We are in the midst of apple season in MN has some of the best orchards around!  Prime apple picking is mid-to-late August through late October and makes for a wonderful family tradition!  Our family went to a local apple orchard recently and it was a blast.  We enjoyed some delicious apple treats, took a nice walk through the orchards, picked out a pumpkin to bring home, and just had an all-around good day.

Most people have a favorite kind of apple but with so many varieties to choose from, I think it’s hard to pick.  And different kinds work for different recipes, so you have the option to sample different flavors while you cook and try out new recipes.

Not everyone has time to spend at an apple orchard or doesn’t have any locations close to home.  In that case, you probably swing by your local grocery store to stock up on apple goodies.  I like to do both and want to share some of my new apple themed recipes with you.

We did “apple day” at our house.  We started the day with an apple themed dish, enjoyed apple snacks throughout the day, and ended the night with an apple themed drink.

 

Our breakfast (or brunch) consisted of Caramel Apple French Toast Casserole.  There were tender, juicy apples in every bite, a delicious caramel drizzle, and plenty of crusty bread to bring the whole dish together.  This is a casserole you make and bake the same day and do not have it sit overnight.  It doesn’t take too long to assemble but you’ll want to be prepared to do your prep work right before baking.

The recipe can be found here.

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9×13 baking pan.

Slice the bread and place in the bottom of the baking pan.  I like to use baguettes but any crusty or day-old bread will work well.

Slice the apples and sprinkle on top of the bread.  You can peel the apples before slicing if you prefer but that’s completely optional.  Sometimes I admittedly don’t want to put in the work of peeling the apples, so I don’t.

In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, coffee creamer, and apple pie spice.  Whisk until smooth.

If you can’t find apple pie spice (I’ve noticed, it’s a hot commodity and hard to find if I don’t shop early) you can make your own.  Simply combine 2 Tbsp cinnamon, 1 ½ Tsp ground nutmeg, and ½ Tsp allspice.  Use the allotted amount for this recipe and save the rest for a future recipe.

Pour the egg mixture over the bread and apples, making sure to evenly coat the dish.

Bake, uncovered, for 50-60 minutes or until the eggs are set.

Remove from the oven and drizzle with caramel topping, using as little or as much as you like.  Sprinkle chopped peanuts over the top, then slice and serve warm.  Enjoy!

 

The recipe can be found here.

Since we had a late breakfast, we opted to skip lunch and instead snack on Fall Harvest Snack Mix.  This is a perfect fall treat!  And, a treat you won’t be able to stop eating 🙂 It’s the perfect combination of salty and sweet with a hint of apple flavor.

The recipe can be found here.

Start by preheating the oven to 275 degrees F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small microwave safe bowl, melt the butter.  Add the brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.  Whisk together.

In a large bowl, add the entire box of Apple Jack’s cereal, Bugles, and pretzels.  Pour the sauce over the top and toss to coat.

Pour the mixture evenly between the 2 baking sheets.  Spread the mixture into an even layer on each baking sheet.

Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool.  Once cool, add the mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the caramel apple mix.  Toss to combine.

 

Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container on the counter.  We enjoyed immediately and had a hard time stopping 🙂 This snack mix won’t last long!

The recipe can be found here.

We made Apple & Gouda Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for dinner.  There is no better combination than apples and gouda.  Smoky gouda cheese is melted with tart granny smith apples for a wonderfully savory and delicious meal.  You can also use honey crisp, gala, or fuji apples for a hint of sweetness and to offset the creaminess of the cheese.  A few slices of bacon or even some deli ham would complement this sandwich nicely.

The recipe can be found here.

Start by slicing the gouda cheese and apple into thin slices.  Then, butter one side of each piece of bread.

Preheat a skillet over medium heat.

Place 2 slices of bread, butter side down, in the skillet.  Top both pieces of bread with cheese.

Continue to heat until the bread is golden brown, and the cheese has melted.

Add apple slices to one piece of bread and fold the other piece of bread on top of the apples, so the apples are sandwiched between the melted cheese.

Remove from the heat and slice in half.  Repeat these steps until all sandwiches have been made.  Enjoy!

The recipe can be found here.

For dessert, we had Skillet Apple Crisp (fresh out of the oven).  It’s melt-in-your-mouth good and the perfect sweater weather / fall treat!  The apples are warmed through but not cooked too long that they lose all their crunch, so you will still get a subtle hint of crunch in each bite.  The topping is perfectly crumby and adds the right amount of sweetness.

The recipe can be found here.

Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (optional).  I like to place my skillet on top of the baking sheet (or on the rack directly above the baking sheet) to catch anything that drips over the sides.  It helps to keep my oven clean 🙂

Next, peel, core, and slice the apples.  If you have the spiral attachment for your KitchenAid mixer, I highly recommend using it!  It will peel, core, and slice the apples for you in a fraction of the time.  This is the method I prefer but peeling by hand is also fine – do what works for you.

Place the apples in a large mixing bowl.  Top with ½ cup of brown sugar and ½ tsp of cinnamon.  Toss to coat the apples.

Slice 3 Tbsp of butter and place them in the bottom of a cast iron skillet.  You will want to use at least a 10-inch skillet.  If you don’t have a cast iron skillet you can use an 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan instead.

Layer the apple mixture over the butter.  If you are using a smaller skillet, the apples will be piled high, which is just fine!

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 tsp of cinnamon, 1/3 cup of melted butter, and 1 cup of flour.  Stir to combine.  A lot of crumble toppings use oats so feel free to add some if you prefer but I think the taste of this crumble is amazing without the oats.

Use your fingers to crumble the mixture over the top of the apples.  Try to coat as much of the top as possible.

Place the skillet on the prepared baking sheet (or directly on the oven rack if not using a baking sheet) and bake on the center rack for 45 min or until bubbling.

Remove from the oven (be careful) and serve warm with a heaping scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream on top.  Enjoy!

The recipe can be found here.

Our nightcap is an Apple Cider Cocktail.  This is incredibly light and refreshing but a crisp taste.  And, depending on how big your glass is, you can add additional prosecco or apple cider to taste.

The recipe can be found here.

Make sure the prosecco and apple cider are chilled.

Add the spiced rum and apple cider to a glass.

Top with prosecco and enjoy!

So simple yet so tasty.  I added a little extra apple cider to my cocktail because I love the flavor of fresh apple cider, but additional prosecco isn’t a bad option either 🙂

The recipe makes 1 cocktail.  Cheers!

The recipe can be found here.

That was our “apple day” in a nutshell.  I hope you have the chance to enjoy some delicious apple treats this fall and try your hand at some new recipes.

Happy Fall and Happy Cooking!

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