Apple Upside Down Cake with Salted Caramel

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Cakes and tagged with Apples, cake, caramel, dessert, recipe, sea salt, upside-down cake December 5, 2014

Apple Upside Down Cake with Salted Caramel.

It’s official: Winter is here. Snow has fallen, plows have been out, fender benders happened, walks and driveways have been shoveled. Black Friday took place, and we are barreling straight ahead to Christmas. It’s time to make my list of cookies that I plan to bake, and get in the necessary ingredients.

There are quite a few apples remaining that I picked at the orchard, so let’s see what I can do to use them up during this last weekend of November.

I know that I will make applesauce and I may even make baked apples and eat them for breakfast. We like them with a little granola sprinkled on top, or a dollop of yogurt, or both.

Baked apples filled with dried fruits.

Feeling a little “out-of-sorts”, (probably because I have too many projects going right now), I decided to use some of my apples and make this upside down cake. The recipe is an adaptation of one featured on the Food Network that used summer stone fruits, but with salted caramel in the picture I was certain that making it with apples would be just fine. And it was.

This recipe was a good choice as the white cake is light and mildly seasoned with vanilla and has a fine texture that I attribute to the buttermilk. Apples with caramel and sea salt are the perfect topping, made that much better with a little ice cream on the side when you serve it. It’s baked in a 9-inch square pan, so you will get 8 generous servings or several more if cut smaller.

It only gets better with a little ice cream on the side.

The problem I had with this cake was getting it out of the pan intact. The recipe suggests waiting 15 minutes after removing from the oven before turning it upside down onto a serving plate. I did that, and still the cake broke on one corner, and stuck to the sides of the pan. I patched it up as best I could using some of the sticky caramel for “glue”. (note photo) I realized I might have prevented this by running a knife around the edges of the cake before attempting to turn it out of the pan, so I suggest you do that if you make this cake.

See that broken corner?

The bright side is that it tastes so good, even when broken, that I’m happy to share my “disaster” photo with you. We all have an occasional disaster, and there’s no shame in that.

APPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE WITH SALTED CARAMEL

Yield: Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients:

Beautiful crisp apples, waiting to become a cake!

Cooking spray
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
1 teaspoon fine salt, divided
2-3 medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch wedges
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375*F. and coat a 9-inch-square cake pan with cooking spray.

2. Combine 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 1/2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan and stir until the mixture looks like wet sand. Cook over medium-high heat, gently swirling the pan occasionally but not stirring, until light amber, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately pour into the prepared cake pan. ( The caramel hardens quickly.) Arrange the apple wedges over the caramel in 4 rows; set the pan aside.

Lay rows of sliced apples on top of the caramel in the pan,

3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and remaining 1 cup sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour, and mix until just incorporated. Pour the batter over the apples and spread evenly.

4. Bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. ( Mine took 45 minutes.) Cover the cake loosely with foil it is browning too quickly. Remove from the oven and let sit 15 minutes, then invert onto a platter and let cool completely. Sprinkle with sea salt.

SOURCE: adapted from The Food Network Magazine

Caramel Apple Dip

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Snacks and tagged with after school snack, Apples, caramel, lunchbox treat, Marshmallow creme, recipe, snack, vegetarian October 31, 2014

Caramel Apple Dip

Looking for a little something extra for your Halloween Party? This one is easy to make and offers a different approach to caramel apples.

For some people, apple cider, apple pie, and caramel apples are some of the essential fall things, conjuring up memories of trips to the orchard, fall festivals, and such. I have never been one to go out of my way for a caramel apple, finding them sticky and messy to eat. But anything with caramel piques my interest, and this recipe for a dip really intrigued me.

In addition to the savory appetizers I served at Mr.D’s birthday party, I wanted something cold and fruit based, that children would like. Let me tell you, this was definitely it. Apples cut into thin wedges, arranged on a platter with this dip, some chunks of cheddar cheese, and some grapes made a perfect counterpoint to the hot and savory Salsa Wings and Baked Broccoli Parmesan Dip

This sweet smooth and fluffy dip is really a crowd-pleaser. Be careful it’s so good that you won’t want to stop eating it.

In my haste to set it out for everyone to enjoy, I forgot to take a photo of the final platter arrangement of fruit, dip, and cheese. But what I did was set the bowl of dip in the center of a square serving platter. In the two diagonal corners were piles of apple wedges, in another corner were the chunks of cheese, and in the fourth corner was a bunch of red grapes. This was a pretty arrangement, with all the cool foods grouped together.

