Pan-Fried Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter, Sage and Toasted Nuts

This crispy gnocchi with sage brown butter is one of the dinners that makes me unofficially decide fall has arrived, even if the calendar says otherwise. Yes, it’s warm outside, and tomatoes and late summer fruit are still everywhere, but I don’t really care. The minute I put brown butter in a skillet with sage, I’m mentally done with summer. Brown butter and sage are two of my favorite cooler weather flavors, especially once the sun is hanging a tiny bit lower in the sky.

I make gnocchi a bunch of different ways, but this is the one I want when dinner needs to happen without spending a good portion of the night on it. I like to brown my gnocchi first because I want the golden sides and slight crispness before I spoon anything over them. The centers stay soft and tender this way. The browning is important once the brown butter goes over them because I want the pan-fried texture under the sauce.

There’s also something about potato gnocchi that makes me think of my grandmother’s pierogi, even though they come from completely different culinary worlds. I think it’s the potato dumpling, and even more than that, the way she would fry her pierogi in butter until the outside was very brown. Gnocchi is hardly pierogi, but the combo of soft potato inside and buttery, browned dough reminds me of hers.

And then there’s the sage, which is the bigest reason I love this recipe as much as I do. I chop some of it into the butter, then fry whole leaves until they’re crisp, which means I eat a couple before the rest ever make it onto the plate. Try it. I toast the walnuts and pecans separately, because I want their flavor to match what the butter is doing without relying on the butter to toast them. Garlic and nutmeg go into the brown butter at the end, followed by Parm and black pepper once the gnocchi is ready to serve.

By the time I’m craving anything even remotely fall-ish, this recipe is usually where my mind goes. I’ll never complain about a skillet of browned gnocchi, enough fried sage, and a decent amount of brown butter on top is pretty much all I need during the ber-months.

The Decisions Behind This Recipe

• I brown the gnocchi, toast the walnuts and pecans, and brown the butter separately because each one needs different timing. The gnocchi needs uninterrupted contact with the pan to develop color and the nuts only require a short toast. The butter needs absolute attention once the milk solids begin to brown. Keeping them separate means I can stop each one when it’s ready.
• I divide the sage before it goes into the butter because the chopped and whole leaves give different results. The chopped sage goes into the brown butter, while the whole leaves fry until they’re brittle and crisp. Those whole leaves aren’t decoration. They’re meant to be eaten with the gnocchi and toasted nuts. They’re so good. And my favorite.
• I wait until the butter is browned and off the heat before adding the grated garlic. Garlic paste has a lot of surface area that it can burn quickly, while the residual heat of the brown butter is enough to soften its raw flavor and distribute it through the sauce. Grating it works out really well for this recipe from a flavor perspective.
• The nutmeg goes in after browning for a different reason. I’m watching the milk solids on the bottom of the pan to tell me when the butter is ready, and adding nutmeg earlier puts additional brown specks in the pan when I’m trying to see that color. I use only 1/8 teaspoon, enough to season the brown butter without making the sauce taste primarily of nutmeg. The visual clues are everything when making this.

Ingredients

• Potato gnocchi – I use a 16-ounce package of potato gnocchi because this isn’t one of those times when I feel the need to make gnocchi from scratch. Refrigerated or shelf-stable potato gnocchi are both fine, so use whichever you normally buy. Can you make your own? Yes. But store-bought keeps this in the weeknight dinner category.
• Olive oil – You only need a small amount for browning the gnocchi. I usually start with 1/2 teaspoon and add more between batches if the pan needs it.
• Salted butter – This is what becomes the brown butter sauce, so use one you like.
• Fresh sage – Definitely fresh for this recipe. You need enough leaves to chop some into the butter and leave the rest whole for frying, so dried sage isn’t a substitute.
• Ground nutmeg – There’s only 1/8 teaspoon in the entire sauce. I want the nutmeg in the background with the brown butter and sage without making the finished dish taste distinctly of nutmeg.
• Walnuts – Finely chopped and toasted. I love walnuts with sage and brown butter because of their earthy flavor, and to me they make the dish feel more like fall than pine nuts ever could.
• Pecans – I use these with the walnuts because they’re sweeter and more buttery. You can use all walnuts or all pecans if that’s what you have, but I really love having both.
• Fresh garlic – I grate it into a paste so there aren’t bigger pieces of garlic scattered through the gnocchi. One teaspoon is enough because the garlic is going directly into the brown butter.
• Parmesan Cheese – Freshly grated is best, and I use about 1/4 cup over the finished gnocchi. I want Parmesan on top, but this is still very much a brown butter sauce instead of the cheesy sauce I use in my gnocchi mac and cheese.
• Freshly cracked black pepper – Use as much as you like. I’m pretty liberal with it because black pepper with brown butter, sage and Parmesan is very hard to turn down.

How to Make Crispy Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (boil and dry the gnocchi)
  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the gnocchi and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until they float to the top. Drain them really well, then spread them out on a paper towel-lined plate and pat away as much moisture as you can. They’re going into a hot skillet next, and the drier the surface is, the better chance they have of turning golden instead of steaming in the pan.
• Step Two (get the sage and nuts ready)
  Finely chop 5 of the sage leaves and leave the other 10 whole. Add the walnuts and pecans to a dry skillet over medium heat and toast them for 1-2 minutes, stirring often, until they smell really good and have darkened slightly. Get them out of the pan and into a bowl as soon as they’re done because nuts can go from toasted to burned while you’re standing there thinking about something else.
• Step Three (crisp the gnocchi)
  Heat 1/2 teaspoon olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat, then add the gnocchi in a single layer. Try not to mess with them too much at first. Give them some time in the hot pan so they can brown, then turn them and keep going for about 5-7 minutes, until you have good color on several sides. If your pan is not big enough, do this in batches and add more olive oil if you need it. Once they’re browned on several sides, take the pan off the heat and leave them alone while you make the butter.
• Step Four (make the sage brown butter)
  Add the cubed butter to a light-colored sauté pan over medium heat and stir as it melts and starts to foam, then add both the chopped sage and the whole leaves. Keep stirring and watch the bottom of the pan as the foam begins to subside and golden-brown flecks appear in the butter. Once you see those flecks, everything moves pretty fast. When the butter smells nutty and toasted, pull it off the heat. If the flecks turn very dark brown or black, you’ve gone too far, and sadly, that butter needs to go because there’s no fixing burned brown butter.
• Step Five (finish everything)
  Stir the nutmeg into the brown butter, pull out the whole fried sage leaves and set them aside for the top, then stir in the grated garlic, walnuts and pecans. The garlic goes in while the butter is still hot but off the heat because it’s grated so finely that the residual heat is enough to take away its rawness without risking burned garlic. Transfer the crispy gnocchi to a serving dish, spoon all the sage brown butter and the toasted nuts over the top, then finish with the fried sage leaves, Parmesan and lots of cracked black pepper.

Recipe Tips

• Make sure the gnocchi is really well dried after boiling before it goes into the skillet. Water left on the surface works against browning, but it also makes the oil spit, which is another good reason to spend an extra minute with the paper towels.
• Give the gnocchi enough room in the pan that most of the pieces can make direct contact with the skillet. If that means two batches, it’s a better choice than crowding them into one.
• Use a light-colored pan for the brown butter if you have one. Brown butter is better judged by color and smell than by a timer, and a pale pan makes the milk solids on the bottom much easier to see.
• Don’t walk away from the butter once the milk solids begin changing color. The heat in the pan doesn’t disappear the second you remove it from the burner, which is why I pull mine as soon as the flecks are golden brown and the butter smells toasted.
• Once the walnuts and pecans smell toasted, get them out of the skillet and into a bowl. Leaving them in the hot pan while you move on to the gnocchi can continue cooking them past the point you wanted.

Storage and Reheating

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. The gnocchi will lose a lot of its crisp exterior as it sits in the brown butter, so leftovers are still very good, but don’t expect the same texture you had when it first came out of the skillet.
• For reheating, I like a skillet over the microwave. Warm the gnocchi over moderate heat so the outside has a chance to brown again, but keep the heat under control because the butter, garlic, sage and nuts are already cooked and can burn. The microwave works if you’re in a hurry, but the gnocchi will be softer.
• I would not freeze the finished dish. Freezing and thawing works against the tender-inside, crisp-outside texture that makes this gnocchi worth pan-frying in the first place.

FAQs

• Do I have to boil gnocchi before pan-frying it?
  For this recipe, yes. I want the gnocchi cooked and tender first, then I use the skillet specifically for browning the outside. Some packaged gnocchi can be prepared without boiling, but that isn’t the method I use for this recipe.
• Can I use refrigerated gnocchi instead of shelf-stable gnocchi?
  Yes. I use packaged potato gnocchi, and either refrigerated or shelf-stable is fine. Follow the package directions for boiling if they differ from the timing in the recipe, then drain and dry the gnocchi well before browning.
• Can I use gluten-free gnocchi?
  Yes, although I would expect some variation in texture and browning between brands. Follow the package directions for boiling, then drain and dry the gnocchi well before it goes into the skillet.
• Can I use unsalted butter?
  Yes. Taste the finished dish and add salt as needed. Parmesan adds salt at the end too, so I would wait until after it goes on before deciding how much additional salt the gnocchi needs.
• How do I know when brown butter is done?
  The butter will melt, foam and then develop golden-brown flecks on the bottom of the pan. It should smell nutty and toasted. Once the milk solids turn very dark brown or black, the butter has burned.
• Why did my gnocchi not get crispy?
  The first things I would look at are surface moisture and pan contact. Gnocchi that’s still wet can steam, while an overcrowded pan or constant turning keeps the pieces from spending enough uninterrupted time in the hot skillet to brown.
• Can I use dried sage instead of fresh sage?
  I wouldn’t for this one. Fresh sage is doing two things, including the whole leaves that get fried until crisp, so dried sage really cannot give you the same result.
• Can I make Crispy Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter ahead of time?
  You can prep parts of it ahead, but I would save crisping the gnocchi and browning the butter until close to serving. The walnuts and pecans can be toasted and the sage can be chopped earlier, but once the browned gnocchi sits in the sauce, the exterior begins to soften.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

• Some things are better once they’ve been in the heat.
• You can ruin a good thing by trying to improve it past the point where it was already perfect.
• There’s a point where giving something more time stops helping it. Knowing when you’ve reached it can be harder than getting there.
• A soft center doesn’t need a soft exterior.
• Does everything need a sauce thick enough to hide in? I don’t think so.
• Sometimes, everything that needs time, doesn’t always need distance.
• Holding back can be useful. Too much and dinner gets cold.
• I’ve found that giving everything the same amount of time usually means at least one thing gets more than it needed.
• I don’t mind watching something closely when there’s a small window for getting it right.
• There comes a point when what hasn’t happened is saying more that what has.

When Brown Butter Changes the Recipe

• Gnocchi with Burrata, Pesto, and Brown Butter – Burrata, pesto, brown butter, toasty nuts.
• Roasted Garlic Pumpkin Soup with Brown Butter – Pumpkin, roasted garlic, brown butter, fall spices.
• Brown Butter Carrot Bundt Cake – Brown butter, warm spices, cream cheese frosting.
• Brown Butter Peach Coffee Cake Muffins – Fresh peaches, brown butter, cinnamon streusel, vanilla glaze.
• Cabernet Sauvignon Brown Butter Brownies – Red wine, brown butter, dense fudgy chocolate.

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Crispy Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter

Crispy Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter pairs pan-fried potato gnocchi with sage-infused brown butter, toasted walnuts and pecans, garlic, Parmesan and fried sage leaves.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian-Inspired

Keyword brown butter gnocchi, crispy gnocchi, crispy potato gnocchi, gnocchi with sage, pan-fried gnocchi, pan-seared gnocchi, potato gnocchi with burrata, sage brown butter gnocchi, sage brown butter sauce

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 460kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• large pot For boiling the gnocchi with enough water to cook freely.
• Colander For draining the cooked gnocchi before drying.
• paper towels Removing surface moisture helps the gnocchi brown in the pan instead of steam.
• large sauté pan For pan-frying the gnocchi in a single layer. A large surface area also makes crowding less likely.
• light-colored sauté pan or skillet. For browning the butter. The pale interior makes it much easier to see the milk solids turn golden brown before they burn.
• skillet (small). For toasting the walnuts and pecans separately.

Ingredients

Gnocchi:

• 1 (16 oz / 454 g) package potato gnocchi
• ½ - 1 tsp (2.5 - 5 ml) olive oil plus more as needed

Sage Brown Butter Sauce:

• 15 fresh sage leaves
• 2 tbsps (15 g) finely chopped walnuts
• 2 tbsps (14 g) finely chopped pecans
• ½ cup (113 g) salted butter cubed
• ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 clove, fresh garlic grated into a paste

Toppings:

• ¼ cup (25 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

• Bring 4 quarts (3.8 L) of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the gnocchi and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until they float to the surface. Drain well, then transfer the gnocchi to a paper towel-lined plate and pat dry. Removing the surface moisture helps the gnocchi brown instead of steam in the pan.
  1 (16 oz / 454 g) package potato gnocchi
• Finely chop 5 sage leaves, leaving the remaining 10 leaves whole. Set aside.
  15 fresh sage leaves
• Add the walnuts and pecans to a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted and fragrant. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
  2 tbsps (15 g) finely chopped walnuts, 2 tbsps (14 g) finely chopped pecans
• Heat ½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the gnocchi in a single layer without crowding the pan, working in batches if necessary. Cook for 5-7 minutes, allowing the gnocchi time against the hot pan before turning, until browned on multiple sides. Add additional olive oil as needed. Remove from the heat and set aside while preparing the brown butter.
  ½ - 1 tsp (2.5 - 5 ml) olive oil
• Add the cubed butter to a light-colored sauté pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, as the butter melts and begins to foam. Add the chopped and whole sage leaves and continue cooking as the sage fries and the milk solids begin to brown.
  ½ cup (113 g) salted butter
• Watch the bottom of the pan closely as golden-brown flecks appear and the butter develops a toasted, nutty aroma. Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the milk solids are golden brown. Very dark brown or black flecks mean the butter has burned and should be remade.
• Immediately stir in the nutmeg. Remove the whole fried sage leaves and set them aside for serving.
  ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
• Stir the grated garlic and toasted walnuts and pecans into the hot brown butter off the heat. The residual heat is enough for the finely grated garlic without risking burning it.
  1 clove, fresh garlic
• Transfer the crispy gnocchi to a serving dish and spoon the sage brown butter, garlic and toasted nuts over the top. Finish with the reserved fried sage leaves, Parmesan cheese and freshly cracked black pepper.
  ¼ cup (25 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, freshly cracked black pepper

Notes

• Use a light-colored pan for the brown butter so you can clearly see the milk solids changing color.
• Don't crowd the gnocchi while pan-frying. Work in batches when necessary so the gnocchi have enough contact with the pan to brown.
• Fresh sage is important in this recipe because some of the leaves are fried whole and reserved for serving.
• Gluten-free potato gnocchi can be substituted, although the texture and browning may differ depending on the brand.

 

 

If you’re making this Crispy Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card.

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 155g | Calories: 460kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 675mg | Potassium: 332mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 760IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 1mg

Have you made this Crispy Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

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The post Crispy Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter appeared first on Noble Pig.

Maple Baked Apples with Cinnamon, Maple Sauce and Toasted Walnuts

I have two Granny Smith apple trees, and when those apples start coming off them, they don’t show up in any reasonable quantity. They come in like I’ve somehow agreed to operate a small commercial orchard without being asked. I don’t mind it, though. These baked apples are one of the first things I make because I can use several at once without peeling a single one.

I cut the apples in half, core them and bake them with cinnamon, brown sugar and maple syrup, which is about as uncomplicated as I can make an apple dessert. There is no filling to mix, nothing to stuff back into the middle and especially no peeling, which becomes increasingly important when every flat surface in the kitchen seems to have apples on it.

The maple syrup is where I think the recipe gets better than its level of effort would suggest. As the apples bake, their juices run into the syrup in the bottom of the dish, along with some of the cinnamon and brown sugar. I pour all of that into a saucepan afterward and reduce it into the maple-walnut sauce that goes back over the apples.

