Apple Cheddar Bacon Soup

Yum Yum Yum Soup. I used gala apples in this soup, but I'm sure you can use any apple that tickles your fancy. Because of it's sweetness I would suggest having it as a first course, not a main meal. My 5 year old, who does not eat soup, ate this soup!

6 strips of bacon (unless you're a bacon lover, then add two strips)
1 small onion, chopped
2 apples, cored, peeled, chopped
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped
3 C chicken stock
1 1/5 C apple juice
2 C shredded cheddar cheese (plus some for extra topping if you like)
2 green onions, sliced
2 slices of wheat bread (or rye)
Dijon mustard

In a pot cook your bacon. Remove bacon and let cool on paper towel. Remove all but 2 T of bacon drippings. (I dipped a paper towel in the pot to make sure I left enough drippings) Cook the onion, apples and potato in bacon drippings over med-high heat about 5 min or until apples are soft. Add chicken stock and apple juice. Cook about 10 more minutes or until potatoes are soft. Turn off heat, stir in all but 2 T of cheese. In batches puree your soup in a blender. Return to pot - I returned it to a smaller pot. Yay, soup is done!

Spread Dijon mustard over bread. Sprinkle with remaining 2 T of cheese. Broil or toast bread in toaster oven until cheese is melted. Cut the bread into cubes - croutons! While the bread is toasting, chop bacon up into pieces.

Serve soup in bowels. Toppings include: croutons, green onions, bacon, shredded cheese.

My son actually dipped the bread into his soup and ate it. Maybe finger length strips of bread would be fun for them.

A Yummy Fall Dinner

A little inspiration from everywhere, including my dad. Thanks Dad! This recipe has flavorful rice, moist chicken, savory apples and delicious veggies. I'm eating leftovers today,which is all thrown together and it tastes great that way too!

Chicken  - I eyeballed measurements, so I hope it's close!
4 Chicken Thighs
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp water
1/2 C bread crumbs
1/4 C fresh Parmesan cheese
1 T paprika
1 t garlic salt

Pre-heat oven to 350 deg. Spray cookie sheet with Pam. Pre-heat skillet with oil over medium heat. Pat chicken dry. In one bowl mix egg and water. In another bowl mix bread crumbs, cheese, paprika, salt. Dip chicken, one at a time, in egg then in bread mixture. Coating well. Brown in skillet. The chicken will not be cooked through. We want to seal the chicken in the crusty bread. Transfer chicken to cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes.

Rice -change amount of rice as needed
2 C water
1 C rice
1 T chicken bouillon

Bring water to a boil in a pot that has a cover. Add bouillon and rice. Bring temperature to Low and cover. Let sit on Low heat for 20 minutes.

Apples
4 medium apples (we used a red apple good for baking)
1/4 C brown sugar (more or less to taste)
2 t Ground Cinnamon (more or less to taste)

Pre-heat oven to 350 deg. Core and slice apples. We did not peel them, but you can if you or your kids don't like the skin. Place apple slices, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Toss to coat. Place apples on baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes. Serve warm. ** this also fills your house with a wonderful smell! You may want to do more apples late in the afternoon and get this done first, prior to the chicken so you can snack while you cook.....Yes, I'm that bad**

Vegetables
I cheated. Grab a bag or two of steam in the microwave veggies. Pour cooked veggies in a bowl, serve.

Farmhouse Pork & Apple Pie

Yes, this is for dinner! This recipe makes servings for 10. So please cut amounts accordingly. It calls for 1 lb of bacon. If you want to go healthy and use something like turkey bacon that does not give off a lot of drippings then when it comes to that step you'll have to sub with butter or oil to saute onions in.

1 lb sliced bacon, cut into 2" pieces

2 medium onions, chopped

3 lbs boneless pork, cubed

3/4 C all-purpose flour

Vegetable oil, optional

3 medium tart apples, peeled and chopped

1 t rubbed sage

1/2 t ground nutmeg

1 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1 C apple cider (or apple juice)

1/2 C water

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 C milk

5 T butter, divided

Fresh parsley, chopped (do not sub dried!)

Cook bacon until crispy. Remove and lay on paper towels. In drippings, saute onions until tender; remove and set aside. Dust pork lightly with flour. Brown in pan in batches, adding oil as needed (you may want to wipe the pan with a paper towel to clean prior to adding oil each time). Add all pork to pan; add bacon, onions, apples, sage, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir in cider and water. Transfer to a 12" baking dish (or other baking dish), cover and bake at 325 for two hours or until pork is tender.

Boil potatoes in boiling water until tender. Drain and mash potatoes in a mixing bowel with milk and 3 T butter. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove pork from oven and spread potatoes over the pork mixture. Melt remaining butter and spread over potatoes. Broil for 6 minutes or until topping is browned. Sprinkle with fresh parsley if desired.

Rolling for Pasta

This is a delicious cold pasta dish. A nice twist and I believe good for vegans.

2 C cooked mini wagon wheel pasta

1 sm apple, cored and chopped

½ cucumber, seeded and chopped

¼ C chopped pecans

¼ C regular or golden raisins

2 T olive oil

¼ t salt, 1/8 t ground pepper

Juice of 1 lemon

1 T chopped fresh parsley

In a large bowl, combine pasta, apple, cucumber, pecans, raisins, olive oil, salt and pepper. Squeeze on lemon juice. Cover and let pasta salad chill until serving time or 1 hour. Stir in parsley when serving.

Warm Harvest Soup

Sure, it may not be fall anymore, but it's still cold. This soup is full of nutrients and sure to please. I have not tried it yet, so if you do - let me know how it turns out.