The recipe calls for 3 apples, but I cut up 6 apples, and still there was some dip leftover. The next day, I put a small container of it and an apple in Mr. D’s lunch. He really liked having it as a mid-day snack at work. So this would also be good in lunch boxes for school, or as an after school snack, if you are someone looking for such ideas.

CARAMEL APPLE DIP

Yield: 2-3 cups of dip

Ingredients:

1 package (8-ounces) low fat cream cheese
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1 tsp, vanilla extract
1 cup marshmallow creme
3 medium eating apples
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. water

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese and brown sugar,

Whip brown sugar with cream cheese.

add caramel topping and vanilla and beat until smooth;

Mix in caramel topping and vanilla.

Fold in the marshmallow creme. This can be really sticky so I used my beater on low speed to get the marshmallow mixed in evenly.

Fold in marshmallow creme.

2. Cut apples vertically into thin wedges. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and water; toss apples in the lemon juice mixture. Drain.

3. Serve apples with dip, and enjoy.

Happy Halloween, everyone, and have a great weekend!

SOURCE: Taste of Home

Salad: Apple and Fennel with Pistachios and Apricot

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Salads and tagged with Apples, arugula, fennel, recipe, salad, vegetarian October 8, 2014

Salad: Apple+Fennel+Arugula+Apricots+Pistachios

How strange it is! It’s not quite over, but it’s over. Is it the same where you are? Here where I live, September should have felt like the soft days at the end of summer, but instead it’s gotten cool way too soon. Mornings have been down right chilly–sweater and jacket chilly. I’m hoping that Mother Nature will change her mind (just like a woman does), and bring back some warmth.

But now that October is here, we’re in the middle of things; in a transition period, when we have to put away the bathing suits, shorts and flip flops, and maybe bring out that infinity scarf. A pumpkin spice latte tastes really good. Seasons don’t change in a snap, there’s always a transition period, a time to settle in, take a deep breath, absorb the last of warm breezes, and get ready for crisp, cool nights, apples and cider, and the world around us bursting with vibrant color.

This salad feels like a lovely transition. Fresh apples and fennel make it easy to move into Autumn. Add some arugula for its peppery notes, salty roasted pistachios, sweet dried apricots, and some salty Parmesan. It’s all about balance–sweet, salty, and spicy!

Pretty colors go into this salad.

It’s also very versatile! Substitute currants or dried cranberries for the apricots. Add spinach and parsley instead of arugula. Try a balsamic vinaigrette instead of lemon juice. This salad can be exactly what you want it to be.

What’s also great about this salad is that most of it can be assembled long before it’s served. Everything but the greens can be tossed together and left covered in the refrigerator for a day and then tossed with the arugula ( or your preferred greens), just before serving. Easy breezy as we transition into Autumn.

SALAD: APPLE + FENNEL+PISTACHIOS+ APRICOT

Yield: Serves 4 Adjust ingredients accordingly to make more.

Ingredients:

1 large Fuji or Golden Delicious apple, cored and thinly sliced
1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2 large handfuls arugula, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons finely diced red onions
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup finely diced dried apricots
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pistachios
1/4 cup shaved Parmesan
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large bowl toss together the thinly sliced apples, fennel, arugula, and red onions. Drizzle with lemon juice, vinegar, and olive oil. Add the dried apricot pieces, pistachios and cheese. Toss to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper and toss just before serving. Serve soon after assembling.

SOURCE: All Recipes

Apple Pie Biscuits

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Brunch, Muffins & Scones and tagged with Apples, Biscuits, brunch, recipe, vegetarian September 26, 2014

Apple Pie Biscuits

Baking is all about sharing. Sharing the recipes, sharing techniques, and most definitely, sharing what you’ve made.

Today’s offering is all about the most divine biscuits, perfect for the early fall weather we are having here in the Northeast. I couldn’t wait to share them with you.

Apple picking time is upon us, or you may be getting yours at the farmer’s market or grocery store. Apples and pumpkin are probably the two favorites to include when baking in the fall. So in the coming weeks expect to see a variety of offerings featuring these two ingredients. Today it’s apples! 🙂

This recipe uses self-rising flour as an ingredient. I like to use King Arthur’s Self-Rising Flour. It’s wonderfully light and includes non-aluminum baking powder and salt. It’s absolutely perfect for biscuits, pancakes and muffins. I always have a bag of it in my kitchen because I can guarantee fluffy perfect results whenever I use it.