I finish the sauce with lemon and toasted walnuts, then spoon it over the warm apples while they’re still soft enough to eat with a spoon. It’s simple, but it doesn’t feel like I gave up and baked some fruit because I had too many apples.

I’ve been making these for years, but having my own Granny Smith trees has made me appreciate them differently. When I’m standing in front of another counter full of apples, cutting four of them in half and putting them in the oven feels so much more realistic than deciding I’m about to peel thirty.

The Decisions Behind This Recipe

• The part I care about most is the maple syrup in the baking dish. It’s not there only to sweeten the apples. As they bake, the fruit releases its juices into the syrup, and I spoon that liquid back over the cut sides so it picks up the cinnamon and brown sugar along the way. Once the apples are tender, that same liquid becomes the sauce. Life cycle complete.
• I use a full cup of maple syrup because I need enough in the dish to cook with the apples and still have something left to reduce afterward. Apples don’t release the same amount of juice every time, so I don’t give the sauce a rigid reduction time. I cook it until it looks like something I want to spoon over the apples.
• Cutting the apples in half across the middle gives the cinnamon and brown sugar a lot more exposed fruit to work with, and it gets them tender much faster than baking them whole. It also means I can get through a decent number of apples without peeling anything or hollowing out eight little cavities.
• The lemon goes in twice for two different reasons. I use some on the cut apples before baking, then add more to the finished sauce after it has reduced. That second addition is important once the maple syrup and apple juices have concentrated.
• I keep the walnuts out of the baking dish and toast them separately. They go into the sauce at the end so they still taste like toasted walnuts instead of spending half an hour getting soft in maple syrup.

Ingredients

• Granny Smith apples – Their tartness is what I want with maple syrup and brown sugar, and they soften nicely without turning to mush. I use large apples from my own trees when they’re producing, but similarly sized Granny Smiths from the grocery store work just the same.
• Fresh lemon juice – Some goes over the cut apples before baking, and the rest goes into the maple sauce at the end. That last little bit is important once the maple syrup and apple juices have reduced and gotten sweeter.
• Light Brown sugar – I sprinkle it directly over the cut side of the apples so it melts into the fruit with the cinnamon as they bake. If you’re out, make a simple batch of my homemade brown sugar.
• Ground cinnamon – This goes on the apples, not in the maple syrup. Some will naturally work its way into the baking liquid as you baste, but I want most of it on the fruit.
• Pure maple syrup – Use real maple syrup, not pancake syrup. It does a lot more than sweeten the apples because the baking liquid eventually becomes the sauce.
• Table salt – Enough goes into the finished sauce to keep the maple and brown sugar from becoming too much.
• Walnuts – Toast them first and add them at the end so they keep their flavor and texture. Pecans would also be a very substitute.

How to Make Baked Apples with Maple-Walnut Sauce

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (get the apples ready)
  Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the apples in half crosswise and remove the cores, then brush the cut sides with 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice and arrange them cut-side up in a baking dish.
• Step Two (add the cinnamon sugar and maple syrup)
  Stir the brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle the mixture over the exposed apple flesh. Pour the maple syrup into the bottom of the baking dish around the apples. As they bake, their juices will run into the syrup and start making the liquid you’ll use for the sauce later.
• Step Three (bake until tender)
  Cover the dish with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for about 15 minutes more, spooning some of the maple liquid over the apples as they cook. Start checking them with a paring knife near the end. You want the knife to slide in easily, but the apples should still be firm enough to move to a platter without falling apart. Larger apples may need a few extra minutes.
• Step Four (make the maple sauce)
  Transfer the apples to a serving platter, then pour every bit of the maple syrup and apple juices from the baking dish into a small saucepan. Add the remaining lemon juice and salt, bring it to a boil and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until it has reduced and thickened slightly. Apples give off different amounts of juice, so I pay more attention to how the sauce looks than to the exact number of minutes.
• Step Five (add the walnuts)
  Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the toasted walnuts. Spoon the warm maple-walnut sauce over the apples, making sure some stays on top and plenty ends up around them for serving.
• Step Six (serve them warm)
  Serve the apples while they’re warm, either as they are or with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. If there is extra sauce in the pan, this isn’t the moment to be stingy with it.

Recipe Tips

• Try to use apples that are close in size so they finish baking around the same time. Mine come straight from the trees and don’t seem to have any interest in uniformity, so I expect the larger halves to need a few extra minutes.
• When you core the apples, remove the seeds and firm center without carving out half the fruit. A melon baller, apple corer or small paring knife will all get this done. These aren’t stuffed apples, so you don’t need a giant cavity in the middle.
• Remember that the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. If you take it too far on the stove, you can end up with something much thicker than you meant to make. I’ve done it.
• Now that you’ve opened the maple syrup and still have more than half a bottle left, use it in my maple butternut squash and apple soup or my crispy maple mustard-glazed chicken cutlets.

Storage and Reheating

• Store leftover baked apples and maple-walnut sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can store them together, although I like keeping extra sauce separately because it makes reheating easier.
• The sauce will get much thicker in the refrigerator. That’s normal. Warm it before deciding it needs anything added to it.
• For one serving, microwave an apple half with some sauce in short intervals until warm. For several servings, place the apples in a covered baking dish in a 325°F oven until heated through, then warm the sauce separately and spoon it over the apples.
• You can make these earlier in the day and reheat them before dessert, although I like them best the day they’re made. I wouldn’t freeze them. Cooked apples can get much softer after freezing and thawing, and there’s nothing to be gained from doing that to a perfectly good baked apple.

FAQs

• What are the best apples for baked apples with maple syrup?
  Granny Smith are my first choice because their tartness goes well with maple syrup and brown sugar. Gala apples are also fine, but the finished dessert will be sweeter and they may soften faster, so start checking them a little earlier.
• Can I use pancake syrup instead of pure maple syrup?
  No. The syrup becomes the base of the finished sauce, so its flavor is more important than it would be if you were only drizzling it over the top.
• Do I need to peel the apples?
  No. Leave the peels on. Halving and coring them is all the prep they need before baking.
• Can I make these ahead of time?
  Yes. Bake the apples and make the sauce earlier in the day, refrigerate them once cooled, then reheat before serving. I wouldn’t make them several days ahead specifically for an occasion.
• Can I leave out the walnuts?
  Yes. The sauce will still reduce normally without them.
• Can I use pecans instead?
  Yes. Toast them first and stir them in after the sauce comes off the heat.
• Can I use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar?
  Yes. Dark brown sugar will give you more molasses flavor, but either one is fine.

From My Kitchen Notes

When You Have More Apples Than Plans

• Fresh Apple Bars – Granny Smith apples, golden raisins, walnuts
• Crockpot Apple Crisp – Tender apples, crisp oat topping, slow cooker
• Brown Sugar Cinnamon Apple Bundt Cake – Fresh apples, brown sugar swirl, cinnamon
• Apple Cheesecake Bars – Caramel apples, cheesecake, brown sugar shortbread
• Upside Down Apple Pie – Apples, brown sugar, butter, pecans

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Baked Apples with Maple-Walnut Sauce

Baked Apples with Maple-Walnut Sauce are Granny Smith apple halves baked with cinnamon, brown sugar and pure maple syrup, then served with a warm sauce made by reducing the maple syrup and apple juices from the baking dish with lemon and toasted walnuts.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword apple maple sauce, apples with maple syrup, baked apples with cinnamon, baked apples with maple syrup, Baked Apples with Maple-Walnut Sauce, maple baked apples, maple cinnamon baked apples, maple-walnut sauce

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 257kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• baking dish 9x13 (23x33 cm) Large enough to arrange all eight apple halves in a single layer.
• measuring cups and spoons For measuring the maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and salt.
• apple corer or small pairing knife. For removing the cores from the apple halves.
• mixing bowls (small) For mixing the brown sugar and cinnamon.
• pastry brush For brushing lemon juice over the cut apples.
• Saucepan (small) For reducing the maple syrup and apple cooking juices into the sauce.
• aluminum foil For covering the apples during the first part of baking.

Ingredients

• 4 large Granny Smith apples halved crosswise and cored
• 2 tsps (10 ml) fresh lemon juice divided
• 2 tbsps (25 g) packed light brown sugar (dark works too)
• ¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground cinnamon
• 1 cup (315 g) maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
• ⅛ tsp (0.75 g) table salt
• ½ cup (60 g) chopped walnuts toasted

Toppings:

• vanilla ice cream (optional)
• whipped cream (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
• Brush the cut sides of the apples with 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Arrange the apples cut-side up in a baking dish.
  4 large Granny Smith apples , 2 tsps (10 ml) fresh lemon juice
• Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, then sprinkle the mixture evenly over the cut sides of the apples. Pour the maple syrup into the bottom of the baking dish around the apples.
  2 tbsps (25 g) packed light brown sugar, ¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground cinnamon, 1 cup (315 g) maple syrup
• Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for about 15 minutes, spooning some of the maple cooking liquid over the apples as they bake. The apples are ready when a paring knife slides easily into the flesh but the halves are still firm enough to transfer to a serving platter without breaking apart. Larger apples may require additional baking time.
• Transfer the baked apples to a serving platter. Carefully pour all of the maple syrup and apple juices from the baking dish into a small saucepan.
• Add the remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice and the salt to the saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the maple-apple sauce has reduced and is slightly thicker. The amount of liquid released by the apples can vary, so use the consistency of the sauce as your guide instead of relying only on the cooking time.
  ⅛ tsp (0.75 g) table salt
• Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the toasted walnuts. Spoon the warm maple-walnut sauce over the baked apples.
  ½ cup (60 g) chopped walnuts
• Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.
  vanilla ice cream, whipped cream

Video

Notes

• To toast the walnuts, spread them in a dry skillet over medium heat and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly toasted. Watch them closely toward the end because walnuts can go from toasted to burned quickly.
• The baking time will vary depending on the size of the apples. Use a paring knife to check them instead of relying entirely on the clock, adding a few additional minutes if necessary.
• Use pure maple syrup for this recipe, not pancake syrup. Because the maple syrup becomes the base of the finished sauce after baking, the flavor and composition of the syrup make a noticeable difference.
• The apples release juice as they bake, and the amount can vary from one batch to another. If you end up with more cooking liquid, the sauce may need a little longer than 3 to 5 minutes to reduce to the right consistency.
• Toast the walnuts before adding them to the finished sauce. Adding them after the sauce has reduced keeps them out of the wet baking dish and preserves more of their toasted flavor and texture.
• One large apple makes two servings. Vanilla ice cream and whipped cream are optional and are not included in the nutrition estimate.

 

 

If you’re making these Baked Apples with Walnut-Maple Sauce, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 147g | Calories: 257kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 260mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 95IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg

Have you made these Baked Apples with Maple-Walnut Sauce? I’d love to hear how they turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Baked Apples with Maple-Walnut Sauce appeared first on Noble Pig.

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Apple Snickerdoodles

Apple Snickerdoodles are soft, thick and chewy, with cinnamon-spiced Honeycrisp apples folded through classic snickerdoodle dough and a generous cinnamon-sugar coating.

Course Cookie, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword apple snickerdoodle cookies, apple snickerdoodles, fresh apple cookies, snickerdoodles with apples

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 12 minutes minutes

Servings 20 cookies

Calories 290kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• large skillet For cooking the apples until tender and reducing the excess liquid.
• kitchen scale Useful for weighing the flour, apple and 55-gram dough portions.
• mixing bowls (large and small). For whisking the dry ingredients and the cinnamon-sugar coating.
• Stand Mixer or hand mixer. For creaming the butter and sugars and mixing the cookie dough.
• rubber spatula For folding the chilled apples into the dough without overmixing.
• 3 baking sheet For baking the cookies with enough room between them to spread.
• parchment paper Prevents sticking and makes cleanup easier.
• cooling rack For cooling the cookies completely after their initial rest on the baking sheets.

Ingredients

Apple Filling:

• 1 tsp (2.5 g) unsalted butter
• 1¼ cups (150 g) Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apple peeled and diced into ⅛- to ¼-inch (3- to 6-mm) cubes
• 2 tbsps (25 g) dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp (2.5 g) ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp (0.5 g) freshly grated nutmeg
• pinch kosher salt
• 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract

Cookie Dough:

• 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 tsps (6 g) cream of tartar
• 1 tsp (4.6 g) baking soda
• ½ tsp (1.5 g) kosher salt
• 1½ tsps (4 g) ground cinnamon
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened
• ¾ cup + 2 tbsps (170 g) granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup (75 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk room temperature
• 2 tsps (10 ml) vanilla extract

Cinnamon-Sugar Coating:

• ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp (8 g) ground cinnamon

Instructions

• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced apple, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are tender but still hold their shape and the released liquid has reduced completely. The apples should look moist and coated with the brown sugar mixture, with no syrup remaining in the skillet.
  1 tsp (2.5 g) unsalted butter, 1¼ cups (150 g) Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apple, 2 tbsps (25 g) dark brown sugar, 1 tsp (2.5 g) ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp (0.5 g) freshly grated nutmeg, pinch kosher salt
• Remove the skillet from the heat, then stir in the vanilla extract. Transfer the apple mixture to a shallow plate and spread it out to cool. Once completely cool, refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
  1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
• Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, 2 tsps (6 g) cream of tartar, 1 tsp (4.6 g) baking soda, ½ tsp (1.5 g) kosher salt, 1½ tsps (4 g) ground cinnamon
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar and light brown sugar with a stand mixer or electric hand mixer until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes.
  1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, ¾ cup + 2 tbsps (170 g) granulated sugar, ⅓ cup (75 g) packed light brown sugar
• Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Add the egg yolk and mix until combined, then mix in the vanilla extract.
  1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 2 tsps (10 ml) vanilla extract
• Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until the cookie dough is almost combined, stopping while a few streaks of flour are still visible.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold the thoroughly chilled apple mixture into the dough about 5–8 times. Stop once the remaining flour is incorporated and the apples are irregularly distributed throughout the dough rather than continuing to mix until the dough looks uniform.
• Cover the dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Meanwhile, combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon for the coating in a shallow bowl.
  ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar, 1 tbsp (8 g) ground cinnamon
• Portion the chilled dough into 55-gram portions, about 3 tablespoons each. Shape each portion into a ball without tightly compressing the dough, then coat generously with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
• Arrange the cookie dough balls about 3 inches (7.5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake for 10–12 minutes, beginning to check at 10 minutes. The cookies are ready when the outside looks set and lightly golden while the centers remain soft and slightly puffed. Do not wait for the centers to appear completely set.
• Finally, allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes so the centers can continue setting from the heat of the pan. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Notes

• I tested these cookies with both Honeycrisp and Pink Lady apples. Both hold together well after cooking, but I prefer Honeycrisp because its apple tang is a little more noticeable in the finished cookie.
• Keep the apple pieces between ⅛ and ¼ inch (3–6 mm). Larger pieces can concentrate too much fruit and moisture in one area of the cookie.
• Cook the apples until they are tender but still hold together and no loose syrup remains in the skillet. The apples themselves should still be moist, so don't continue cooking in an attempt to dry them out.
• Make sure the apple mixture is thoroughly chilled before folding it into the dough. Warm apples can soften the butter and affect how the cookies spread.
• Stop mixing the dough while a few streaks of flour are still visible. Folding in the apples will finish incorporating the flour without requiring additional mixing.
• Fold the apples into the dough only 5–8 times. The apple doesn't need to be uniformly distributed, and continuing to fold will increasingly blend the cooked apple mixture into the dough.
• Portion the dough at 55 grams per cookie for the baking time and visual doneness cues given in the recipe.
• The cookies should still look soft and slightly puffed in the center when they come out of the oven. They continue to set during the 10-minute cooling period on the baking sheet.
• Cream of tartar is important to both the characteristic snickerdoodle tang and the leavening in this recipe, so I don't recommend omitting it.

Nutrition

Serving: 55g | Calories: 290kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 150mg | Potassium: 75mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 430IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

Have you made these Apple Snickerdoodles? I’d love to hear how they turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Apple Snickerdoodles appeared first on Noble Pig.