1 T olive oil 1/2C chopped carrot ½ C chopped celery

1/3 C chopped onion 1 ½ lb butternut squash, seeded & cut into 1” cubes

2 Med apples, cored, cut into 1” pieces 4 C chicken broth

Black Pepper Croutons

1) In a big pot, heat oil on medium heat. Add carrots, celery and onion. Cook, stiring occasionally for 8-10 minutes or until tender and starting to brown. Add squash, apples, and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Simmer 20 minutes or until squash is tender. Cool slightly.

2) Puree soup, in two batches if needed, in a blender or food processor. Add pepper and croutons.

Yield: 6 cups

Apple Meatballs - on a stick!

What kid doesn't like food on a stick? What adult doesn't? Try these apples, which taste good with meat: Rome, Jonathan, Macoun.

1 C whole-wheat bread crumbs

1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese

1 Large Egg, lightly beaten

1 medium apple, coarsely grated

1 T Dijon Mustard

1 T chopped fresh parsley

1/4 tsp each: salt, pepper

1 Lb ground turkey breast

2 T vegetable oil

1/2 C apple juice or cider

1/4 C maple syrup

1 T balsamic vinegar

In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, cheese, egg, apple, mustard, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add turkey and fold into wet mixture until combined.

Now, you can either bake your meatballs in the oven or fry in a frying pan. If you fry in a frying pan you will use the 2 T oil. If you bake, you will omit the oil. Roll meat into 1" balls. Bake at 350 F until browned. Start for 20 minutes. OR Heat oil in frying pan over medium heat. Fry, turning frequently until browned, about 15 minutes.

Glaze: In a pot, mix apple juice, maple syrup, and vinegar. Simmer over low heat until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. toss meatballs in glaze, thread onto kabob stick.

Another idea I just thought of..... kabob them! Make your meatballs, put them on the stick. glaze meatballs and brown on the grill. Glaze as often as you like and once more when they come off.

Stuffed Apples - Two Ways!!

When looking for apples for this one, look for apples that can take the heat: Braeburn, Gala, Empire. Savory is one way to bake, Sweet is the other.

Savory Ingredients:

4 Large Apples

6 oz. sweet pork or turkey sausage

1/3 C chopped onion

1/2 C cooked brown rice

1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1 T Olive oil

Dash ground black pepper

3/4 C Apple Juice

Sweet Ingredients:

4 Medium Apples

1/2 C chopped walnuts

1/4 C Raisins

1 T packed brown sugar

1/4 tsp ground cardamom (look it up - substitute if needed)

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

4 tsp unsalted butter (yes, salted is okay)

1/2 C apple cider

1 T honey or maple syrup

1) Preheat oven to 375 F. Slice the tops off each apple and a thin slice from the bottom - allowing them to stand flat.Core the apples, starting from the stem end, using a melon baller or a small spoon, going to - but not through the bottom. Save the apple flesh.

2) Prepare the filling:

For the savory version, cook sausage and onion until sausage is browned, stirring meat to break it up. Drain fat. In a bowl combine sausage mixture, rice, rosemary, thyme, oil, pepper, and 1/2 C chopped apple flesh.

For the sweet version, mix walnuts, raisins, brown sugar, cardamom, and nutmeg. Set aside.

3) Place apples in a 2 qt square baking dish. Fill with sweet or savor mixture. Top sweet mixture with 1 tsp butter. Pour apple juice into baking dish of savory mixture; use cider and honey for sweet mixture.

4) Bake savory apples uncovered for 30-40 minutes.

Bake sweet ones, covered, for 25 minutes. Then remove foil and return to oven for another 20 minutes. Drizzle both with cooking liquid.

A Fall-Delight Apple Salad

Hey there parents. Have a picky eater? Or just like apples? This is for you! Some apples turn brown in a hurry. Try these: Granny Smith, Cortland, Fuji.

2 C cooked mini pasta wheels (or some small pasta cooked, drained, and cooled)

1 Small apple, cored and chopped.

1/2 Cucumber, seeded and chopped (snack on the rest, add the rest or just pick a small one) - 3/4 C

1/4 C chopped pecans (make sure you child can eat nuts)

1/4 C regular or golden raisins (or mix of both!)

2 T Olive Oil

1/4 T Salt

1/8 Tsp Ground Black Pepper

Juice of 1 Lemon

1 T chopped fresh parsley (Fresh is recommended)

In a large bowl combine pasta, apple, cucumber, pecans, raisins, olive oil, S&P. Squeeze on lemon juice. Cover and chill at least 1 hour or until serving. Stir in parsley when ready to serve.

Yield: 6 cups

Herb and Apple Stuffing

I love stuffing, but each year I long to try a new one. I heard apple and stuffing and fell in love. I won't be cooking anything this year for Thanksgiving or Christmas but that doesn't mean I won't try this recipe out! Thank you to Barefoot Contessa for this recipe.

Ingredients

• 16 cups 1-inch bread cubes, white or whole wheat (2 baguettes)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
• 2 cups medium-diced yellow onion (2 large)
• 2 cups medium-diced celery (3 large stalks)
• 2 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, cored and large diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup sliced blanched almonds, toasted, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Put the bread cubes on a 13 by 18 by 1-inch baking sheet and bake them in the oven for 7 minutes.

In a large saute pan, melt the butter and add the onion, celery, apples, parsley, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Saute for 10 minutes, until the mixture is soft.

Combine the bread cubes and cooked vegetables in a large bowl and add the chicken stock, and almonds, if desired.

Place the stuffing into the main cavity of the turkey and into the neck of the bird.. I cook a 12-pound turkey for 2 1/2 hours at 350 degrees F in a preheated oven. Make sure the stuffing in the cavity is secured by wrapping the legs tightly with string.

I'm thinking you could bake this outside the turkey too.....just to crisp it up a bit.