APPLE PIE BISCUITS

Yield: 12 biscuits

Ingredients:

For the apples:

1 baking apple (such as Fuji, or Gala), peeled, cored and sliced very thin
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

For the biscuits:

2 cups self-rising flour
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2/3 to 3/4 cup cold buttermilk

For the topping:

1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425*F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Prepare the apples: Place butter in a medium skillet over medium heat to melt.

Add the apple slices, cinnamon, and brown sugar.

Toss with a wooden spoon until all of the apples are coated and the sugar is melted over the apples, about 2 to 4 minutes. The mixture will be warm and glossy, but the apples won’t be cooked through. Remove from the heat and set aside.

3. Make the biscuit dough: Place flour in a medium bowl and add the cold butter pieces. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, quickly break down the butter into the flour. Some of the butter bits will be the size of oats, some the size of small peas. Stir in the granulated sugar.

4. Create a well in the center of the flour mixture and add 2/3 cup buttermilk. Stir the mixture together until it is well moistened and holds together well. Biscuit dough should be soft and moist. Add the remaining buttermilk as needed.

A shaggy dough that doesn’t quite come together.

5. Use regular all-purpose flour to generously dust a work surface.Turn the dough out onto the floured surface and use your hands to gather it into a ball and gently pat it into a small rectangle. Use a rolling pin to gently roll the dough into a rectangle that is 1/2 inch thick, and about 7 x 10-inches.

6. Arrange cooled apples in a single layer over half of the rolled out biscuit dough.

Fold the bare side of the dough over the apples and gently press the edges to seal in the apples. Use your hands to nudge/ encourage the dough into a 6 x 8-inch rectangle if the edges are looking a bit rounded.

7. Use a sharp knife to slice the dough into a total of 12 biscuits. Flour the knife a bit if it gets too sticky. Use a spatula to place each biscuit onto the prepared baking sheet, about 2-inches apart.

8. In a small bowl, whisk together sugar for topping, cinnamon, and salt. Brush each biscuit top with beaten egg and sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

9. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the biscuits are risen and golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm, or cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Biscuits are best served the day they are made or the day after. They may be rewarmed in the microwave.

Tender and light….you won’t be able to stop at just one!

SOURCE: Joy the Baker

Kielbasa Apple Skewers

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Appetizers and tagged with appetizers, Apples, dipping sauce, kielbasa, recipe April 24, 2014

Kielbasa-Apple Skewers

Whenever our family gets together for a holiday gathering we usually start around mid-afternoon, but dinner is not served for several more hours. Of course, everyone is hungry so we always have appetizers, and each of us brings one to share. These were part of my contribution to the family gathering. Bonkers awesome is what they were. The men just loved them, and all that I brought disappeared in a flash. Had I anticipated how good these would be I would have prepared more.

Even when our main entreé is ham, I like to have kielbasa for Easter as well. So I thought these appys would be a good way to work it in. I used a precooked kielbasa that weighed about 1 pound, and warmed it through before cutting it up for the appetizers. I paired it with Granny Smith apples because of their tartness. I did not want a sweet apple. The dipping sauce I made consisted of light sour cream, whole-grain mustard and horseradish. These were hearty enough to quiet the “hungries”, but not heavily laden with fat and calories.

Dipping sauce, all made, and its ingredients.

These can be put together at the last minute by simply slicing the kielbasa, slicing up the apples, match them up in pairs, thread onto skewers, and serve with the dipping sauce. Easy. Beautiful. Deeeelish!

KIELBASA APPLE SKEWERS

Yield: I made about 36 skewers with the quantities given below.

Ingredients:

1 (1-pound) precooked kielbasa, warmed through in a saucepan with some water, or grilled.
1 -2 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced or cubed
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons, chopped parsley
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 teaspoons horseradish
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Slice the kielbasa into 1/4-inch thick slices.

2. Cut the green apples into thin slices or small cubes. Thread kielbasa and apples onto skewers. (toothpicks)

3. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the sour cream, parsley, mustard, horseradish and salt.