Italian Sausage Stuffed Portobellos with Mozzarella and Parmesan

I’ve always loved big portobello mushrooms, but they come with this funny association that they’re somehow the vegetarian answer to dinner. Grill one, put it on a bun, call it a burger, and I’m supposed to feel satisfied. I’m not that girl. I’m way too much of a carnivore.

Instead, I took the giant mushroom everyone wants to use in place of meat and stuffed it with as much pork as I practically could.

And that’s when portobello mushrooms really became something I looked forward to.

The mozzarella melts underneath the sausage while it cooks, I added Parmesan to the filling and over the top, and by the time I take it off the grill, there’s absolutely nothing vegetarian about it.

The Decisions Behind This Recipe

• I use four large portobello mushrooms because I want each one to hold a decent amount of sausage and feel like dinner, not like the kind of pork stuffed mushrooms you pass around before dinner. I scrape out the gills to make more room, but keep the stems, chop them and cook them with the onion and garlic so they come back into the filling instead of getting tossed.
• The sweet Italian sausage goes into the mushrooms uncooked. I wanted it to cook right in the cap instead of browning it separately and then stuffing everything back together afterward. The cooked mushroom, onion and garlic mixture gets cooled first and then mixed into the sausage with Parmesan and the seasonings.
• The mozzarella goes into the mushroom before the sausage, where it melts between the cap and the filling as everything cooks. Parmesan goes into the pork mixture and I add more over the top where it can pick up color on the grill. Parmesan is good at that.
• I cook the mushrooms directly on a greased grill grate at 350°F instead of putting them into a pan or wrapping them in foil. The portobellos soften and shrink while the sausage cooks, and I take them off when the center of the sausage filling reaches 160°F. The color on top is nice, but the thermometer is what tells me dinner is done.

Ingredients

• Large portobello mushrooms – Use four large caps because these need enough room for a substantial amount of sausage filling. Choose mushrooms that are similar in size so they cook at about the same rate, and keep the stems because they get chopped and added back into the filling.
• Vegetable or avocado oil – Either works well for cooking the onion, mushroom stems and garlic before they go into the sausage mixture.
• Yellow onion – I use finely chopped yellow onion because it softens nicely in the skillet and gives the filling a sweeter flavor once it cooks with the mushroom stems.
• Garlic – Fresh minced garlic goes into the skillet near the end so it has time to cook without burning.
• Sweet Italian sausage – Use bulk sweet Italian sausage, or remove the meat from the casings if you buy links. The sausage goes into the mushrooms uncooked, so there is no need to brown it first.
• Low-fat mozzarella cheese – I use block mozzarella cut into slices. The slices go into the mushroom caps before the sausage, where they melt as everything cooks. I would stay with a low-moisture block mozzarella instead of fresh mozzarella.
• Parmesan cheese – Grated Parmesan gets divided between the sausage mixture and the top of the mushrooms. Some of it seasons the filling while the rest gets direct exposure to the heat and takes on more color.
• Black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper and sea salt – These season the sausage mixture without taking it too far away from the Italian sausage flavor. The cayenne addition is small but useful. It adds warmth without making the mushrooms spicy.

How to Make Grilled Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (prep the mushrooms)
  Preheat the grill or smoker to 350°F and grease the grates well. Carefully remove the stems from the portobellos and save them, then scrape out the dark gills with a spoon so you have more room for the filling. Trim off any tough parts from the stems and chop the rest pretty finely because they’re going right back into the recipe.
• Step Two (cook the vegetables)
  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the onion for 3 to 5 minutes, until it has softened. Add the chopped mushroom stems and garlic and give them another minute or two, stirring so the garlic doesn’t get away from you. Take the skillet off the heat and let that mixture cool before you add it to the raw sausage.
• Step Three (make the sausage filling)
  Add the sweet Italian sausage, ¼ cup Parmesan, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne, salt and the cooled onion, mushroom and garlic mixture to a large bowl. Mix it until everything is evenly distributed, then stop. There’s no prize for overhandling sausage.
• Step Four (fill the portobellos)
  Lay 3 to 4 slices of mozzarella inside each mushroom cap, then divide the sausage mixture between the four mushrooms and press it into place. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup Parmesan over the top. This is where the cheese gets very good, because the mozzarella melts underneath the sausage while the Parmesan gets direct heat from above.
• Step Five (grill the stuffed mushrooms)
  Set the stuffed portobellos directly on the grill grates, close the lid and cook for 20 to 25 minutes. You want the mushrooms tender and the sausage at 160°F in the center. Keep the thermometer in the pork instead of pushing it all the way through into the mushroom, or you’ll get a number that tells you nothing useful.

Recipe Tips

• Look for portobellos with firm, intact caps. A split mushroom can become a much bigger problem once you put a quarter pound of sausage in it.
• Scrape out the gills with a spoon, but don’t get aggressive with the mushroom itself. Portobello caps are sturdy until suddenly they aren’t, and you need the bottom intact to hold all that sausage and cheese.
• Grease the grill grates well. Portobellos like to hold onto things when given the opportunity.
• Don’t use the browned Parmesan or sausage on top as your doneness test. The center of the sausage filling still needs to reach 160°F, so this is a dinner where I use my instant-read thermometer every time.
• If the mushrooms are giving off some liquid as they cook, that’s normal. They’re mushrooms and have feelings about moisture.
• You’ll have half an onion left, which I usually dice up for eggs the next morning. If you bought an 8-ounce block of mozzarella, you’ll also have four ounces of that left, and conveniently, both my gooey pizza dip and mac and cheese pizza use exactly that amount.

Storage and Reheating

• Store leftover stuffed portobellos in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• For reheating, I like the oven or air fryer because the browned top fares much better than it does in the microwave. Heat them at 350°F until warmed through.
• The microwave works if speed is the priority, but the mushroom will soften more and the top will lose some of the grilled texture.
• I wouldn’t freeze these. The sausage would survive it, but the portobello has nothing to gain from the experience.

FAQs

• Can I use hot Italian sausage instead of sweet?
  Yes. If you like more heat, hot Italian sausage is fine. I would keep the rest of the seasonings the same the first time instead of automatically adding more cayenne.
• Can I make these ahead of time?
  You can prep the mushrooms and cook the onion, garlic and chopped stems ahead of time. Once everything is cool, keep the components refrigerated and assemble closer to grilling. I prefer to keep the raw sausage mixture and mushrooms separate until closer to the time they’re going on the grill.
• Can I cook these in the oven instead of on the grill?
  Yes. Set them on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350°F until the sausage reaches 160°F in the center and the mushrooms are tender. You won’t get the same grilled flavor or browning, but the basic method still works.
• Do I have to remove the portobello gills?
  You don’t have to because the gills are edible, but I remove them for this recipe. These mushrooms hold a lot of sausage, and scraping out the gills gives me more room for the filling.
• Can I use fresh mozzarella?
  I wouldn’t. Fresh mozzarella has more moisture, and these mushrooms already release liquid as they cook. Low-moisture block mozzarella gives you the melt without adding more water.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small obsverations from the margins.

• Sometimes making room for something means taking out what was always there.
• There are things that can hold much more than they look capable of holding.
• What gets removed is not always what gets discarded.
• I like when something comes back into the recipe in a different form.
• You can spend years thinking you understand what something is for, and then one small change makes the old explanation look ridiculous.
• I’m increasingly suspicious of anything that requires one thing to do all the accommodating.
• There are combos that make perfect sense once something finally stops pretending otherwise.
• Sometimes the thing that changes everything was sitting there the whole time, waiting for someone to use it properly.
• There are things I wouldn’t have chosen years ago that make complete sense to me now.

Mushrooms Have a Life of Their Own

• Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms – Shrimp, cream cheese, Parmesan panko.
• Portobello Mushroom Gyros – Portobellos, creamy tzatziki, feta, crisp vegetables.
• Creamy Mushroom Pork Chops – Boneless pork chops, fresh sage cream sauce, lots of mushrooms.
• Italian Stuffed Mushrooms – Italian seasoning, cheese, bite-sized mushrooms.
• Creamy Mushroom Fettuccine – Buttery mushrooms, garlic, Parmesan.
• Pork Marsala – Thin pork chops, mushrooms, Marsala sauce.

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Grilled Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Grilled Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms are filled with sweet Italian sausage, sautéed mushroom stems, onion and garlic, with mozzarella underneath and Parmesan throughout. They cook directly on the grill until the portobellos are tender, the sausage is cooked through and the cheese has melted.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword grilled sausage stuffed portobello mushrooms, grilled stuffed portobello mushrooms, Italian sausage stuffed mushrooms, sausage stuffed portobello mushrooms

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 554kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• grill or smoker. For maintaining a steady 350°F (177°C) cooking temperature.
• large skillet For cooking the onion, mushroom stems and garlic.
• mixing bowls (large). For mixing the sausage filling.
• instant-read thermometer For checking the center of the sausage filling for doneness.

Ingredients

• 4 large portobello mushrooms stems removed and reserved
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil or avocado oil
• ½ medium yellow onion finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 lb (454 g) ground sweet Italian sausage
• ¾ cup (75 g) grated Parmesan cheese divided
• ¼ tsp (0.6 g) ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp (0.5 g) cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt
• 4 oz (113 g) part-skim mozzarella cheese (block) sliced

Instructions

• Preheat the grill or smoker to 350°F (177°C). Clean and grease the grill grates well.
• Remove the stems from the portobello mushrooms and reserve them. Using a spoon, scrape out the dark gills from the underside of each mushroom cap to create more room for the filling.
  4 large portobello mushrooms
• Trim and discard any tough, woody ends from the reserved mushroom stems, then finely chop the remaining stems.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until softened. Add the chopped mushroom stems and garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer, stirring frequently to prevent the garlic from burning. Remove the skillet from the heat and allow the mixture to cool.
  1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil, ½ medium yellow onion, 3 cloves garlic
• Add the Italian sausage, ¼ cup (60 ml) Parmesan cheese, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne, salt and cooled onion, mushroom and garlic mixture to a large bowl. Mix until evenly incorporated without overmixing the sausage.
  1 lb (454 g) ground sweet Italian sausage, ¾ cup (75 g) grated Parmesan cheese, ¼ tsp (0.6 g) ground black pepper, ¼ tsp (0.5 g) cayenne pepper, ½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt
• Arrange 3 to 4 slices of mozzarella in the cavity of each portobello mushroom.
  4 oz (113 g) part-skim mozzarella cheese (block)
• Divide the sausage mixture evenly among the 4 mushroom caps, pressing the filling securely into each cavity.
• Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup (120 ml) Parmesan cheese evenly over the sausage filling.
• Place the stuffed portobello mushrooms directly on the prepared grill grates. Close the grill and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the sausage filling registers 160°F (71°C) and the mushrooms are tender.

Notes

• Choose large portobello mushrooms that are similar in size for even cooking.
• Scraping out the gills makes more room for the sausage and cheese.
• Let the onion and mushroom mixture cool before mixing it with the sausage.
• Grill with the lid closed and check the sausage in the center with an instant-read thermometer. It should reach 160°F (71°C).
• Cooking time can vary depending on the size of the portobellos and thickness of the sausage filling.

 

 

If you’re making these Grilled Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

 

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 225g | Calories: 554kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 910mg | Potassium: 682mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 386IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 471mg | Iron: 2mg

Have you made these Grilled Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms? I’d love to hear how they turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Grilled Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms appeared first on Noble Pig.

Warm Baked Feta Under Fresh Tomato Bruschetta

My baked feta bruschetta dip started with me over-buying Roma tomatoes at the farmers market. I’ve been canning tomato sauce this summer, and after spending so much time with Italian flavors, I was craving something else. Feta sounded good, with fresh thyme and lemon, adding more of a Greek feel without deserting the bruschetta idea completely. So I blended feta with cream cheese, baked it, and spooned the fresh tomato mixture over the top afterward.

The part I liked most was keeping the two halves separate. The feta gets warm and creamy in the oven, while the tomatoes stay fresh with red onion, garlic, basil and thyme. Once you scoop up both with a piece of toasted bread, they finally meet.

The Decisions Behind This Recipe

• I wanted the feta flavor, but I wasn’t interested in a baked block of feta sitting in the middle of the dish waiting for bread to turn it into a dip. Blending the feta with the softened cream cheese first, until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy, was the way to go before baking it. The food processor is what gave me the texture I wanted. The oven is there to heat the dip through and soften it even further, not to make the feta creamy on its own.
• I didn’t want the tomatoes to go into the oven. That was probably the most important decision in this recipe. I know a lot of baked feta recipes cook the tomatoes with the cheese, but I wanted the feta warm and the bruschetta fresh. The tomatoes stay juicy this way, the red onion stays crisp, the garlic never gets softened by the oven, and the basil still tastes fresh when it goes over the top.
• I also wanted the tomato mixture to taste like bruschetta, not like I had chopped a tomato and scattered it over a cheese dip. The Roma tomatoes, red onion, garlic, basil, olive oil and lemon make it bruschetta before it ever goes over the feta. I seed the tomatoes because all the extra liquid isn’t useful once the bruschetta is sitting on the warm cheese.
• The basil and thyme are doing two different things. Basil keeps the topping tasting like bruschetta, while the fresh thyme and feta have the Greek flavor I was craving after spending some summer days cooking with tomatoes in a more Italian way. I wouldn’t replace either one for the sake of simplifying the ingredient list because they’re not interchangeable.
• The lemon is the other thing that ties the two parts together. I use both juice and zest in the feta mixture, then add more fresh lemon juice to the bruschetta. The cheese and tomato are supposed to stay different right up until you scoop a piece of toasted bread through both, but I still wanted them to taste like they belonged in the same dish. The lemon helps make that happen.

Ingredients

• Feta cheese – Use an 8-ounce block of feta instead of crumbles. I tested this with Président All-Natural Feta Cheese because it is easy to find and has the salty, tangy feta flavor I want without asking anyone to hunt down a specialty cheese. Another good 8-ounce block of feta is also fine.
• Cream cheese – I use full-fat cream cheese and let it soften before it goes into the food processor. It gives the feta mixture the creamy, spreadable texture that makes this feel like a dip instead of plain baked cheese.
• Olive oil – I use olive oil in the feta mixture and again in the bruschetta. Use one you like the flavor of because the tomato topping never gets cooked.
• Fresh lemon – I use the zest and juice in the feta mixture, then more juice in the bruschetta. Fresh lemon is important because I use both the zest and juice, so bottled lemon juice won’t do the same thing.
• Roma tomatoes – These are my first choice because they are meaty and easy to seed, which gives me lots of diced tomato without loading the top of the dip with extra liquid.
• Red onion – Finely dice it because it stays raw. You want tiny bits of onion throughout the bruschetta, not large pieces taking over a scoop.
• Fresh garlic – This also stays raw, so its flavor is more noticeable than garlic that has been roasted or baked. Mince it well so it distributes evenly through the tomatoes.
• Fresh basil – This is the herb that keeps the topping tasting like bruschetta. Use fresh basil instead of dried because it’s going into an uncooked tomato mixture.
• Fresh thyme – The thyme and feta give the dip its Greek-ness. It’s doing something different from the basil, so I use both.
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper – Necessary, but go lightly because the feta aleady has a salty flavor.

How to Make Baked Feta Bruschetta Dip

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (make the feta mixture)
  Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Add the feta, softened cream cheese, olive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest to a food processor and let it go until the mixture is smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides if you need to. I want the feta fully worked into the cream cheese here, with no big pieces hanging around.
• Step Two (bake the feta)
  Spread the feta mixture evenly into a 9-inch (23 cm) round or 8-inch (20 cm) square baking dish. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the dip is hot all the way through and starting to pick up some color around the perimeter. I would not keep baking it while you wait for a dramatic golden top because that isn’t what you’re looking for.
• Step Three (make the fresh bruschetta)
  While the feta is in the oven, add the seeded and diced Roma tomatoes, red onion, garlic, basil, olive oil, thyme, lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper to a bowl and toss everything together. Seeding the tomatoes is more important than it sounds because the mixture is going over warm cheese, and I don’t want a puddle of tomato water collecting on top of it.
• Step Four (give it a minute, then add the party)
  Let the baked feta sit for about 5 minutes when it comes out of the oven. That gives the cheese a few minutes to firm slightly before the fresh tomatoes go over it. Use a slotted spoon to spoon the bruschetta evenly over the top, leaving extra liquid behind in the bowl, then get it on the table with toasted baguette slices, crostini, pita chips or crackers. The best scoop gets the warm feta and fresh bruschetta at the same time.

