Savory Stuffed Apples with Turkey, Parmesan, and Pancetta
Apples hit their peak of perfection in the fall! And as much as I love a good Apple Pie...I love a savory apple dish even more. These Savory Stuffed Apples have turkey, parmesan cheese, and crispy pancetta to tie it all together.
Stuffed Apple Ingredients
When I was thinking up this recipe, I knew I wanted to incorporate lots of finely chopped veggies and I had some Honeysuckle White turkey meatballs on hand which happen to fit perfectly inside an apple.
The flavors meld so well together and by adding some extra savory elements like parmesan and pancetta, it balances the sweetness of the apples.
Ingredients
- 6-8 apples
- turkey meatballs
- onion
- carrot
- celery
- poutlry seasoning OR Everything But The Leftover seasoning from Trader Joes
- parmesan cheese
- pancetta or bacon
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
How To Stuff an Apple
Coring these apples is more simple than it might appear. You'll just need a small cookie scoop.
- I simply cut the stem top off of the apple and using a small cookie scoop, scooped the inside out leaving about a ¼ inch of apple still inside all around.
- The only thing you want to be sure of is that you completely remove the core. It's not a big deal if you break your apple in some spots, you'll be cutting it open to eat anyways!
- Then saute your veggies, add them to the inside then stuff with a meatball! Top with cheese and pancetta for a delicious savory stuffed apple.
What Cheese Pair Well with Apples
So one of my favorite sweet and savory combinations is apples and cheese. The sweet crunch of an apple paired with the creamy bite of salty cheese is really decadent if done well.
If you don't have parmesan or just want to change things up a bit, other cheeses that pair well with these savory stuffed apples include...
- havarti
- brie
- white cheddar
- goat cheese
If you are as much a fan as I am of the savory apple with cheese, my apple pie has cheddar in it as well as these sweet and salty Apple Honey Walnut Crostini
What To Serve with Savory Stuffed Apples
Savory stuffed apples can be the main dish or even a gorgeously presented appetizer! Things that pair well with these apples are...
- Soup! Any type of smooth soup like Butternut Squash soup or even this Cheesy Potato Soup.
- Fresh salad. Bright and yummy salads pair well with these warm and cozy stuffed apples. Try out my Harvest Spinach Salad or Roasted Golden Beet Salad.
Other Savory Apple Recipes
So don't sleep on apples as a delicious option for the main dinner dish, use them up and try this recipe out! They are also an amazing ingredient in my Butternut Squash Soup and these Stuffed Acorn Squash.
Savory Turkey Stuffed Apples with Parmesan and Pancetta
Ingredients
- 6-8 apples
- 8-10 turkey meatballs I used pre-cooked Honeysuckle White Italian Turkey Meatballs
- ½ an onion diced
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 1 tablespoon poutlry seasoning OR Everything But The Leftover Seasoning from Trader Joes
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped pancetta or bacon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the tops of the apples off (part with the stem) so it's flat.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop out the interior making sure to get the whole core. Leave about ¼ an inch around the edges.
- Set aside in a small 8x8 or round baking dish.
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large skillet heat over medium high heat.
- Crisp the pancetta for about 5 minutes. Don't drain the fat.
- Add and saute the onion, celery, and carrot. Add in the scooped out insides of the apple if desired!
- Cook for about 5 minutes until tender.
- Add the seasoning then taste the veggie mix and add salt and pepper if necessary.
- If your meatballs aren't cooked, cook them now in the same skillet. Mine were pre-cooked.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the veggie mix to each apple.
- Insert 1 meatball into each apple.
- Scatter the remaining veggies around the apples in the dish, same with the meatballs.
- Top with the parmsean cheese and bake for 10 minutes until the cheese is nicely melted.
- Serve with fresh thyme and enjoy!
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