delicious dessert a few weeks ago. I flipped all the way through my "Desserts to Try" binder and only found one thing that looked tempting: Apple Crisp. Ironically, in the end I didn't use the recipe I had pulled out but instead a recipe from one of my cookbooks.
Apple Crisp is such a good dessert to make because it's relatively quick and easy to put together but the result is fantastic! I reduced the sugar {in both the filling and topping} from the original recipe and we found it was still plenty sweet.

Apple Crisp
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Yields: 8-10 servings

Ingredients:
Filling
4 cups diced apples (I used 4 good sized apples)
1/2 cup sugar (Can reduce to 1/3 cup)
1 T flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Topping
3/4 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar (Can reduce slightly)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
   1.  In a 9x9 pan or 2 qt baking dish combine first four ingredients.
   2.  In a medium bowl combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over filling.
   3.  Bake in a 350 oven for 35-45 minutes or until the top is nicely browned.
   4.  Serve warm with ice cream.

Source: St Paul's Lutheran Church, Fairmont, MN Cookbook

This is linked to Tasty Tuesday.

Apple Pie Coffee Cake

I borrowed the book Bread for Breakfast from the library and though there were many recipes I wanted to try I was only able to make a few of them. Thankfully this Apple Pie Coffee Cake was one of them because it would have been a shame to miss the chance to try this.
This is a quite simple recipe but the outcome is delicious. The apples make the cake wonderfully moist and the sugar sprinkled on top adds a slight crunch that complements it perfectly.

Apple Pie Coffee Cake
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Yields: 12 servings

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 T vegetable oil
1/4 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg or allspice
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups apples, thinly sliced (I use ~4 apples)
1 T sugar, for topping

Directions:
   1.  Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 10 inch pie plate.
   2.  Combine eggs, oil, vanilla, sugar until well mixed. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg or allspice, and salt; mix until crumbly.
   3.  Add apples, stirring until apples are coated.
   4.  Pour batter into pan; sprinkle with 1 T sugar.

   5.  Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

 Source: Bread for Breakfast

This is linked to Tasty Tuesday and URS.

Apple Pork (or Chicken)

This recipe is a little nostalgic for me because it's the first recipe I remember tweaking so extensively that it completely changed the dish. The original recipe looked good but for some reason or another I couldn't make it the way it was written. (If I'm remembering correctly I didn't have most of the ingredients.) I tried my own version of it and am glad I did because this is now one of my favorite recipes.
I've made it with chicken and pork but I think I prefer chicken. I often up the amount of apples and onions in the dish to stretch it a bit and it's still great.

Apple Pork (or Chicken)
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Yields: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked rice (I like to add a little cinnamon and nutmeg to the rice as well.)
1 lb pork or chicken, cut into 1 in pieces
1 T olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 apples, diced
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cups apple juice
2 T cornstarch

Directions:
   1.  In a large skillet, heat olive oil; add meat and cook until browned. Remove to a bowl.
   2.  In same skillet, add apples and onions and cook until softened. Return meat and any juices to pan. Sprinkle seasonings over mixture.
   3.  Add apple juice to pan. Sprinkle cornstarch and stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer; simmer until sauce has thickened. Serve over rice.

This is linked to URS.

Apple Onion Cider Chicken

This smelled amazing as it cooked! The vinegar really added a sweet tartness. At first, my husband was wondering if this would be too similar to another apple, onion and chicken dish we love but we discovered, while they contain similar ingredients, they each have their own very unique taste.
The original recipe calls for whole chicken breasts. We've found that, in general, we prefer to cut our chicken into smaller pieces. That way, more of the chicken is exposed to the sauce which spreads the wonderful taste throughout.

Apple Onion Cider Chicken
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Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients:
olive oil
2 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 apples, diced
1 onion, diced
3 T apple cider vinegar
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup water
2 T butter
salt and pepper

 Directions:
   1.  Heat 1 T olive oil in a large skillet. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Remove to a bowl.
   2.  If necessary, add more olive oil to pan. Add onion and apple; cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
   3.  Add apple cider vinegar; cook for 1-2 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cook until sauce is reduced by half. Whisk in butter.
   4.  Return chicken to pan; stir to combine.

Adapted from: Food Network

This is linked to Good Cheap Eats.

Apple Bacon Burgers

My husband took the initiative on this meal. We decided to incorporate bacon, apples and cheese into the hamburger. He figured out the proportions as he mixed it and formed the patties. The burgers turned out great! The smokiness of the bacon combined with the slight crispness of the apples played off each other well. We topped our burgers with cheese and bbq sauce.

Apple Bacon Burgers
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Yields: 4 burgers

Ingredients:
1 lb hamburger
3 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
1 small apple, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheese
buns
sliced cheese
bbq sauce

Directions:
   1.  In a medium bowl mix hamburger, bacon, apple and shredded cheese just until combined.
   2.  Form into four patties, with a slight indent in the middle of each.
   3.  Grill on preheated grill, 3-4 minutes per side or until no longer pink.
   4.  Place on bun and top with sliced cheese and bbq sauce.

Adapted from: Better Homes and Gardens

This is linked to Tasty Tuesday, Good Cheap Eats and URS.