Recipe Tips

• Soften the cream cheese before you start. It will blend more evenly with the feta, which makes it easier to get the mixture completely smooth and creamy in the food processor. The texture is created before the dip goes into the oven.
• Use the slotted spoon even if you seeded the tomatoes well. They’ll still release some juice once everything is mixed, and there’s no reason to transfer that liquid to the feta along with the bruschetta.
• I dice the tomatoes small and the red onion even smaller. Everything needs to stay on a piece of toasted bread long enough to make it to your mouth, which gets harder when the tomatoes are enormous.
• If you’re making the bruschetta ahead, wait to add the salt until closer to serving. Salt starts pulling water from tomatoes immediately, and this topping already has enough moisture to manage.
• You’re not looking for a really browned top like other baked dips. Some color around the sides is enough, and leaving it in longer for more browning can mean overbaking the dip.
• You want something strong enough to scoop through both parts of the dip, like toasted baguette, crostini, pita chips or a thick cracker.

Storage and Reheating

• Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If the bruschetta is already on the feta, refrigerate the dip as it is, knowing the tomatoes will release more liquid as they sit. If the two parts haven’t been assembled yet, keep them separate until you’re ready to serve them.
• To reheat, warm only the feta portion in a 350°F oven until heated through, then spoon the cold or room-temperature bruschetta over the top afterward. The microwave works in a pinch, but I like the oven because it warms the cheese more evenly.
• I wouldn’t freeze this dip. Cream cheese can change texture after freezing, and fresh tomato bruschetta has nothing to gain from the experience.

FAQs

• Can I make baked feta bruschetta dip ahead of time?
  Yes. Make the feta mixture and bruschetta separately, cover both and refrigerate them. I would hold back the salt from the tomato mixture if you’re making it several hours ahead, then add it closer to serving. Bake the feta when you’re ready, let it rest for about 5 minutes, then add the fresh bruschetta.
• Can I use crumbled feta instead of a block?
  The block gives me the texture I want once it’s processed with the cream cheese. Pre-crumbled feta is drier, so I would stick with a block for the smoothest feta mixture.
• Do I really have to remove the seeds from the tomatoes?
  Technically you don’t have to do anything, but I strongly recommend it. The problem is not the seeds as much as the watery pulp around them. Removing the extra moisture keeps the bruschetta from turning the top of the warm feta watery.
• Can I use a different kind of tomato?
  Yes, but choose a firm tomato and remove as much excess seed pulp and juice as you can. Roma tomatoes are useful because they are meaty and naturally have less liquid than many large slicing tomatoes.
• Can I use dried basil or dried thyme?
  I wouldn’t make that substitution. Both herbs are going into a fresh, uncooked tomato topping, and dried herbs add a very different flavor and texture. Fresh basil and thyme are worth using for this recipe.
• Can I serve baked feta bruschetta dip cold?
  You can eat the leftovers cold, but it’s supposed to be warm, creamy feta under fresh tomato bruschetta, so I would serve it warm whenever possible.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

• I’ve found that too much of one good thing can still make me want something different.
• I finally trust the part of me that gets restless after doing the same thing too many times.
• Keeping two things separate is often what makes them work together.
• Freshness is not the same thing as newness.
• The part that stays uncooked is often what keeps everything alive.
• Not every good combo needs to make sense before I try it.
• There are things I understand better after I stop trying to make them match.
• I don’t confuse understanding with obligation.
• Contrast can make me interested in something I was starting to get tired of.
• Some things are better when they don’t have to become one thing until the very end.
• There’s a difference between changing my mind and finally listening to it.
• I don’t mind repetition nearly as much as I mind losing curiosity.
• Being tired of something doesn’t always mean I’m done with it.

More Things to Dip Into

• Roasted Tomato Burrata Dip – Roasted tomatoes, creamy burrata, warm bread.
• Bread Dipping Oil – Caramelized shallots, herbs, honey, Parmesan.
• Smoked Salmon Dip – Smoked salmon, dill, capers, lemon.
• Whipped Ricotta with Balsamic Roasted Grapes – Whipped ricotta, roasted grapes, honey crostini.
• Fried Dill Pickle Dip – Pickles, whipped cream cheese, buttery topping.
• Whipped Feta Roasted Garlic Dip with Honey – Whipped feta, roasted garlic, honey, lemon.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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Baked Feta Bruschetta Dip

Baked feta bruschetta dip has a warm, creamy feta and cream cheese base topped with fresh tomato bruschetta, basil and thyme. Serve it warm with toasted baguette slices, crostini, pita chips or crackers for dipping.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American, Mediterranean

Keyword baked feta bruschetta dip, baked feta dip, bruschetta dip, feta dip, warm feta dip

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Resting 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 229kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• food processor Blends the feta and cream cheese into a smooth, creamy base.
• 9-inch round baking dish (23 cm) Holds the feta mixture for baking and works well for serving the finished dip. An 8-inch (20 cm) square baking dish can also be used.
• mixing bowls (medium). For preparing the fresh tomato bruschetta topping.
• rubber spatula Scrapes the cheese mixture from the food processor and spreads it evenly in the baking dish.
• slotted spoon Transfers the bruschetta mixture over the baked feta while leaving excess tomato liquid behind.

Ingredients

Feta Dip:

• 8 oz (227 g) block feta cheese
• 8 oz (227 g) cream cheese softened
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice

Bruschetta Topping:

• 1½ cups (270 g) Roma tomatoes seeded and diced
• 2 tbsps (20 g) red onion finely diced
• 1 tbsp (9 g) minced fresh garlic
• 2 tbsps (5 g) chopped fresh basil
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
• 1 tsp (2 g) fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp (5 ml) fresh lemon juice
• ¼ tsp (0.5 g) fine sea salt
• ¼ tsp (0.25 g) freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
• Add the feta cheese, softened cream cheese, olive oil, lemon zest and juice to a food processor. Process until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
  8 oz (227 g) block feta cheese, 8 oz (227 g) cream cheese, 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil, zest of 1 lemon, 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
• Transfer the feta mixture to a 9-inch (23 cm) round or 8-inch (20 cm) square baking dish and spread it into an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes, until the dip is hot throughout and lightly golden around the perimeter.
• While the feta mixture bakes, add the tomatoes, red onion, garlic, basil, olive oil, thyme, lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper to a mixing bowl. Toss gently until evenly mixed.
  1½ cups (270 g) Roma tomatoes, 2 tbsps (20 g) red onion, 1 tbsp (9 g) minced fresh garlic, 2 tbsps (5 g) chopped fresh basil, 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil, 1 tsp (2 g) fresh thyme leaves, 1 tsp (5 ml) fresh lemon juice, ¼ tsp (0.5 g) fine sea salt, ¼ tsp (0.25 g) freshly cracked black pepper
• Remove the baked feta dip from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes.
• Use a slotted spoon, spoon the fresh bruschetta mixture evenly over the warm feta dip, leaving behind any excess tomato liquid that has accumulated in the bowl.
• Serve warm with toasted baguette slices, crostini, pita chips or crackers.

Notes

• Removing the seeds and excess juice from the Roma tomatoes helps prevent excess liquid from collecting over the warm feta.
• If preparing the bruschetta topping ahead, refrigerate it separately from the feta mixture and add the salt closer to serving to limit the amount of liquid released by the tomatoes.

 

 

If you’re making this Baked Feta Bruschetta Dip, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 125g | Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 421mg | Potassium: 145mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 815IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 152mg | Iron: 1mg

Have you made this Baked Feta Bruschetta Dip? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Baked Feta Bruschetta Dip appeared first on Noble Pig.

Homemade BBQ Chex Mix with Pretzels, Cheese Crackers and Peanuts

I’m a snacker, which almost sounds like a confession. But the evidence is real, a handful of this and that, including this BBQ Chex mix, can turn into a meal pretty quickly for me. There are people who think I eat elaborately most days, which is hilarious, because sometimes dinner is whatever I can put together without making another mess in the kitchen. But I do take snack mix more seriously than I probably should.

Years ago, one of my sons had his car broken into on his college campus. Whoever did it stole his Costco stuff, jumper cables, asthma meds and a bunch of random crap, but left a giant cloudy Ziploc bag of homemade Chex mix on the seat with a note that said, “Sorry.” I still have questions.

I’ve always assumed it was another student and that somebody’s mom had mailed them a care package with the Chex mix, which means they gave up their homemade snack as restitution for robbing a car. This still makes me laugh because getting a text message that says, “I was robbed. They left Chex mix,” is a rare form of comedy. I also live in the delusion that her Chex mix sucked. It helped. Mine has BBQ sauce on it, so I’m already winning the make-believe Chex mix war.

I toss Rice Chex, Corn Chex, pretzels, Cheez-Its and salted peanuts with BBQ sauce, melted butter, smoked paprika, garlic and onion, then spread everything across two pans and bake it low and slow. The mixture looks wet when the sauce first goes on, but the moisture cooks off in the oven and leaves the barbecue flavor baked onto everything. Unfortunately, this means you keep digging around in the bowl like a troll.

This is great packed into a lunchbox, necessary during a football game or board-game rally, and completely different from everything sweet going into a holiday tin. It is the season.

The Decisions Behind This Recipe

• I use BBQ sauce instead of a powdered barbecue seasoning because I want the sauce itself baked onto the snack mix. Melted butter loosens it up enough for a very large bowl of cereal, pretzels, crackers and peanuts, while smoked paprika, garlic powder and onion powder let me add more seasoning without adding more moisture.
• I use equal amounts of Rice Chex and Corn Chex because I like having both once everything is coated and baked. Eight cups of cereal also leaves enough space in the mix for the pretzels, Cheez-Its and salted peanuts, so you’re not digging through an enormous bowl of Chex hoping to eventually find something else.
• The smoked paprika stays even though there’s already BBQ sauce in the coating. Bottled sauces can be all over the place when it comes to smoke, and I don’t want the recipe depending on the sauce to add that flavor.
• I keep the oven at 250°F because BBQ sauce has both sugar and moisture in it. The lower temperature gives the sauce time to dry onto everything without the sugars getting too dark before the coating has had time to dry.
• I also divide the batch between two baking sheets instead of crowding everything onto one. The coating is wet going into the oven, and spreading the snack mix out gives the moisture somewhere to go while it bakes.

Ingredients

• Rice Chex cereal – This is half of the cereal base. It stays crisp through all the tossing, and its shape catches the BBQ coating on more than one surface.
• Corn Chex cereal – I use this with the Rice Chex because I like the slight difference in flavor and texture once everything has been coated and baked.
• Pretzel twists – Salty and very good at hanging onto the BBQ sauce in all the curves and spaces.
• Cheez-It crackers – The cheese works really well with barbecue, and I like having something in the bowl besides cereal and pretzels.
• Roasted, salted peanuts – These add more salt and a completely different crunch. If you use unsalted peanuts instead, you may want to taste the finished mix and adjust from there.
• BBQ sauce – Use one you already like. I usually use Sweet Baby Ray’s because it coats the mix well and dries down nicely in the oven. A thinner, vinegar-heavy sauce can take longer to bake off and will give you a different finished flavor.
• Unsalted butter – Melted butter goes into the BBQ sauce so I can distribute the coating through twelve cups of cereal, crackers, pretzels and peanuts without making it heavier than it needs to be.
• Smoked paprika – I still add this even though there’s BBQ sauce in the mix. Bottled sauces vary a lot in how smoky they are, and this makes sure that flavor is there either way.
• Garlic powder – Adds garlic flavor without adding any more moisture to a coating we already need to dry out in the oven.
• Onion powder – Same idea here. It adds the familiar savory barbecue flavor without changing the consistency of the sauce.

How to Make BBQ Chex Snack Mix

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (get the oven and pans ready)
  Preheat the oven to 250°F and line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Get both pans ready before you add the BBQ sauce because once the mix is coated, I want it spread out and into the oven instead of stopping to deal with the pans.
• Step Two (mix the crunchy stuff and BBQ coating)
  Add the Rice Chex, Corn Chex, pretzels, Cheez-Its and peanuts to an extra-large bowl and toss everything around a few times. Use a bigger bowl than you think you need because twelve cups of snack mix takes up a ridiculous amount of room once you start turning it over. In a separate bowl, whisk together the BBQ sauce, melted butter, smoked paprika, garlic powder and onion powder until the butter is mixed in and the seasonings are worked through the sauce.
• Step Three (coat the snack mix)
  Pour the BBQ mixture over everything in the bowl and start tossing from the bottom up. Take your time here. You don’t need every single piece to look identical, but you also don’t want a few pieces of Chex cereal holding all the sauce while half the bowl stays dry.
• Step Four (spread it out)
  Divide the mixture between the two baking sheets and spread it into an even layer. Don’t crowd everything onto one pan. The sauce adds quite a bit of moisture with it, and spreading the mix out gives the moisture somewhere to go while it bakes.
• Step Five (bake and cool)
  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, and start paying attention around the 30-minute mark. The coating should feel dry instead of wet or tacky, but don’t expect the snack mix to feel completely crisp while it’s still hot. Leave the mix on the baking sheets until it has cooled all the way down because the coating firms as it cools, so this is not the time to get impatient and start packing it into containers.

Recipe Tips

• The consistency of your BBQ sauce can change the baking time. I recommend using a bottled BBQ sauce for this recipe and not a thin, vinegar-heavy sauce like my Carolina-style brown sugar vinegar BBQ sauce. That style of sauce contains more liquid and won’t coat or dry onto the snack mix the same way.
• Start checking more closely after the second stir at 30 minutes. BBQ sauces don’t all contain the same amount of water and sugar, so your batch may be dry at that point or need another 5 to 10 minutes.
• If you opened a new bottle of BBQ sauce for this recipe, you’ll probably have some left. Use it for my slow cooker BBQ beef or mini meatloaf recipe.
• If you have extra roasted salted peanuts, save them for my Snickers poke cake.

Storage

• Once the BBQ Chex mix is completely cool, store it in an airtight container at room temperature. Keeping air and humidity away from it is the best way to keep the cereal and crackers crisp.
• This is also a good make-ahead snack because nothing needs to be served warm. Once it’s sealed, it’s ready when you need it for a tailgate, lunchbox, holiday tin or an unscripted snack session.
• If it loses some of its crispness, spread it back out on a baking sheet and warm it for a few minutes in a 250°F oven. Let it cool completely again before putting it back into a container.

FAQs

• Why doesn’t the BBQ sauce make the Chex soggy?
  It does at first. That’s why the low oven and two baking sheets are necessary. The sauce adds moisture, then the oven slowly drives the moisture off while the coating dries onto the cereal, crackers, pretzels and peanuts.
• Can I use all Rice Chex or all Corn Chex?
  Yes. Use eight cups of either one if that’s what you have. I like the mix of both, but the recipe still tastes good with one.
• Can I leave out the peanuts?
  Yes. The batch will just be a little smaller. If you’re leaving them out because of an allergy, check the labels on the rest of the packaged ingredients too.
• Can I change the pretzels or Cheez-Its?
  Yes, as long as you keep the overall amount of dry ingredients somewhat close. I’d stick with sturdy savory crackers and pretzels that can handle repeated tossing and stirring without turning into crumbs.
• How do I know when BBQ Chex mix is done?
  The coating should no longer feel wet or tacky when you stir it. Depending on your sauce and oven, that may happen closer to 30 minutes or take the full 40. The mix will crisp up more as it cools.
• Can I make BBQ Chex mix in the microwave?
  I don’t recommend it for this recipe. The BBQ sauce adds much more moisture than the butter-based coating used in traditional Chex mix, and the oven gives that moisture time to evaporate while the mixture is spread across two baking sheets. You’re much more likely to get the crisp texture I want from the oven-baked method.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

• Not everything improves by being crowded together.
• A small amount of smoke can make something ordinary much more interesting.
• I don’t mind stirring things up if it makes things easier later.
• Something can look messy halfway through and end up being right anyway.
• I’ve gotten better at waiting until something is finished before I judge it.
• There’s a difference between being coated in something and being changed by it.
• There are things need heat before they tell you what they’re really made of.
• I’ve found staying busy isn’t the same as moving forward.
• I pay very close attention to what people decide is worth making permanent.
• I’m not interested in potential, only follow-through.
• History doesn’t make decisions for me.
• There are things I care about and still decide to walk away from.
• I’ve decided mystery is much less charming when it becomes a lifestyle.

