Savoury Baked Ambrosia Apples [Recipe]

Baked Apples Aren’t Just Desserts

Ambrosia applesThere’s something so comforting about baked apples but it doesn’t always have to be a sweet end to a meal. Ambrosia apples are a fantastic apple to stuff with savoury foods.

In this recipe, you’ll find they have just the perfect amount of sweetness to balance out the salt and fat of the bacon and feta. We also added some cooked quinoa to make the dish a little more hearty. Plus, Ambrosia apples are firm so they hold up really well in the oven.

If you want to make this a vegetarian side dish, replace the bacon with chickpeas or walnuts. If you’re looking for a gluten-free side dish, make sure that the bacon is gluten-free.

By the way, this recipe is a great way to use up cooked bacon.

Here’s how to make savoury baked Ambrosia apples with bacon, feta, and quinoa.

Ingredients: 

  • 2 large Ambrosia apples
  • 1 Tbsp butter, melted
  • 4 slices cooked bacon, chopped
  • ¼ cup quinoa, rinsed
  • ½ cup vegetable broth
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 Tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Method:

  • Preheat oven to 350°
  • Cut Ambrosia apple in half, length-wise (from top to bottom).
  • Scoop out core and stem and discard.
  • Scoop out apple flesh from centre, leaving about a ½ inch of apple with the skin.
  • Finely dice scooped out apple, cover with plastic and set aside.
  • Brush inside of the Ambrosia apple with melted butter.
  • Place on a non-stick or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
  • Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes until apple is just starting to get tender.
  • While the Ambrosia apple is baking, prepare the quinoa.
  • Bring vegetable stock to a boil and add rinsed quinoa.
  • Reduce heat and simmer until all of the liquid has been absorbed (about 15 minutes).
  • Fluff with fork and let cool. You may want to place it on a plate in the fridge to speed up the cooling process.
  • In a bowl, combine the cool quinoa with parsley, feta, diced Ambrosia apples, and cooked (but cool) bacon.
  • When the Ambrosia apples are done, remove from oven and switch the oven to broil.
  • Use a spoon to fill the centre of each apple half with the quinoa, bacon, feta mixture.
  • Broil for 5 minutes until golden brown.

These beautiful stuffed Ambrosia apples go very nicely with chicken or pork. Or make them the star of the plate next to some dressed salad greens.

 

 

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