From Dinner to Dessert

It's Autumn, and as far as foods are concerned, I think of two main must-haves for this season....apples and pumpkins. Over the last couple of years I have come up with new ways to incorporate both into your typical dishes. So today I thought I would share three different recipes, which will turn your kitchen into a fall cooking machine (just imagine the aromas!). And because dessert is always a must, I'm starting there!

Toffee Caramel Cream Cheese Spread

With Kauffman's Fruit Farm's apples I decided to try out a dessert/appetizer/snack recipe sure to please the masses! This is as easy as it looks too!

Ingredients:

8 oz block of cream cheese

Caramel topping sauce

Heath toffee bits

Apples

Directions:

Soften the block of cream cheese (you can use the whole block if you're serving a large group, or cut it down for a smaller crowd). To quickly soften the cream cheese, you can stick it in the microwave for about 20 seconds; keep an eye on it.

Drizzle the caramel topping sauce over the block of cream cheese.

Sprinkle the toffee bits over that, and add more caramel sauce drizzle if you like.

Wash the apples and then slice them.

It's really as easy as that! You have a quick and tasty treat to serve up before or after dinner, or as an afternoon treat. You can dip the apples right into the cream cheese or use a serving knife to spread it over the apple slices.

Crock-Pot Apple Stuffed Pork

Now on to dinner. I love a simple dinner that I don't have to put a lot of time into, especially when I'm trying to enjoy all other things fall. This recipe is one that husband and I created this time last year, and it's still a winner in our house.

Crock-pot apple stuffed pork takes little prep time and falls apart after cooking on low for 7 hours. It's moist, perfectly apple-tasting, and leaves your home smelling like fall. Serve it up with a vegetable and a starch, and you've got a delicious meal that takes no time!

Ingredients:

4 lbs. pork tenderloin

2 sweet apples

1 1/2 cups apple cider

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 TSP salt

Directions:

Slice the pork tenderloin every inch, leaving a place for an apple slice to go. Do not cut all the way through.

Slice the apples, then insert an apple slice into each cut you've made in the pork.

Put the apple cider in the crock pot, then add the apple-stuffed pork tenderloin.

Put the brown sugar and salt on top of the pork, patting it down tenderly. Pour just a bit of the cider over the brown sugar to get it wet, but not to wash it off.

Cook on low for 6.5 to 7 hours. 

Corn Chowder

While apples are a huge hit this time or year, so is soup, at least in our home. Another recipe we came up with last year was our own version of Corn Chowder. This is a creamy soup perfect for chilly, fall days. Typically we make our soup with egg noodles, but when Kauffman's Fruit Farm sent us homemade pot pie squares, we knew immediately what we would be using them for. A simple substitution, and your soup still has its creamy texture with the same great noodle taste just in a different shape.

Ingredients:

5 small golden potatoes

2 large carrots

1/2 medium onion

1 celery stalk

6 slices of thick cut bacon

5 cups water

1 TSP salt

1 bay leaf

1 TBSP parsley

1 TBSP Worcestershire

16 oz. bag of frozen corn kernels

1 can creamed can

1 1/2 cup egg noodles or Kauffman's Homemade Pot Pie Square

1 cup milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Flour and milk mixture for thickening

Directions:

Peel and dice potatoes and carrots. Dice the celery and onion as well. Then place these vegetables in a large pot and add the salt, parsley, and bay leaf. Add all of the water and bring to a boil.

Then turn it to simmer.

Cook the slices of bacon and once done, sop the grease up, crumble, and set aside.

When the potatoes and carrots are tender, add the corn, creamed corn, worcestershire, bacon, and egg noodles.

Taste and add more seasonings (salt & pepper) if so desired.

Once it has cooked for another 10 minutes, add the milk and whipping cream, stirring well.

If you desire thicker soup, whisk together 1 TBSP flour with 1/2 cup of milk in a bowl. Then add it to the soup. We did this just once, but if you would like a thicker soup repeat this step until you get it to the consistency you want.

This past time making the Corn Chowder, we opted to try cooking it in a crock-pot. However, I do not recommend this, keep to cooking it on the stovetop!

With a box of goodies from Kauffman's Fruit Farm, I was able to whip up three different recipes perfectly suited for this beautiful, fall season. From apple desserts to entrées and a homemade soup, you've got two meals to make this week and a sweet treat to enjoy with them! Happy Monday!