When a Handful of This and That Is the Meal

• Sweet and Spicy Furikake Popcorn – Furikake, sugar, chile heat.
• Christmas Popcorn Mix – White chocolate, candy, dipped pretzels.
• Puppy Chow Recipe (Muddy Buddies) – Chocolate, peanut butter, powdered sugar.
• S’mores Pretzel Bites – Pretzels, chocolate, toasted marshmallow.
• Air Fryer Pumpkin Spice Chex Mix – Chex cereal, pumpkin spice, brown sugar.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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BBQ Chex Snack Mix

BBQ Chex Snack Mix coats two kinds of Chex cereal, pretzels, cheese crackers and roasted peanuts with real BBQ sauce, butter and smoky seasonings before baking everything slowly in the oven. The low baking temperature dries the BBQ coating onto the mix while keeping the cereal crisp.

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword BBQ Chex mix recipe, BBQ Chex Snack Mix, BBQ Snack Mix

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 14 cups

Calories 309kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• measuring cups and spoons For measuring the cereal, mix-ins, sauce and seasonings.
• mixing bowls (extra large and small). One gives you enough room to thoroughly toss the cereal and mix-ins with the BBQ coating without crushing the Chex and the other is for whisking the BBQ sauce, melted butter and seasonings.
• wooden spoon or silicone spatula. For tossing the snack mix with the coating and stirring it during baking.
• whisk Incorporates the melted butter and dry seasonings evenly into the BBQ sauce.
• 2 rimmed baking sheets Dividing the mixture between two pans provides enough surface area for moisture from the BBQ sauce to evaporate.
• parchment paper Prevents the BBQ coating from baking directly onto the pans and makes cleanup easier.

Ingredients

• 4 cups (120 g) Rice Chex cereal
• 4 cups (125 g) Corn Chex cereal
• 1½ cups (60 g) pretzel twists
• 1½ cups (93 g) Cheez-It crackers
• 1 cup (145 g) roasted, salted peanuts
• ½ cup (120 ml) BBQ sauce
• 2 tbsps (28 g) unsalted butter melted
• 2 tsps (4 g) smoked paprika
• 1 tsp (3 g) garlic powder
• 1 tsp (2 g) onion powder

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C) and line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Add the Rice Chex, Corn Chex, pretzels, Cheez-It crackers and peanuts to an extra-large mixing bowl, tossing briefly to distribute the smaller ingredients throughout the cereal.
  4 cups (120 g) Rice Chex cereal, 4 cups (125 g) Corn Chex cereal, 1½ cups (60 g) pretzel twists, 1½ cups (93 g) Cheez-It crackers, 1 cup (145 g) roasted, salted peanuts
• Whisk the BBQ sauce, melted butter, smoked paprika, garlic powder and onion powder in a small bowl until the butter and seasonings are fully incorporated into the sauce.
  ½ cup (120 ml) BBQ sauce, 2 tbsps (28 g) unsalted butter, 2 tsps (4 g) smoked paprika, 1 tsp (3 g) garlic powder, 1 tsp (2 g) onion powder
• Pour the BBQ sauce mixture over the cereal mixture and toss thoroughly until the sauce is evenly distributed and there are no heavily coated or completely dry sections of cereal.
• Divide the snack mix between the prepared baking sheets and spread it into an even layer, giving the moisture in the BBQ sauce enough exposed surface area to evaporate as the mixture bakes.
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until the coating feels dry rather than wet or tacky.
• Allow the BBQ Chex snack mix to cool completely on the baking sheets before serving or storing, as the coating will continue to firm as it cools.

Notes

• Use a BBQ sauce you already like the flavor of because its flavor becomes more concentrated as the coating bakes and dries. A thicker, sweeter bottled BBQ sauce works especially well for this recipe.
• Do not crowd the entire batch onto one baking sheet. The BBQ sauce adds considerably more moisture than a traditional dry-seasoned Chex mix, and dividing it between two pans gives that moisture more room to evaporate.
• The snack mix will continue to crisp as it cools, so allow it to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container.
• Because BBQ sauce and packaged cereals, crackers, pretzels and peanuts vary considerably by brand, the sodium and nutrition information will change depending on the products used.

 

 

If you’re making this BBQ Chex Snack Mix, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 45g | Calories: 309kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 557mg | Potassium: 104mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 129IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 5mg

Have you made this BBQ Chex Snack Mix? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post BBQ Chex Snack Mix appeared first on Noble Pig.

Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls with Rice

These slow cooker chicken burrito bowls are a dinner I leaned on hard once summer was over and schedules got busier. The chicken, salsa, black beans, tomatoes and green chiles could sit in the Crockpot for most of the afternoon, which meant I wasn’t starting dinner from scratch at five o’clock.

That was really the appeal for me. I could get everything going early, come back toward the end to shred the chicken and add the instant rice, then put out whatever toppings I had and call it done. The chicken and rice already have lots of flavor by then, so the toppings can be as minimal or excessive as your mood calls for.

I usually put out avocado, cheese, sour cream, cilantro and lime and let everyone deal with their own bowl. There’s no separate pan of rice to make and no chicken to cook at the last minute, which is probably why I kept making this one.

It’s still the Crockpot dinner I want when I know the end of the day is going to be busier than the beginning. Most of the work is already behind me by the time I need dinner.

The Decisions Behind This Recipe

• I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts and leave them whole at the beginning. They can cook for several hours without me having to mess with them, then I pull them out, shred them and put them right back into the slow cooker before the rice goes in.
• The salsa, diced tomatoes, green chiles and chicken broth are all doing double duty. They cook with the chicken first, but I still need the liquid later for the instant rice, which is why the tomatoes and green chiles stay undrained.
• I use instant white rice because it can go straight into the Crockpot near the end and cook in the liquid that’s already picked up flavor from the chicken, black beans, salsa, tomatoes, chiles and seasonings. Regular long-grain rice needs different timing and a different amount of liquid, so I don’t substitute it.
• The black beans go in right from the beginning. They stay together through the longer cooking time, and I like that they become part of the chicken-and-rice mixture instead of feeling like something added at the end.
• The seasoning stays simple with chipotle chile powder, paprika, oregano, salt and black pepper. I like chipotle chile powder because it adds smokiness, but regular chile powder is fine if that’s what I have.
• I shred the chicken before adding the rice so everything finishes together. By the time the rice is tender, the chicken is worked all through it instead of sitting separately on top, which is also why this tastes just as good in homemade corn tortillas as it does spooned into bowls.

Ingredients

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – I leave the breasts whole while they cook, then shred them before the instant rice goes into the slow cooker.
• Yellow onion – Dice it fairly small so it softens and blends into the chicken mixture during the four-hour cook.
• Salsa – Use a jarred salsa you already like. Its tomatoes, chiles and seasoning become part of the cooking liquid, so the flavor is important.
• Black beans – Drained and rinsed. The black beans add a lot more flavor than pinto beans would.
• Diced tomatoes – These go in undrained too. I need both the tomatoes and their liquid in the Crockpot.
• Diced green chiles – Use the entire can, including the liquid. They add mild chile flavor without making the burrito bowls hot.
• Low-sodium chicken broth – This gives the chicken enough liquid to cook in and leaves what the instant rice needs later. I like low-sodium because the salsa, canned ingredients and cheese already have lots of salt.
• Chipotle chile powder – This is my preference because it adds smokiness along with the chile flavor. Regular chile powder is fine too.
• Paprika – Adds mild pepper flavor and color without much heat.
• Ground oregano – Goes well with the tomatoes, salsa and green chiles and cooks with the chicken from the beginning.
• Salt and black pepper – Season the mixture before cooking so the chicken and rice aren’t relying on toppings to do everything later.
• Instant white rice – This one is important. The recipe is written for instant rice, such as Minute Rice, because it goes directly into the Crockpot near the end and cooks in the hot liquid already there. Regular long-grain rice is not a direct substitute. Neither is cauliflower rice.
• Colby-Jack cheese – Scatter it over the chicken and rice once the rice is tender, then cover the slow cooker for a few minutes so it melts.
• Toppings – Sour cream, sliced olives, avocado, hot sauce, cilantro, green onions and lime are all good options. Put out whatever you like and let everyone build their own bowl.

How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (load the slow cooker)
  Lay the chicken breasts across the bottom of a 6 to 7-quart slow cooker in a single layer. Add the onion, salsa, black beans, undrained tomatoes, undrained green chiles, chicken broth, chipotle chile powder, paprika, oregano, salt and black pepper. Put the lid on and cook on LOW for 4 hours, until the chicken reaches 165°F and pulls apart easily with a fork.
• Step Two (shred the chicken)
  Take the chicken out and shred it with two forks or meat shredders. Put the lid right back on the slow cooker while you do this. I want to keep as much heat in there as possible because the instant rice is going straight into the liquid next.
• Step Three (add the instant rice)
  Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir in the uncooked instant white rice. Give it a really good stir so the rice is worked through the chicken and in contact with the hot liquid instead of hanging out dry across the top.
• Step Four (finish the rice)
  Put the lid back on and cook on LOW for about 45 minutes. I always taste the rice before I call it done because slow cookers vary more than people think. You want the rice tender and most of the liquid absorbed. If it’s still a little firm, cover it again and give it another 5 to 10 minutes.
• Step Five (add the cheese)
  Once the rice is tender, scatter the Colby-Jack over the top. Cover again for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese melts.
• Step Six (make the bowls)
  Spoon everything into bowls while it’s hot, then add whatever toppings sound good. I usually put out sour cream, avocado, olives, cilantro, green onions, hot sauce and lime and let everyone deal with their own.

Recipe Tips

• If your chicken breasts are on the smaller or thinner side, check them before the four-hour mark instead of assuming they need every minute. Once they reach 165°F and shred easily, they’re ready to come out.
• Add the instant rice immediately after shredding the chicken instead of letting the cooking liquid sit and cool. The rice only gets about 45 minutes in the Crockpot, so I want the liquid hot when it goes in.
• Wait until the rice is tender before adding the cheese. If the rice needs another 5 or 10 minutes, let it have that time first, then add the Colby-Jack and cover again only long enough to melt it.
• Don’t panic about how much liquid is in the slow cooker before the rice goes in. A lot of that is there on purpose because the instant rice absorbs it during the final part of the recipe.
• Use the salsa to control most of the heat. I usually keep the base where I want it and put hot sauce, fresh jalapeños and my homemade pico de gallo out with the toppings so everyone can make their own bowl hotter if they want.
• If you bought instant rice for this recipe, my taco rice casserole uses another 2 cups. That takes care of a good amount of whatever is left in the box.

Storage and Reheating

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keep avocado, sour cream, cilantro and any other cold toppings separate and add them after reheating.
• For a single serving, the microwave is easiest. Cover loosely and heat until hot, stirring once or twice so the chicken and rice warm evenly. If the rice has dried out a little in the refrigerator, stir in a small splash of chicken broth before reheating.
• For a larger amount, reheat it on the stovetop over medium-low heat with a little chicken broth as needed. Stir occasionally until everything is hot.
• You can also freeze the cooked chicken, bean and rice mixture without the toppings for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. I wouldn’t use the slow cooker for reheating leftovers because refrigerated food warms too slowly in it.

FAQs

• Can I use regular rice instead of instant rice?
  Not without changing the recipe. It was developed with instant white rice because it can go directly into the hot cooking liquid near the end and become tender in about 45 minutes. Regular long-grain rice needs different timing and a different amount of liquid.
• Can I use instant brown rice?
  Maybe, but check the package first. If the cooking time is similar to the instant white rice you’re replacing, it should cook similarly. If the times are different, expect the slow cooker timing to change too.
• Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts?
  Yes, boneless, skinless chicken thighs should be okay, although I like chicken breasts. I would skip skin-on thighs because the slow, wet heat leaves the skin rubbery instead of crisp, and the rendered fat ends up in the cooking liquid that the rice eventually absorbs. You don’t need that extra fat to keep the chicken moist in this recipe.
• Can I leave the rice out?
  Not without completely changing the consistency. The instant rice absorbs a substantial amount of the liquid at the end, so if you leave it out and serve the chicken over separately cooked rice, the mixture in the slow cooker will be extremely runny, and not in a good way.
• What size slow cooker do I need?
  A 6 to 7-quart slow cooker is the right size for the full recipe. I wouldn’t use a 4-quart Crockpot because you still need room to stir in the shredded chicken and two cups of instant rice near the end.
• Can I double the recipe?
  No. I wouldn’t double this recipe in a 6 to 7-quart slow cooker. There won’t be enough room once the shredded chicken goes back in and four cups of instant rice still need to be added and stirred through the liquid. If I needed twice as much, I’d use two slow cookers.
• Can I use this as Crockpot chicken burrito filling?
  Yes. The finished chicken, black beans and rice are great in tortillas instead of spooned into bowls. I’d keep the recipe itself unchanged because the instant rice is what absorbs the cooking liquid and gives you a filling thick enough to use in burritos.
• Can I make this in an Instant Pot?
  I haven’t tested it in an Instant Pot, so I wouldn’t give you a pressure-cooker conversion I haven’t made. The liquid and timing would need to be worked out separately rather than carrying the slow cooker instructions straight over.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

• There are things I can make easier for myself if I stop acting like later will be better.
• I don’t think every problem needs more attention. Some need less.
• There’s a big difference between giving something time and using time as an excuse.
• I like knowing I took care of something before it had a chance to become a problem.
• A lot of things are easier when I stop requiring the tired version of me to save the day.
• I’ve never confused being involved with being useful.
• I’m more interested in what gets finished than what looked ambitious at the beginning.
• I don’t mind returning to something later if I’ve already done the part that was important.
• There are things I can trust to keep moving even when I’m not standing there watching.
• “I’ll deal with it later” has a way of becoming a much bigger sentence.