4. Arrange the skewers on a serving tray and serve with the dipping sauce.

SOURCE: Adapted from Food Network Magazine

Apple Cinnamon Loaf

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bread, Rolls and tagged with Apples, dessert, food, quick bread, recipe January 23, 2014

Apple Cinnamon Loaf

If you love the combination of apples, cinnamon and brown sugar, then you will love this quick bread. It straddles the fence between cake and bread. There is a layer of apples, cinnamon and sugar running through the middle, and more on top, ensuring that this is a moist and flavorful bread. We could devour the whole loaf in one sitting, but, of course, we don’t. 😛

The convenience of quick breads comes from the fact that they’re leavened with baking powder and /or baking soda, not yeast. Therefore you can mix, bake and enjoy these baked goods in a short amount of time.

It is important when making a quick bread to have all your ingredients measured, chopped and ready. Mix all the dry ingredients together before creaming the fat, sugar and eggs. Add the dry ingredients when called for, stirring in only long enough to incorporate. A few lumps in the batter is fine. Once the batter has been mixed and poured into the baking pan, put into the oven as soon as possible, as the leaveners will begin producing gas once they are moistened. If allowed to stand too long before baking, the bread may have a sunken center.

APPLE CINNAMON LOAF

Yield: 1 9-inch loaf, about 8 servings

Have all ingredients measured and ready.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup brown sugar, not packed
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup mik
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

2. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl and set aside.

Brown sugar and cinnamon.

Peel, core and chop apple, and set aside.

3. Using an electric mixture, beat the granulated sugar and butter together until smooth and creamy.

Have butter softened at room temperature.

Beat in eggs, one at a time. until incorporated; add vanilla extract.

4. Combine flour and baking powder together in another bowl; stir into creamed mixture. Mix milk into batter with a spoon until smooth. Pour half the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Next add half the apples and half the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture. Lightly pat into the batter.

5. Pour remaining batter over apple layer; top with remaining apple and add brown sugar mixture. Lightly pat apples into batter; swirl brown sugar mixture through apples using finger or spoon.

6. Bake 45 – 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center of the loaf comes out clean. Cooking times may vary, rely on the clean toothpick test for doneness.

Allow to cool on a wire rack.

To serve, cut loaf with a serrated knife, using a sawing motion to avoid tearing. This bread is very tender and moist.

To store, wrap lightly in foil, and store at room temperature.

SOURCE: Just a Pinch.com

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Muffins & Scones and tagged with Apples, breakfast, cinnamon, food, muffins, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, recipe, streusel November 25, 2013

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

The cold fall and winter months are not my favorite. But cold weather weekends…..I don’t mind them too much, because I spend a lot of time in my kitchen. There’s something to be said about cooking and baking at this time of year, filling the house with incredible smells and warmth.

This recipe, oh, dear readers, this recipe! Apples, pumpkin, spices, cream cheese filling, streusel topping AND a drizzle of frosting—what more do you need to know? Though I love every recipe I share with you, I don’t usually gush except for the very best. I’m definitely gushing over these muffins. Every bite elicits an “mmmmm…”, ‘Wow…”, “So good….”, etc. Mr. D. on tasting them said…”I would walk over hot coals for these”, to which I replied, “Oh My Goodness, that good?”

Here’s the deal with these muffins….they should really be named Pumpkin Apple Cream Cheese Streusel Muffins, which is a mouthful, so I just shortened it. What you need to know about these muffins is –if you don’t like them with, say cream cheese , no problem, skip that part. If you don’t like streusel, no worries, omit it, and move on! Don’t have any apple?, Ok, leave it out. Streusel, yes; cream cheese, no? Totally do-able. Like your muffins naked? Knock yourself out.

Do you get the picture here? This is basically a “choose your own muffin adventure”. So let’s get on with it…..

PUMPKIN APPLE MUFFINS

Yield: Makes 18 muffins

Ingredients:

Muffins:

2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups chopped apples, peeled

Cream Cheese layer:

6 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla

Streusel:

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
5 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into small pieces
Glaze (optional)
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Line muffin pans with paper liners, or spray with cooking spray.

2. Prepare dry ingredients by whisking together flour, granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt.

3. In another bowl mix together the eggs, pumpkin and oil.

Mix these wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients until incorporated.

4. Stir in chopped apples.

5. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full.

6. Make the cream cheese mixture– In a mixing bowl of your electric beater, beat cream cheese, sugar, milk and vanilla together until smooth. Place a heaping teaspoon on top of muffin batter in cups.

