Slow Cooker Applesauce

Last week, I had the distinct pleasure of helping my son's second-grade class make applesauce in the slow cooker. They were studying Johnny Appleseed and wanted to finish the week with a hands-on project. This is a perfect recipe for children who are just getting used to reading a recipe and measuring ingredients -- and it tastes terrific! Parents helping may want to peel the apples before slicing; the method I used for the recipe was designed to allow the children to do much of the work of peeling without using a knife. We used a star-shaped press-slicer and then peeled each slice with a potato peeler. It was a challenge, to say the least. But the children sure enjoyed making something entirely on their own. The best part of all, of course, was eating the applesauce at the end of the school day. Yummy!

Ingredients

10 Apples (Jonathan, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup water


Wash the apples. Preheat the slow cooker by turning it on HIGH setting. Slice and peel the apples. Put them in the slow cooker. Discard the peels. Add water, cinnamon, and sugar. Stir together. Cover and cook until apples are soft. When ready to eat, uncover crock pot and gently mash the apples with a potato masher. Allow the applesauce to cool slightly and then scoop it out into cups.

Enjoy!

Honey-glazed Apple Barbecue Chicken

Our family loves the combination of sweet and smoky when we make barbecue. Here is an easy recipe to make in the oven or on the grill.

Ingredients:

6 chicken legs or thighs, bone-in
2 tbs. honey
2 tbs. prepared barbecue sauce, we use KC Masterpiece Original
1 tsp. hot brown mustard
1 tsp. dried thyme
ground black pepper to taste
(use a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like more heat)
1 granny smith apple

Rinse chicken pieces and pat dry. In a medium bowl, combine honey, barbecue sauce, mustard, thyme and pepper. Coat chicken pieces with mixture and lay on a large piece of aluminum foil. Rinse, core, and slice apple. Place slices on top of chicken. Pour on the remaining sauce. Make a foil packet by covering with a second piece of foil and folding all four sides up about 1 inch. Fold each side again twice to seal packet. Carry foil packet on a large cookie sheet. Transfer from sheet to preheated oven and bake at 375 degrees for 60-75 minutes or grill for 60-90 minutes. (Note: for the last 30 minutes of grilling, it may be helpful to slide cookie sheet back under foil packet to prevent scorching.)

Enjoy!

Grandma's German-Style Baked Beans

Grandma brings these baked beans to just about every summer party or potluck. They are sweet, tangy, and tasty! I hope your family likes it as much as ours. I even let my kids help with this recipe -- it's so easy.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground hamburger
3 large cans Bush's Original baked beans
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white onion, diced
1/2 cup apple sauce
2 granny smith apples
1 cup ketchup
1 tsp. yellow mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Brown and drain the ground beef. Peel and core apples and dice into 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces.
In large bowl, mix together beef, diced apples, and all remaining ingredients with a wooden spoon or spatula. Stir until thoroughly combined. Pour mixture into 9x13 glass casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. (Alternate: pour into cool slow cooker and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-5 hours.) Serve warm.

Enjoy!

Grandma's Apple Crisp

My children's grandfather has a weakness for anything with apples in it. His account of a good restaurant meal always ends with, "and they had this great apple dessert..." This recipe is his wife's answer to her husband's apple craving. Served over a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream, it is a sweet way to end a home-cooked meal.

Ingredients:

4 cups apples, peeled and sliced (Granny Smith or Jonathan work best)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter

Butter a 10" x 13" glass baking dish. Combine apple slices, cinnamon, salt, and water and spread evenly along the bottom. In a mixing bowl, cut together flour, sugar, and butter with two knives or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles crumbs. Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over apple mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve warm.