More Reasons to Get the Slow Cooker Out

• Slow Cooker Shredded Taco Chicken – Taco-seasoned chicken, easy shredding.
• Slow Cooker Korean BBQ Chicken – Gochujang, honey, tender chicken.
• Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Chile Verde – Green chiles, garlic, tender pork.
• Chile Colorado Style Beef – Chile sauce, slow-cooked beef, tortillas.
• Slow Cooker Kalua Pork – Three ingredients, tender shredded pork.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls

Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls cook chicken, black beans, salsa, tomatoes and green chiles together before shredded chicken and instant rice finish in the seasoned cooking liquid. Melt Colby-Jack over the top and serve the bowls with avocado, sour cream, cilantro, lime or your favorite burrito toppings.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword chicken burrito bowl with rice, crockpot chicken burrito bowl, crockpot chicken burrito filling, slow cooker burrito bowl, Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 hours hours

Servings 8 people

Calories 502kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• slow cooker 6-7 quart (5.7 to 6.6 L). Has enough room for the chicken and cooking liquid with space for the instant rice added near the end.
• meat shredders or two forks. For shredding the cooked chicken before returning it to the slow cooker.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs (907 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 medium yellow onion diced
• 1 (16 oz / 454 g) jar salsa
• 1 (15 oz 425 g) can black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 (10 oz / 283 g) can diced tomatoes undrained
• 1 (4 oz / 113 g) can diced green chiles undrained
• 2 cups (473 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tsp (2 g) chipotle chile powder or regular chile powder
• 1 tsp (2 g) paprika
• 1 tsp (1 g) ground oregano
• 1 tsp (6 g) table salt
• 1 tsp (2 g) finely ground black pepper
• 2 cups (370 g) instant white rice (such as Minute Rice)
• 8 oz (227 g) shredded Colby-Jack cheese
• sour cream (optional garnish)
• sliced olives (optional garnish)
• avocado (optional garnish)
• hot sauce (optional garnish)
• green onion (optional garnish)
• lime wedges (optional garnish)

Instructions

• Place the chicken breasts in an even layer across the bottom of a 6 to 7-quart (5.7 to 6.6 L) slow cooker. Keeping the chicken in a single layer helps it cook at a similar rate.
  2 lbs (907 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Add the diced onion, salsa, black beans, undrained diced tomatoes, undrained green chiles, chicken broth, chipotle chile powder, paprika, oregano, salt and black pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and is tender enough to shred easily.
  1 medium yellow onion, 1 (16 oz / 454 g) jar salsa , 1 (15 oz 425 g) can black beans, 1 (10 oz / 283 g) can diced tomatoes, 1 (4 oz / 113 g) can diced green chiles, 2 cups (473 ml) low-sodium chicken broth, 1 tsp (2 g) chipotle chile powder , 1 tsp (2 g) paprika, 1 tsp (1 g) ground oregano, 1 tsp (6 g) table salt, 1 tsp (2 g) finely ground black pepper
• Transfer the chicken to a large bowl and shred it with two forks or meat shredders. Keep the slow cooker covered while you shred the chicken so the cooking liquid stays hot. The retained heat is important because the instant rice is added next and cooks directly in this liquid.
• Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and add the uncooked instant white rice. Stir well, making sure the rice is distributed throughout the chicken mixture and in contact with the hot cooking liquid rather than sitting dry on top.
  2 cups (370 g) instant white rice
• Cover and continue cooking on LOW for about 45 minutes. Check the rice for tenderness before moving on. It should be tender and most of the cooking liquid should be absorbed, although the exact timing can vary between slow cookers.
• Sprinkle the shredded Colby-Jack cheese evenly over the chicken burrito bowl mixture. Cover and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted.
  8 oz (227 g) shredded Colby-Jack cheese
• Spoon the slow cooker chicken, black bean and rice mixture into individual bowls and serve hot with your preferred burrito bowl toppings.
  sour cream, sliced olives, avocado, hot sauce, green onion, lime wedges

Video

Notes

• Use instant white rice, not conventional long-grain white rice. The liquid amount and final cooking time were developed for instant rice, which cooks directly in the seasoned liquid already in the slow cooker.
• The black beans go into the slow cooker drained and rinsed. Don't drain the diced tomatoes or green chiles. Those liquids are included in the amount available to cook the instant rice.
• Keep the slow cooker covered while the chicken is being shredded. Retaining the accumulated heat helps the instant rice begin cooking promptly when it is added.
• Check the rice for tenderness at the end of the 45-minute cooking time rather than relying only on the clock. Slow cookers vary in temperature, so it may need a little additional time.
• Optional garnishes are not included in the nutrition calculation.

If you’re making these Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

 

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 490g | Calories: 502kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 1080mg | Potassium: 930mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1050IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 250mg | Iron: 4mg

Have you made these Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls? I’d love to hear how they turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls appeared first on Noble Pig.

Baked Beans with Apple Pie Filling and Bacon

These apple pie baked beans have been hanging around in one of my recipe journals for almost two decades. I finally finished them with bacon, apple pie filling and a smoky, tangy sauce that reduces right in the cast-iron skillet.

Eighteen years ago, I was getting ready to leave Northern California for Oregon. I had already bought the land where I would eventually plant my vineyard, and for close to a year, I had been going back and forth between the two places. Once the kids were finally out of school and it was time to make the move for good, I started doing what we all do before packing up a kitchen, trying to use up everything I possibly could.

I was cleaning out the pantry and freezer, challenging myself to my own little episodes of Chopped. I’d pull out a few things and think, okay, what the heck am I going to make with this? There were some winners and losers. One day, it was a can of apple pie filling and baked beans.

I knew I wasn’t going to make an apple pie in the middle of a move. So I started messing around with the two of them, adding a few things, tasting, changing it, and eventually ending up with a decent combo. It wasn’t finished yet.

I wrote it down with a few tasting notes and ideas to try the next time I came back to it. I did that here and there over the years. It’s taken me an absurd amount of time to finally finish the recipe, but now it’s right.

The apple pie filling adds both the apples and their sweet sauce, while bacon, browned onion, smoky barbecue sauce, mustard, Worcestershire, cayenne and cider vinegar keep it on the savory side.

They’re really good with burgers, barbecue, football food, fall parties or anything else that tastes good with a big skillet of baked beans. My favorite way to eat them is still spooned over a hot baked potato.

The Decisions Behind This Recipe

• I use the full can of apple pie filling on purpose. The apple slices give the baked beans real pieces of apple throughout the beans, while the thickened sauce from the filling becomes part of the bean sauce. I do cut any large apple slices into bite-size pieces first so the apple distributes more evenly instead of leaving a bunch of oversized slices in the skillet.
• I don’t drain the canned baked beans because their sauce becomes part of the finished sauce. Between the sauce from the baked beans, apple pie filling, barbecue sauce, mustard, Worcestershire and vinegar, there’s a lot of liquid going into the skillet, which is why I bake the beans uncovered. The oven time is reducing the sauce, not cooking the beans until tender.
• The bacon gets rendered first, then I pour off the excess and leave about 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in the skillet. That gives me enough fat to brown the onion and loosen the browned bacon bits from the skillet without leaving all of the rendered fat in the finished beans.
• I found that adding the apple cider vinegar at two different points made a difference. One tablespoon goes into the sauce before baking, while the second is stirred in after the beans come out of the oven. The first tablespoon cooks into the sauce, while the acidity from the second stays more noticeable because it goes in after baking.
• The other thing I learned with these is not to wait for the sauce to reach its final consistency while the skillet is still in the oven. I take the beans out of the oven when the sauce has reduced and they’re bubbling around the edges, but still look looser than I ultimately want them. They continue to thicken during the 10-minute rest, and baking them until the sauce looks thick enough to serve takes them too far.

Ingredients

• Bacon – This gives the beans smoky, salty flavor, and I use some of the rendered bacon fat to cook the onion.
• Yellow onion – Finely dice it so it softens as it browns in the bacon drippings and distributes throughout the beans.
• All-purpose seasoning rub – I use Kinder’s All Purpose Seasoning. Another all-purpose seasoning is fine too, but check the salt level because blends vary quite a bit from brand to brand.
• Cayenne pepper – Adds heat without bringing in another sauce or changing the consistency of the beans.
• Smoky barbecue sauce – I use Kinder’s Hickory Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce. You can use another barbecue sauce, but pay attention to how sweet and smoky it is since both will affect the finished beans.
• Yellow mustard – Use prepared yellow mustard, not mustard powder. Its acidity helps with the sweetness from the baked beans, apple pie filling and barbecue sauce.
• Worcestershire sauce – Adds savory depth to a sauce that already has lots of sweetness coming from the beans, barbecue sauce and pie filling.
• Apple cider vinegar – The two tablespoons are divided, with half stirred into the sauce before baking and the other half added after the beans come out of the oven.
• Original baked beans – Use two 28-ounce cans and don’t drain them. I like an original-style baked bean instead of maple, bourbon, bacon or another heavily flavored variety because there are already a lot of other flavors going into the skillet.
• Apple pie filling – Use one 21-ounce can, including the apples and all of their sauce. If the apple slices are large, cut them into bite-size pieces before adding them to the beans.
• Salt – Taste before adding any. The bacon, seasoning rub, canned beans, barbecue sauce and Worcestershire all contribute salt already.

How to Make Apple Pie Baked Beans

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (prep the apple pie filling)
  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Take a look at the apples in the pie filling and cut any really large slices into bite-size pieces before adding them to the beans. I still want obvious slices of apple in the beans, just not one giant slice landing in somebody’s serving while everyone else gets none.
• Step Two (cook the bacon)
  Add the chopped bacon to a 12-inch cast-iron skillet and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is browned and the fat has rendered. Transfer the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon, then pour off the extra fat, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the skillet.
• Step Three (cook the onion and seasonings)
  Add the onion to the bacon fat and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned. Scrape up the browned bacon bits from the bottom of the skillet while the onion cooks. Stir in the seasoning rub and cayenne and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
• Step Four (add the beans and apple pie filling)
  Stir in the barbecue sauce, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce and 1 tablespoon of the apple cider vinegar. Add the undrained baked beans, apple pie filling and cooked bacon, then fold everything together until the apples and bacon are distributed throughout without beating up the beans.
• Step Five (bake the beans)
  Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake uncovered for 45 to 55 minutes. If your skillet can’t go in the oven, move everything to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish first. The beans are ready when the sauce has reduced and thickened and you can see it bubbling around the edges. They should still look looser than you ultimately want them, so don’t keep baking until the sauce reaches its final consistency.
• Step Six (finish and rest)
  Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar as soon as the beans come out of the oven. Taste before adding salt because there’s already quite a bit coming from the bacon, seasoning, beans, barbecue sauce and Worcestershire. Let the beans sit for 10 minutes before serving. The sauce will keep thickening while they rest.

Recipe Tips

• Check the label if you’re changing brands of baked beans. Sugar and sodium can vary quite a bit between brands, even when they’re labeled original, so taste the finished beans before deciding they need more salt or acidity.
• Watch the sauce during the last 10 minutes of baking. Different brands of baked beans and apple pie filling have different amounts of sauce, so one skillet may need closer to 45 minutes while another needs the full 55.
• If the sauce is still too loose after the 10-minute rest, return the skillet to the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes uncovered. I prefer that to reducing them on the stovetop, where the bottom can thicken much faster than the rest.
• Remember that cast iron stays hot after it leaves the oven. If the beans are already very close to the consistency you want, the hot skillet and 10-minute rest will continue changing the sauce even though the beans are no longer baking.
• Taste your barbecue sauce before adding it, especially if you aren’t using the same one I did. Some are considerably sweeter than others, which is more noticeable in this recipe because the baked beans and apple pie filling already contain sugar.
• If you’re starting with a 16-ounce package of bacon, you’ll have about 4 ounces left. To freeze individual strips, lay them separately on a parchment-lined plate or baking sheet and freeze until firm, then transfer them to a freezer bag so you can pull out one or two at a time. You can also chop the raw bacon before freezing and store it in a thin layer in a freezer bag, which makes it easy to take out a small amount for scrambled eggs. If you’d rather use it, my chipotle jalapeño popper stuffed salmon rolls use four slices, while my deviled egg pasta salad calls for three, but four certainly won’t hurt.

Storage and Reheating

• Let the beans cool, then store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The sauce will thicken once chilled, which is normal.
• For a single serving, I’d reheat them in the microwave until hot, stirring once or twice. For a larger amount, put them in a covered baking dish and reheat at 325°F (165°C) until warmed through. If the sauce has become much thicker than you want, stir in a small splash of water before reheating.
• Freeze the cooled beans in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. The apples will be softer after freezing and thawing, but that isn’t a problem for me in baked beans. Stir everything well as it reheats and add a small splash of water if the sauce needs loosening.
• These are good leftovers because they don’t have to stay a side dish. Spoon them over a baked potato, serve them with sausages or sheet pan pork chops, or put them next to a savory cornbread and call dinner done.

FAQs

• Should I drain the baked beans?
  No. The sauce from the canned baked beans stays in the recipe and becomes part of the finished sauce as everything reduces in the oven.
• Do Apple Pie Baked Beans taste like dessert?
  No. You definitely taste the apple, and there’s sweetness, but the bacon, onion, smoky barbecue sauce, mustard, Worcestershire, cayenne and cider vinegar keep them savory.
• Can I use fresh apples instead of apple pie filling?
  No. The pie filling adds both cooked apples, sweetness and the thickened sauce surrounding them, so fresh apples change both the texture and the amount of liquid in the recipe. They are not a direct substitute.
• Can I use a different flavor of canned baked beans?
  You can, but it will change the finished flavor. I use original baked beans because maple, bourbon, brown sugar or barbecue varieties may add more sweetness or seasoning than you want once the apple pie filling and barbecue sauce go in.
• How do I know when the baked beans are done?
  The sauce should be visibly reduced, with bubbling around the perimeter of the skillet. They should still look slightly looser than you want to serve them because the sauce continues to thicken during the 10-minute rest.
• Can I make Apple Pie Baked Beans ahead of time?
  Yes. Make them through baking, cool and refrigerate for up to 2 days before serving, then reheat. If the sauce has thickened substantially in the refrigerator, add a small splash of water before reheating.
• Can I make these in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish instead of a skillet?
  Yes. Cook the bacon, onion, seasonings and sauce in a skillet on the stovetop, add the beans, apple pie filling and bacon, then transfer everything to a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish. Bake uncovered as directed.
• Can I make Apple Pie Baked Beans in a slow cooker?
  I developed this recipe for the oven and haven’t tested it in a slow cooker. The uncovered baking time allows moisture to evaporate and the sauce to reduce, so I wouldn’t expect the consistency to be the same in a covered slow cooker. I’d expect the sauce to stay much looser. And you’ll still need to cook the bacon and onion on the stove and bloom the spices.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

• I’ve noticed the thing I keep coming back to is usually trying to tell me something.
• Distance doesn’t always mean something has gone away.
• I’ve learned not to mistake sweetness for balance.
• I don’t mind giving something time. I do mind acting like time is the same thing as progress. That’s when I let go.
• A part you add at the end can change everything.
• Sometimes the part that seemed strange at first is the reason it works.
• I’ve gotten better at noticing the difference between things that need more time and others that require someone to do something.
• History never earns anything by itself. What’s important is what I do with it now.
• Eventually, something has to move from memory into real life or stay where it is.

When I Use Apple Pie Filling the Expected Way

• Apple Pie French Toast Casserole – Apple pie filling, French toast, overnight prep.
• Snickerdoodle Apple Cobbler – Apple pie filling, toffee, snickerdoodle crust.
• Apple Spice Dump Cake – Apple pie filling, warm spices, cake topping.
• Easy Apple Crisp – Apple pie filling, buttery oats, warm spices.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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Apple Pie Baked Beans

Apple Pie Baked Beans are made with a full can of apple pie filling, bacon, smoky barbecue sauce, mustard and cider vinegar, then baked uncovered until the sauce reduces and thickens.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword apple pie baked beans, bacon baked beans, baked beans with apple pie filling, baked beans with apples, barbecue baked beans

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Calories 460kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• cast iron skillet 12" (30 cm). Cooks the bacon and onion on the stovetop and goes directly into the oven for baking the beans.
• slotted spoon Removes the cooked bacon while leaving the rendered fat in the skillet.
• Cutting board Provides a surface for prepping the bacon, onion and apple pieces.
• Chef's knife Chops the bacon and onion and cuts any large apple slices into bite-size pieces.
• measuring cups and spoons Measures the seasonings, barbecue sauce and other larger-volume ingredients.
• baking dish 9x13 (23x33 cm) (optionsal) An alternative for baking the beans if a cast-iron or other oven-safe skillet isn't available.

Ingredients

• 1 (21 oz / 595 g) apple pie filling
• 12 oz (340 g) bacon chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
• 1 tbsp (12 g) all-purpose seasoning rub
• ¼ tsp (0.5 g) cayenne pepper
• ½ cup (120 ml) smoky barbecue sauce
• 2 tbsps (30 ml) yellow mustard
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsps (30 ml) apple cider vinegar divided
• 2 (28 oz / 1.59 kg total) cans original baked beans undrained
• salt to taste

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Cut any large apple slices in the apple pie filling into bite-size pieces so they distribute evenly throughout the baked beans.
  1 (21 oz / 595 g) apple pie filling
• Cook the bacon in a 12-inch (30 cm) cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the bacon is browned.
  12 oz (340 g) bacon
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate. Carefully pour off the excess bacon fat, leaving about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) in the skillet.
• Add the onion and cook over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned. Scrape up the browned bacon bits from the bottom of the skillet as the onion cooks.
  1 medium yellow onion
• Add the all-purpose seasoning rub and cayenne pepper. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
  1 tbsp (12 g) all-purpose seasoning rub, ¼ tsp (0.5 g) cayenne pepper
• Stir in the barbecue sauce, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the apple cider vinegar.
  ½ cup (120 ml) smoky barbecue sauce, 2 tbsps (30 ml) yellow mustard, 1 tbsp (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsps (30 ml) apple cider vinegar
• Add the undrained baked beans, apple pie filling and cooked bacon. Fold until the apples, bacon and beans are evenly distributed without breaking up the beans or apple pieces.
  2 (28 oz / 1.59 kg total) cans original baked beans
• Transfer the uncovered cast-iron skillet to the oven. If using a skillet that is not oven-safe, transfer the bean mixture to a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish and bake uncovered.
• Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and thickened and the mixture is bubbling around the perimeter. The sauce should still look slightly loose when it comes out of the oven because it will continue to thicken as the beans rest.
• Remove from the oven and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar. Taste before adding salt, since the bacon, seasoning rub, baked beans, barbecue sauce and Worcestershire sauce already contain salt.
  salt
• Let the baked beans rest for 10 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to thicken further.