7. Make streusel–Combine all the dry ingredients, then using a fork or pastry cutter, cut in butter until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle evenly over all the muffins.

8. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a cooling rack.

9. Mix up glaze, if using, and drizzle over tops of muffins.

Note: When I made this recipe, I cut all quantities in half, and I still got 11 muffins. My muffin cups were filled to the tops. The only part I omitted was the glaze. These are quite sweet, you could have one as dessert. Awesome!

SOURCE: Cookies and Cups

Swedish Apple Pie

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Desserts, Pies, Pastry and tagged with Apples, dessert, food, pie, recipe, Swedish Apple Pie November 7, 2013

Swedish Apple Pie

This past weekend I made some time for a fall activity I particularly enjoy–apple picking. Many of the nearby orchards offer “pick-your-own” and it’s become somewhat of a tradition. There’s something so satisfying about going into the orchard, and plucking those rosy, beautiful apples right off the tree and into your basket. My problem is that I don’t seem to know when to stop. I plan to pick a few, primarily for eating, ( lunches, ect.), and to bake a pie, or other dessert, but somehow when I get home I have way more than I planned on. Fortunately my unheated sunroom turns into “cold storage” room during cold weather, so apples keep quite well out there.

Apple Pie is always on the agenda of what to make with the apples. But this recipe, though called Apple Pie, is out of the ordinary in that there is no bottom crust, and what looks like a crust on top is more like a big sugar cookie. This recipe is one that I tend to forget about until something reminds me of it. It originally came to my attention when it was included in a cookbook put together by the ladies of my church several years ago. I really don’t know its history, or why its called “Swedish Apple Pie”, but being half Swedish myself I decided to claim it, make it and share it with you. If anyone out there knows its history please let me know.

Any firm, tart apple can be used, so that the acidity stands up to the rich batter. The orchard I visited had Macouns and Cortlands available for picking, and I got some of each. I used three Cortlands for this pie, but I really don’t think it matters what kind of apple you use. You really can’t go wrong with apple pie.

Swedish Apple Pie is very easy to make. Basically you slice the apples into a pie dish, sprinkle them with a sugar-cinnamon mixture, mix up the batter and spread it over the apples. Bake till nice and brown. The crust is very much like a sweet, chewy cookie, somewhat like an apple crisp, but not quite. Start to finish it takes about an hour to make, and soon after that you’ll be spooning up a warm apple dessert that is particularly good served with a wedge of sharp cheddar cheese, another New England tradition not to miss. It is also very nice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

SWEDISH APPLE PIE

Servings: 6 – 8

Ingredients:

3 large, or 4 medium firm-tart apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon plus 1 cup flour
2 Tablespoons plus 2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg, slightly beaten

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F. Grease a 9 – inch pie plate.

2. Place the sliced apples into the pie plate, arranging them to fit. The pie plate will be nearly full.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the 1 Tbsp. flour, 2 Tbsp. sugar, and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Sprinkle over the apples.

Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar over the apples in a pie dish.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 cup flour, 2/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the beaten egg, and melted butter. Stir just to mix well. Spoon over the apples and spread to cover as well as possible. I just “plop” it all over the top, and then with a spatula spread it out as much as possible. It may not cover completely.

“Plop” spoonfuls of dough over the apples.

Spread dough out to cover apples as much as you can.

5. Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Bake till golden brown on top.

Serve with a wedge of cheddar cheese or a scoop of ice cream.

SOURCE: First Church cookbook: “Home Cooking”

Turkey Sage Burgers with Sautéed Apples and Brie

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish, Quick Meals, Sandwichs and tagged with Apples, Brie cheese, food, quick meal, recipe, turkey burgers November 4, 2013

Turkey sage burgers with sautéed apples and cheese.

Apples are a wonderfully versatile fruit used in both sweet and savory dishes. In this quick entreé they lend their sweetness to turkey burgers, making them the perfect quick meal for a fall lunch or dinner.

These pan seared turkey burgers are flavored with sage and shallots and topped with apple slices sautéed in butter and a slice of creamy brie or other cheese of your choice. In my burgers I used sliced sharp cheddar cheese, but whatever cheese you have that pairs well with apples would be a good match-up.