Notes

• Use original baked beans and do not drain them. The canned sauce is part of the liquid that reduces during baking.
• Apple pie filling brands vary in the size of their apple slices. Cut larger slices into bite-size pieces before adding them to the beans for better distribution.
• Barbecue sauces vary considerably in sweetness and smoke. A smoky barbecue sauce works especially well with the apple and bacon in this recipe.
• Leave about 2 tablespoons of rendered bacon fat in the skillet for cooking the onion; discard the excess.
• The beans are intentionally baked uncovered, which allows excess moisture to evaporate and the sauce to reduce.
• Don't judge the final consistency immediately after baking. The sauce continues to thicken during the 10-minute rest.
• Taste before adding salt. Bacon, seasoning rub, canned baked beans, barbecue sauce and Worcestershire sauce can all contribute significant sodium.
• If the beans still seem too loose after resting, return them to the oven uncovered for about 10 minutes, then rest again before serving.

 

 

 

If you’re making these Apple Pie Baked Beans, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

 

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

 

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 240g | Calories: 460kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 1380mg | Potassium: 590mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 170IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 3mg

Have you made these Apple Pie Baked Beans? I’d love to hear how they turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Apple Pie Baked Beans appeared first on Noble Pig.

Snickers Poke Cake with Chocolate, Caramel and Peanuts Inside

Some birthdays happen on the weekend, when we have time to make an extra special cake, plan the dinner and turn the day into something more exciting. But reality is, so many of our birthdays are on a Tuesday, right in the middle of an already overscheduled week, which is exactly when a poke cake like this comes in handy.

I still like to celebrate the actual day, on the day. Even if the big dinner is happening over the weekend, I’m not letting somebody’s birthday pass with, “We’ll do something Saturday.” Because shame on us. There needs to be some acknowledgement of the actual day, and there’s nothing better than cake for that.

In summer, I usually make my Snickers ice cream sandwich cake instead. This is the one I want when it’s not ninety degrees outside and I’m willing to turn on the oven.

This Snickers poke cake is the one I make for that kind of midweek birthday celebration. It starts with a chocolate cake mix, which is what I want when I’m trying to make a regular weeknight feel more fun without it becoming a project. Once it comes out of the oven, I poke it with the handle of a wooden spoon and fill the holes with instant chocolate pudding, or specifically Snickers pudding when I can find it.

I add caramel and roasted salted peanuts, and that part is important because I don’t want this to be a chocolate cake that only tastes like Snickers when I happen to get a piece of candy from the top. Chocolate, caramel and peanuts are already inside the cake before the chopped Snickers ever go on.

And yeah, I’m not even going to pretend this isn’t decadent. It’s supposed to be. There’s pudding in the cake, caramel over the pudding, whipped topping, salted peanuts and candy bars on top. This is hardly a sensible Tuesday-night dessert. It’s what I make because Tuesday happens to be somebody’s birthday, and tonight gets to be more ridiculous than usual. Don’t forget the ice cream and candles.

The Decisions Behind This Recipe

• I wanted the cake to taste like Snickers before the chopped candy bars ever went on top. I can layer whole candy inside something like my peppermint patty brownies, but chopped Snickers are better as the finish on this cake. That meant chocolate, caramel and peanuts had to be inside the cake instead of relying on the Snickers pieces for all the flavor at the end.
• Then came the pudding, and this is where I had to think further ahead. Snickers instant pudding mix is pretty easy to find right now, and I see it in stores regularly, so grab a few boxes if you can. It gives the inside of the cake a more specific Snickers flavor, but there’s no guarantee a specialty pudding like that will be around forever. I made sure instant chocolate pudding works too, and with caramel and roasted salted peanuts already in the cake, you don’t lose the Snickers flavor by using it.
• I keep the pudding and caramel separate instead of mixing them together. The pudding goes into the holes first because I want a thicker chocolate filling down inside the cake. The caramel gets drizzled over afterward, so you still taste it separately instead of turning the pudding and caramel into one sweet brown filling.
• Half of the roasted salted peanuts go on before the cake chills. I wanted peanuts below the whipped topping, not all sitting on top as decoration. The other half stay back until the end, where they keep more of their roasted crunch.
• And I specifically use salted peanuts. There’s already lots of sweetness coming from the cake mix, pudding, caramel, whipped topping and Snickers, so the salt is more important than it seems.
• The final caramel, peanuts and chopped Snickers go on after the cake has chilled. By this point, chocolate, caramel and peanuts are already inside the dessert. The chopped candy bars get to be the finish instead of having to explain why this is a Snickers cake.

Ingredients

• Chocolate cake mix – Devil’s food, dark chocolate or regular chocolate cake mix all work. If your brand calls for different amounts of water, oil or eggs, follow the package directions for that mix.
• Water, vegetable oil and eggs – These are for preparing the boxed cake mix. The amounts in this recipe match the mix I used, but another brand may vary slightly.
• Instant Snickers pudding mix or instant chocolate pudding mix – Snickers pudding is my first choice because it takes the candy-bar flavor further. Instant chocolate pudding works very well too, especially with the caramel and salted peanuts already in the cake. Make sure it says instant, not cook-and-serve.
• Whole milk – Use cold whole milk to prepare the instant pudding. It gives the pudding a thicker, creamier consistency than lower-fat milk.
• Whipped topping – Let it thaw in the refrigerator before spreading it over the cake. I use an 8-ounce container.
• Caramel topping – Look for a pourable caramel topping made for ice cream or desserts rather than a firm caramel sauce that sets hard when cold.
• Roasted salted peanuts – The salted part is important. There’s already lots of sweetness in the cake, pudding, caramel and candy, and I want that little bit of salt mixed in with it.
• Snickers bars – Chop full-size bars into small pieces for the top. Candy-bar sizes change over time, so I care more about having enough chopped Snickers to cover the cake generously than hitting an exact number of ounces. In fact, measure these with your heart.

How to Make Snickers Poke Cake

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (make the cake)
  Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Prepare the chocolate cake batter with the water, oil and eggs, following the package directions if your brand calls for different amounts, then spread the batter evenly in the pan. This is the shortcut part, and I’m perfectly happy with that.
• Step Two (bake and poke)
  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. While the cake is still hot, use the rounded handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes about 1/2 inch apart. Don’t go all the way through the cake. Stop about three-quarters of the way down so the pudding stays inside the cake instead of traveling through the holes and collecting at the bottom of the pan.
• Step Three (add the pudding)
  Don’t mix the pudding until you’re ready to pour it because instant pudding starts thickening almost immediately. Whisk the pudding mix with the cold milk until smooth, then pour it over the hot cake right away. Aim for the holes and use a spatula to help move the pudding across the surface and into them before it gets too thick to cooperate.
• Step Four (add caramel and peanuts)
  Drizzle about three-quarters of the caramel topping over the pudding, then scatter 1/2 cup of the roasted salted peanuts across the cake. Spread them out so you get some in every serving.
• Step Five (chill)
  Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour. You want it completely cold and the pudding set before the whipped topping goes on. If the cake is still warm, wait. Whipped topping and warm cake are not buddies.
• Step Six (finish the cake)
  Spread the thawed whipped topping over the chilled cake, then drizzle on the remaining caramel. Finish with the rest of the roasted salted peanuts and the chopped Snickers bars. Keep the cake refrigerated until you’re ready to serve it.

Recipe Tips

• You want to poke the cake while it’s still hot. A warm cake is easier to poke without pulling up chunks of cake with the spoon handle.
• Make sure to space the holes evenly across the cake. They don’t need to be measured with a ruler, but you also don’t want twenty holes crowded into one corner and three everywhere else. Too many close together can start tearing up the cake.
• Don’t mix the instant pudding until you’re ready to pour it. Once the milk goes in, the timer starts. If you walk away and come back to nearly set pudding, getting it into the holes becomes considerably less fun.
• Give the cake its full hour in the refrigerator before adding the whipped topping. The cake needs to be cold and the pudding needs to be set. If you spread whipped topping over a warm cake, you’ll know pretty quickly why you shouldn’t have.
• If I care how the cake looks when it gets to the table, I save the final chopped Snickers and peanuts until close to serving. They’re perfectly edible after sitting in the refrigerator, but the peanuts are crunchier and the candy looks better when it hasn’t been sitting cold for a day.

Storage and Make-Ahead

• Keep Snickers poke cake covered in the refrigerator because of the pudding and whipped topping. It’s served cold and will keep well for about 3 to 4 days. The cake gets softer as it sits, and I like it after several hours in the refrigerator, but by day three or four it will be noticeably softer than it was the first day.
• For a weeknight birthday, you can make it earlier in the day and forget about it until dessert. If you want to work a day ahead, bake, poke and fill the cake with pudding, caramel and the first portion of peanuts, then cover and refrigerate it overnight. Add the whipped topping and remaining toppings the next day. You can also fully assemble it the day before if convenience matters more than appearance, although I’d still hold back the chopped Snickers and final peanuts until closer to serving.
• I would not freeze this one. Between the pudding, whipped topping, caramel and candy, there are too many textures I like better straight from the refrigerator, and this cake is easy enough to make ahead without creating another problem for ourselves.

FAQs

• Can I use cook-and-serve pudding instead of instant pudding?
  No. Use instant pudding. Cook-and-serve pudding has a completely different preparation and will not act the same way when poured into the cake.
• Can I use Snickers pudding instead of chocolate pudding?
  Yes. If you can find instant Snickers pudding, that’s actually my first choice for this cake. Use it in the same amount as the instant chocolate pudding. I wrote the recipe so chocolate pudding works too because it’s much easier to find and I don’t want the cake to depend on a specialty product.
• Why isn’t my pudding going into the holes?
  Usually one of two things happened: the holes are too small or the pudding sat too long after mixing and started to set. Use the rounded handle of a wooden spoon and pour the pudding as soon as it’s mixed.
• Why did pudding collect underneath my cake?
  The holes probably went all the way through to the bottom of the pan. Stop the spoon handle about three-quarters of the way through the cake so the pudding has somewhere to settle inside it.
• How far apart should I poke the holes?
  Roughly 1/2 inch apart works well for this cake. Close enough that you get pudding throughout each serving, but not so close that you start breaking apart the cake.
• Can I use homemade whipped cream instead of whipped topping?
  Yes, especially if you’re serving the cake the same day. For a cake that needs to sit overnight or travel, whipped topping is more stable. If using homemade whipped cream ahead of time, I’d use a stabilized version rather than plain whipped cream and expect it to soften faster.
• Can I use homemade caramel sauce?
  Yes, as long as it stays pourable when cool. A very thick caramel that becomes firm in the refrigerator is not what you want because this cake is served cold.
• Can I make this gluten-free?
  You would need to use a gluten-free chocolate cake mix and check the labels on the pudding, caramel, whipped topping, peanuts and Snickers you’re using. I wouldn’t assume the entire dessert is gluten-free because the cake mix is.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

• Ordinary days and weeknight birthdays deserve more ritual than we usually give them.
• Sometimes the easiest version of something is the one that gets made.
• There are things worth celebrating before there’s time to make them impressive.
• I don’t think effort is the same thing as care.
• Some days need more frosting than perspective.
• Excess can be appropriate even when the occasion is small.
• There are times when making too much of something is the point I’m trying to make.
• Ridiculousness is one of my favorite forms of generosity.
• Sometimes the thing that looks like a shortcut is what let the moment happen.

More Poke Cakes for a Weeknight Birthday

• German Chocolate Poke Cake – Caramel, condensed milk, chocolate drizzle.
• Strawberry Poke Cake – Strawberries, vanilla cream cheese frosting.
• Coconut Poke Cake – Cream of coconut, condensed milk, whipped topping.
• Blueberry Cheesecake Poke Cake – Blueberries, vanilla cake, cheesecake filling.
• Orange Creamsicle Poke Cake – Cream of coconut, orange curd, from scratch.
• Banana Pudding Poke Cake – Banana pudding, vanilla cake, whipped topping.

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Snickers Poke Cake

Snickers Poke Cake fills chocolate cake with chocolate pudding, caramel and roasted salted peanuts, then finishes it with whipped topping, more caramel, peanuts and chopped Snickers bars.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Banana Pudding Poke Cake, candy bar cake, caramel chocolate poke cake, no-bake Snickers cake, Snickers poke cake

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Chilling: 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings 12 slices

Calories 610kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• baking dish 9x13 (23x33 cm) For baking and assembling the poke cake.
• mixing bowls (large and medium). For preparing the cake batter and pudding mix.
• hand mixer For mixing the cake batter.
• whisk For mixing the pudding with the milk until smooth.
• wooden spoon Use the rounded handle to make the holes wide enough for the pudding filling.
• rubber spatula For spreading the pudding over the cake and finishing with the whipped topping.

Ingredients

• cooking spray
• 1 (15.25 oz / 432 g) box Devil's Food chocolate cake mix
• 1 cup (240 ml) water
• ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 (3 oz / 85 g) Snickers Milk Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix* if available, or Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix
• 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk
• 1 (12.25 oz / 347 g) jar caramel topping divided
• 1 cup (146 g) roasted salted peanuts divided
• 1 (8 oz / 227 g) container whipped topping thawed
• 3 full-size Snickers bars chopped

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Coat a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  cooking spray
• Add chocolate cake mix, water, vegetable oil and eggs to a large mixing bowl. Mix according to package directions until well combined. Pour the chocolate cake batter evenly into the prepared pan.
  1 (15.25 oz / 432 g) box Devil's Food chocolate cake mix, 1 cup (240 ml) water, ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil, 3 large eggs
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• While the cake is still hot, use the rounded handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes about 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) apart, stopping about three-quarters of the way through the cake rather than piercing the bottom. This keeps the pudding filling inside the cake instead of allowing it to collect underneath.
• Prepare the pudding filling by adding the instant chocolate pudding mix to a medium bowl. Add the milk and whisk until smooth and beginning to thicken. Immediately pour the pudding over the hot cake before it sets, directing it into the holes and spreading it across the surface as needed.
  1 (3 oz / 85 g) Snickers Milk Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix* , 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk
• Drizzle 3/4 of the caramel topping over the pudding, then scatter 1/2 cup (73 g) of the roasted salted peanuts over the cake. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until the cake is completely cooled and the pudding has set.
  1 (12.25 oz / 347 g) jar caramel topping, 1 cup (146 g) roasted salted peanuts
• Spread the thawed whipped topping evenly over the chilled cake. Drizzle with the remaining caramel topping, then finish with the remaining 1/2 cup (73 g) roasted salted peanuts and chopped Snickers bars. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
  1 (8 oz / 227 g) container whipped topping , 3 full-size Snickers bars

Notes

• Use instant pudding mix, not cook-and-serve pudding.
• *Snickers instant pudding is my first choice, but chocolate pudding works just as well.
• Mix the pudding only when you're ready to pour it over the cake because instant pudding begins thickening soon after the milk is added.
• Use the rounded handle of a wooden spoon rather than a narrow straw so the holes are large enough for the pudding to enter. 
• Stop the holes about three-quarters of the way through the cake so the pudding remains within the cake rather than collecting underneath it.
• Roasted salted peanuts are recommended because it halps carry the Snickers flavor throughout the cake and the salt offsets some of the sweetness from the cake, pudding, caramel and candy.
• Keep the finished cake covered in the refrigerator and serve chilled.  

 

 

If you’re making this Snickers Poke Cake, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 190g | Calories: 610kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 550mg | Potassium: 290mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 55g | Vitamin A: 240IU | Calcium: 130mg | Iron: 2mg

Have you made this Snickers Poke Cake? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

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The post Snickers Poke Cake appeared first on Noble Pig.

Cast-Iron Cornbread with Chipotle, Jalapeños and Hot Honey

I’ve made a jalapeño cornbread for years, usually adding chili powder and taking it in more of a Mexican-inspired direction. Over time, I found myself liking the smoky flavor of chipotle and adobo more than the chili powder version I’d been making. I wanted something different to make during chili season and this is where I ended up.

The part I like most is putting the fresh jalapeños and most of the hot honey into the hot cast-iron skillet before the batter goes in. They bake at the bottom of the cornbread instead of being mixed throughout it, so the bottom picks up the jalapeño, butter and honey while the chipotle and adobo season the batter itself.

I also use whole buttermilk whenever I can find it. In the stores around me, it’s labeled Bulgarian buttermilk, and I like the cornbread better with it. It’s not a deal breaker if you can’t locate it. Sour cream, melted butter and oil also help keep the cornbread tender too, especially after it cools.

There’s also a quarter teaspoon of liquid smoke in the batter. It sounds like almost nothing, and that’s the idea. The cornbread doesn’t taste like liquid smoke. It’s there to reinforce the chipotle.

The last tablespoon of hot honey goes over the top after baking, so you still taste it separately from the honey that cooked with the jalapeños. Between that, the chipotle, adobo and smoke in the batter, this ended up being the cornbread I wanted next to my favorite chili recipe.

The Decisions Behind This Recipe

• I tried the jalapeño in the batter first, which is how I’d always made jalapeño cornbread, but I liked it much better when I put it directly into the hot skillet. The chipotle and adobo stay in the batter, so the smoky flavor stays, while the fresh jalapeño gets butter and hot honey all to itself at the bottom.
• I also tried putting all of the hot honey in the skillet, but I missed tasting it on the finished cornbread. Holding back a tablespoon fixed that. Most of it still cooks with the jalapeño and butter, but you get hot honey straight from the bottle at the end too.
• I kept the sour cream, butter and oil because I liked the way cornbread stayed soft after it cooled. Butter alone gave me the flavor I wanted, but adding some neutral oil kept the texture softer later. The sour cream gives the batter more moisture without making it loose.
• There’s twice as much cornmeal as flour because I still want this to taste like cornbread, not cake. I use fine-ground yellow cornmeal, and once the batter is mixed, I leave it alone for five minutes before it goes into the skillet. That gives the cornmeal a few minutes to absorb some of the liquid before baking.
• I give the cast iron a full ten minutes in the oven after it reaches 400°F. I want the butter to react as soon as it goes in, because the jalapeño and hot honey follow right behind it. A skillet that has only warmed up while the oven preheats doesn’t give me the same result.

Ingredients

• Fine-ground yellow cornmeal – Fine-ground gives the cornbread a smoother texture while still letting it taste like cornmeal. Avoid cornmeal mix or self-rising cornmeal because the leavening and salt are already in this recipe.
• All-purpose flour – There’s enough flour to give the cornbread support, but not enough to make it cake-like.
• Granulated sugar – Only 2 tablespoons. This is very much a savory cornbread, with the hot honey adding most of the sweetness. If you want a sweeter cornbread, my lemon blueberry cornbread is made with fresh blueberries, lemon zest and a little more sugar.
• Baking powder and baking soda – Both help the cornbread rise, while the baking soda also reacts with the acidity in the buttermilk and sour cream.
• Fine sea salt – Keeps the cornmeal, dairy and chiles from tasting sad.
• Liquid smoke – Measure this one. A quarter teaspoon is enough to support the smoke from the chipotle without tasting like liquid smoke.
• Whole buttermilk – I prefer whole buttermilk for the texture it gives the cornbread. In my stores, it’s often labeled Bulgarian buttermilk, but it’s okay if you can’t find it.
• Full-fat sour cream or whole-milk Greek yogurt – Adds moisture to the batter and helps keep the cornbread tender. Stick with full-fat for this recipe.
• Eggs – Help the cornbread hold together once sliced.
• Unsalted butter – Melted butter goes into the batter for flavor, with another tablespoon held back for the hot cast-iron skillet.
• Avocado oil or vegetable oil – A neutral oil helps the cornbread stay tender after it cools without adding another flavor.
• Chipotle pepper in adobo – Use one pepper from the can and mince it finely. It gives the batter smoky chile flavor without relying on the fresh jalapeño for all of the heat.
• Adobo sauce – This is the sauce from the same can as the chipotle pepper, so you don’t need to buy anything separately.
• Fresh jalapeño – Finely diced with the seeds and ribs removed. This goes directly into the skillet instead of being stirred into the batter.
• Hot honey – Most goes into the skillet with the jalapeño, with the last tablespoon saved for drizzling over the cornbread after baking.

How to Make Chipotle Hot Honey Skillet Cornbread

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (heat the skillet)
  Put a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven and preheat everything to 400°F. Once the oven is hot, leave the skillet in there for another 10 minutes. I want the cast iron really hot before anything goes into it because the jalapeños and hot honey are going straight into the pan.
• Step Two (make the batter)
  Whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt together in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, sour cream, eggs, melted butter, oil, liquid smoke, minced chipotle and adobo sauce. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold until you don’t see any dry flour or cornmeal. Stop there. Cornbread doesn’t improve because you kept stirring it.
• Step Three (let it sit)
  Let the batter rest for 5 minutes before it goes into the skillet. That gives the fine-ground cornmeal time to absorb some of the liquid, and I think the texture is better for it.
• Step Four (build the bottom)
  Have the jalapeños and hot honey ready before you pull the skillet from the oven because this part goes fast. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the hot pan and swirl it across the bottom and up the sides. Scatter the jalapeños evenly over the bottom, then drizzle 3 tablespoons of hot honey over them.
• Step Five (add the batter and bake)
  Spoon the batter over the jalapeños and hot honey right away, then spread it evenly without stirring up what’s on the bottom. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cornbread is golden around the skillet and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Don’t wait for a completely dry toothpick. That’s how good cornbread turns into dry cornbread.
• Step Six (cool and finish)
  Let the cornbread sit in the skillet for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of hot honey over the top right before serving.

Recipe Tips

• Have the diced jalapeño and hot honey measured before you remove the skillet from the oven. Once the butter comes in contact with the hot cast iron, you want everything ready to go. This isn’t the time to realize you still need to chop the jalapeño.
• The butter should melt immediately when added to the skillet. If it doesn’t, the skillet probably isn’t hot enough yet. Swirl the butter across the bottom and up the sides before adding the jalapeño.
• Spread the jalapeño evenly across the bottom of the skillet, then drizzle the hot honey over as much of it as you can. Anything you add or pour into one area is going to end up concentrated in a couple of slices.
• Once the jalapeño and hot honey are in the skillet, don’t leave it sitting around before adding the batter. You’ve spent all that time getting the cast iron hot, so use it while it’s hot.
• Start checking at 15 minutes because cast iron and ovens don’t all bake the same. I remove the cornbread when the center is set and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. A completely dry toothpick is not the goal.
• Give it 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into it. It’s still very hot when it comes out, and I get better slices after it has had time in the skillet.

Storage and Reheating

• Once the cornbread has cooled, remove it from the cast-iron skillet instead of using the skillet as a storage container. Keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
• For longer storage, refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 5 days. I like the texture at room temperature, so I let refrigerated pieces lose some of their chill or warm them before serving.
• For one or two slices, the microwave is the fastest option. Heat them briefly, around 10 to 20 seconds at a time, until warm. Cornbread can go from warm to tough surprisingly fast in a microwave, so don’t get ambitious.
• To warm several pieces, wrap them loosely in foil and put them in a 300°F oven until warmed through. Add more hot honey after reheating if you want it.
• This cornbread also freezes well. Once completely cool, wrap individual slices tightly and place them in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for a few hours at room temperature, then reheat as above. Wait until after reheating to add any extra hot honey.

FAQs

• How spicy is chipotle hot honey skillet cornbread?
  It has some heat, but it’s still easy to eat. The chipotle and adobo give the batter smoky chile flavor, the fresh jalapeño adds more heat, and the hot honey adds sweetness along with it. Removing the jalapeño seeds and ribs keeps the fresh chile from becoming too strong.
• Can I make this cornbread less spicy?
  Yes. I would reduce the fresh jalapeño first because that’s the easiest source of heat to adjust without changing the smoky flavor of the batter. You can also use a milder hot honey. I would leave the chipotle and adobo alone unless you want less of that flavor too.
• Can I make this without a cast-iron skillet?
  You can use another 10-inch oven-safe skillet that can handle a 400°F oven and a full preheat. The bottom may not brown the same way because another pan won’t necessarily heat like cast iron. I wouldn’t use a glass baking dish for this method.
• Can I use a different size cast-iron skillet?
  A 10-inch skillet gives the batter the thickness and bake time I developed the recipe around. A 9-inch skillet will make a thicker cornbread and will require more time, while a 12-inch skillet will make it thinner and bake faster. If you change the skillet size, watch the center rather than relying only on the stated baking time.
• Can I use regular honey instead of hot honey?
  Yes. You’ll lose the chile heat from the hot honey, but you’ll still have chipotle, adobo and jalapeño in the cornbread. Regular honey will give you the same sweetness without that additional heat.
• Can I leave out the liquid smoke?
  Yes. The chipotle and adobo still give the cornbread smoky flavor without it. I wouldn’t add more chipotle to make up for it because you’ll also be adding more heat.
• Can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?
  Yes. Whole-milk Greek yogurt can be used in the same amount as the full-fat sour cream. Stick with a full-fat or whole-milk version for the closest texture.
• Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk?
  I wouldn’t make that substitution directly. Buttermilk adds both acidity and a thicker consistency, and the acidity is important because baking soda is part of the leavening in this recipe. Regular milk changes more than one thing at once.
• Can I use pickled or canned jalapeños?
  I would stick with fresh jalapeño for this recipe. It goes directly into the hot skillet, while pickled jalapeños contain vinegar and considerably more moisture. I haven’t developed the recipe around that extra liquid, so I wouldn’t consider them interchangeable.
• What do you serve with chipotle hot honey cornbread?
  This is the cornbread I make for chili season. It’s also good with barbecue, pulled pork, smoked meats, beans and hearty soups. I especially like it with foods where hot honey on the side makes sense too.
• Can I make it ahead?
  Yes. I would make it no more than a day ahead, keep it airtight once cool, then warm it before serving. Save any extra hot honey for after reheating.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

• I like things that can take some heat.
• I’ve noticed sweetness gets more interesting after it’s been through something.
• I don’t confuse familiar with finished.
• Things get better when I stop putting everything in the same place.
• I can usually tell when I’m trying to improve something and when I’m only making it busier.
• Some things don’t reveal themselves until you cut into them.
• I don’t mind changing a recipe I’ve loved for years if my taste has changed with me.
• I like when the part you don’t see right away has its own reason for being there.

When Sweet and Spicy Belong Together

• Grilled Spicy Honey Garlic Chicken – Honey, garlic, chile heat.
• Pineapple Habanero Hot Sauce – Pineapple, habanero, honey.
• Hot Honey Peach Chicken and Waffle Bites – Peach hot honey, chicken, pickles.
• Slow Cooker Korean BBQ Chicken – Gochujang, honey, Korean BBQ sauce.
• Carolina-Style Brown Sugar Vinegar BBQ Sauce – Brown sugar, molasses, vinegar.

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Chipotle Hot Honey Skillet Cornbread

Chipotle hot honey skillet cornbread is made with chipotle and adobo in a tender buttermilk batter, while fresh jalapeños and hot honey cook directly against a buttered cast-iron skillet. More hot honey is drizzled over the cornbread after baking.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword buttermilk cornbread, chipotle hot honey skillet cornbread, hot honey cornbread, smoky cornbread, sweet and spicy cornbread

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 8 to 10

Calories 284kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• cast iron skillet 10" Preheating the cast ironbefore adding the jalapeños, hot honey and batter provides the direct heat needed for the bottom of the cornbread to brown properly.
• mixing bowls (large and medium). For whisking dry ingredients and wet ingredients.
• whisk Distributes the leaveners evenly through the dry ingredients and mixes the wet ingredients.
• rubber spatula Makes it easier to fold the batter without overworking it and to spread it in the hot skillet.

Ingredients

• 1⅓ cups (208 g) fine-ground yellow cornmeal
• ⅔ cup (80 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsps (25 g) granulated sugar
• 1½ tsps (6 g) baking powder
• ½ tsp (2 g) baking soda
• 1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt
• 1 cup (240 ml) whole Buttermilk or 2%
• ½ cup (120 g) full-fat sour cream or whole-milk Greek yogurt
• 2 large eggs
• 6 tbsps (85 g) unsalted butter melted, divided
• 2 tbsps (30 ml) avocado oil or vegetable oil
• ¼ tsp (1 ml) liquid smoke
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo finely minced
• 1 tbsp (15 g) chipotle adobo sauce (from the same can the chipotle pepper was in)
• ¼ cup (~35 g) finely diced fresh jalapeño seeds and ribs removed
• 4 tbsps (84 g) hot honey divided

Instructions

• Place a 10-inch (25 cm) cast-iron skillet in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C), leaving the skillet in the oven for at least 10 minutes once the oven reaches temperature.
• Whisk the fine-ground yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt together in a large bowl until evenly distributed.
  1⅓ cups (208 g) fine-ground yellow cornmeal, ⅔ cup (80 g) all-purpose flour, 2 tbsps (25 g) granulated sugar, 1½ tsps (6 g) baking powder, ½ tsp (2 g) baking soda, 1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt
• In a separate bowl, whisk the whole buttermilk, sour cream, eggs, 5 tablespoons (71 g) melted butter, oil, liquid smoke, minced chipotle pepper and adobo sauce until well mixed.
  1 cup (240 ml) whole Buttermilk, ½ cup (120 g) full-fat sour cream, 2 large eggs, 6 tbsps (85 g) unsalted butter, 2 tbsps (30 ml) avocado oil, ¼ tsp (1 ml) liquid smoke, 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, 1 tbsp (15 g) chipotle adobo sauce
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold only until no dry pockets of flour or cornmeal remain. Do not overmix. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes to give the fine-ground cornmeal time to absorb some of the liquid.
• Carefully remove the hot cast-iron skillet from the oven. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon (14 g) butter and swirl to coat the bottom and sides. Scatter the diced jalapeños evenly across the bottom, then drizzle 3 tablespoons (63 g) hot honey over the jalapeños.
  ¼ cup (~35 g) finely diced fresh jalapeño, 4 tbsps (84 g) hot honey
• Immediately spoon the rested cornbread batter over the jalapeños and hot honey. Spread the batter evenly without disturbing the jalapeños on the bottom of the skillet.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cornbread is golden around the perimeter and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Do not wait for a completely dry toothpick, which can result in dry cornbread.
• Let the cornbread cool in the skillet for 10 to 15 minutes. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon (21 g) hot honey over the top before slicing and serving.

Notes

• Use fine-ground yellow cornmeal for the texture and hydration intended in this recipe.
• Give the cast-iron skillet the full 10-minute heating time after the oven reaches 400°F (204°C). The skillet needs to be thoroughly hot before the butter, jalapeños and hot honey are added.
• Have the diced jalapeño and measured hot honey ready before removing the skillet from the oven so the batter can be added while the cast iron remains hot.
• Fold the wet and dry ingredients only until the dry pockets disappear. Overmixing can make the cornbread tougher.
• The 5-minute batter rest gives the cornmeal time to begin absorbing the liquid before baking.
• A toothpick with a few moist crumbs is the preferred doneness cue. Waiting until it comes out completely dry can result in overbaked cornbread.
• The hot honey is intentionally divided. Three tablespoons (63 g) cook against the skillet with the jalapeño, while 1 tablespoon (21 g) is reserved for the finished cornbread.
• Full-fat sour cream or whole-milk Greek yogurt can be used. Avoid reduced-fat products, which contain more water and can change the batter.
• For less heat, reduce the amount of chipotle pepper or fresh jalapeño rather than eliminating the adobo sauce entirely.

 

 

If you’re making this Chipotle Hot Honey Skillet Cornbread, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

 

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

 

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Nutrition

Serving: 90g | Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 400mg | Potassium: 130mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 455IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg

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