Whenever I make these burgers Mr. D. does not know we are eating turkey; he thinks it is a beef burger. So I’m sure that you could serve them with traditional burger toppings in place of the apples and cheese, and unless you tell, no-one would suspect, and would “gobble” them up. 😀

TURKEY SAGE BURGERS WITH APPLES AND CHEESE

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 – 1.3 lb. ground turkey
1/2 tsp. salt
dash pepper
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. bread crumbs
1/2 medium shallot, finely chopped ( about 2 tsp.)
1 Tbsp. fresh sage, finely chopped or 1 tsp. dried sage
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil for cooking
4 slices cheese (Brie, cheddar, Jack)
4 seeded rolls, split

Apples:

1 medium apple, cored, peeled and cut into thin slices
1 Tbsp. butter
pinch salt

Directions:

1. Sauté apples first by melting butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add apple slices in a single layer and sprinkle with salt. Cook till tender, about 2 minutes each side. Transfer to bowl and set aside.

Set aside sautéed apples while burgers cook.

2. Mix ground turkey and seasonings (through sage) in a large bowl. Form into 4 equal-size patties.

3. Add vegetable oil to the skillet used by the apples. Bring heat to medium-high. Get the pan hot before adding the burgers to get a nice sear, then lower the heat to medium-low. Cook burgers, turning several times so they don’t burn, until firm and no longer pink in the middle, 7 – 8 minutes total.

A hot pan will give a nice sear to the burgers.

4. Remove from heat, top each burger with a quarter of the apples and a slice of cheese. Cover pan and set aside about 5 minutes to allow cheese to melt. Place burgers on buns and serve immediately.

Serve with chips and a pickle or a side of coleslaw.

SOURCE: My Gourmet Connection

Ham and Apple Butter Panini

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Quick Meals, Sandwichs and tagged with apple butter, Apples, cheese, food, ham, panini, recipe, sandwich October 18, 2013

Ham and apple butter panini.

The foliage this year in New England is awesome, probably due to the few chilly mornings we had a couple of weeks ago. Even though it is still developing in our area, north of us it has almost reached its peak. So this year we took our annual foliage ride to New Hampshire. It was a beautiful sunny day and we totally enjoyed our day-cation. One of the highlights of the day was our lunch at a small cafe, situated with a river running behind it. There was a patio out back where we sat to enjoy not only our lunch, but also the foliage along the river.

We both ordered a bowl of soup and this Ham and Apple Butter Panini. It was awesome, and after we returned home the thought of it kept running through my mind. I wished I could have another one, so I made it happen. The combination may sound a little unusual, but let me assure you, it’s all good. Somehow it just works. The sweet apple butter, the salty ham, crisp apple slices and melted cheese. Irresistible.

Cheese, apples, ham and apple butter. Superb!

If you go to an apple orchard and come away looking for ideas to use up your apples, this sandwich is a great place to start.

HAM AND APPLE BUTTER PANINI

Yield: 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

8 slices sturdy bread, such as sourdough, or a rustic white like Scala.
3 – 4 Tbsp. butter, softened
sliced cheddar cheese, white or yellow,
2 – 3 thinly sliced apples, such as Macoun, Macintosh, or whatever is available in your area.
thinly sliced deli ham, about 6 – 8 oz.
1/2 cup apple butter (available at the supermarket where jams are sold, or you can make your own.)

Directions:

To assemble the sandwiches, separate the slices of bread into pairs. Generously butter one side of each slice of bread, and then place them butter side down on a work surface. (This will be the outside of the sandwich.)

On one side of each pair, layer cheese, apple slices, and ham.

On the remaining slice of each pair, spread a generous layer of apple butter. Sandwich the two slices of each pair together with the buttered sides facing outward.

Butter the outside of bread on both sides and grill it.

Warm a cast iron skillet or panini grill over medium heat. Cook the sandwiches, turning once, until both sides are golden and the cheese is melted. Slice in half and serve immediately.

Sweet, salty, cheesy, melty. What’s not to love?

Delicious on a Dollar

Devoted to the preparation of healthy & economical foods that taste fabulous!

Tag Archives: Apples

Apple Upside Down Cake with Salted Caramel

Caramel Apple Dip

Salad: Apple and Fennel with Pistachios and Apricot

Apple Pie Biscuits

Kielbasa Apple Skewers

Apple Cinnamon Loaf

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

Swedish Apple Pie

Turkey Sage Burgers with Sautéed Apples and Brie

Ham and Apple Butter Panini

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