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Dutch Apple Pie

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Dutch Apple PieSpring isn’t necessarily what I would consider “prime” apple season in Michigan. Usually that’s fall with all the apple picking and cider making and apple cider donut eating. Mostly apple cider donut eating. But spring does include pi day (3.14…). Math dorks, are you with me? Okay, FINE. You caught me. 3/14 is technically still winter. But I think pie can be good any season because…well, it’s pie. And pie in my mouth in any season is A-OK.

Dutch Apple PieApple pie is one of my favorites. And *especially* Dutch apple pie with it’s sweet, crumbly, and crunchy topping. My, OH MY! To be fair, I’d eat pretty much any kind of pie. I can’t really think of a bad one off the top of my head and there are SO MANY choices. Everything from fruit, to chocolate, to savory. Oh wait…Banana cream pie. That’s a pie I’m not so sure about. How can you really be sure with the typically fake banana flavor? UGHH. If I ever find a good banana cream pie recipe I will be sure to share.

Dutch Apple PieI’m going to chat more about apple pie to get my thoughts off of banana cream pie. First of all, apple pie is one of the (in my opinion) most American of pies. 4th of July? Apple pie. Thanksgiving? Apple pie. Memorial Day? Apple pie. Today? Apple pie. You really can’t go wrong and people who don’t like apple pie are few and far between. Second, what can be easier than throwing some sliced apples with a few ingredients you probably already have in your pantry to whip up a scrumptious treat? Done. and. done.

Dutch Apple PieBy the way, did you notice my super cool apple slicer above? These things are old school but work like magic. I remember my grandma slicing apples for pies with one of these many years ago. This isn’t the same one but it makes apple slicing and peeling so much fun! You should get your hands on one and try it. Slicing apples will no longer seem tedious!

Dutch Apple Pie
Serves 8
Golden and crispy topping on a scrumptious apple pie
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
45 min
Total Time
1 hr
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
45 min
Total Time
1 hr
For the pie
  1. 1 refrigerated pie crust
  2. 6 cups thinly sliced baking apples (about 6-8 apples)
  3. 3/4 cup sugar
  4. 2 tablespoons flour
  5. 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  6. 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
For the crumble topping
  1. 1 stick butter, softened
  2. 3/4 cup flour
  3. 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  4. 1/4 cup brown sugar
  5. 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  6. pinch of salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Unroll the pie crust into pie dish, making sure to push to the bottom of the pan. Pinch the excess dough into the edges and crimp edges, if desired.
  3. Mix the sliced apples, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, lemon juice, and 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon together in a large bowl.
  4. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the butter, flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt for the crumble topping. Break apart the butter until it becomes about pea-sized pieces.
  5. Pour the apple mixture into the pie crust. Top with crumble topping.
  6. Bake on bottom rack of the oven until golden brown and bubbly, about 40-45 minutes.
Notes
  1. You can choose which kind of apples you want to use but some apples hold up better than others for pie. You can even mix a couple kinds of apples...Granny Smith, Honeycrisps, and Braeburn apples are all great for pie making!
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Orange Cranberry Cashew Salad

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Orange Cranberry Cashew SaladIn general, I have to be in the right mood to eat a salad. Like if I could choose anything in the world to eat, my first choice would not be salad. It’s usually something more like pizza. Just saying. However, Travis and I ate this entire thing one day for lunch and loved it! The orange gives it a fresh citrus flavor, the cranberry is a little sweet and sour, and the cashews are salty and crunchy. YUM! I also have some creamy fresh mozzarella on there. And let’s face it…cheese makes everything better. End of story.

Orange Cranberry Cashew SaladThe great thing about this salad is that it’s *super* simple to make but seems *super* fancy. You could totally bring this to a fancy party and fit right in. But you could also make it in 5 minutes while binge watching TV in your sweatpants. It’s your life…I won’t judge. It’s hard to find something appropriate for EVERYTHING. This is it. This is the side dish that is perfect in any situation. You’re welcome.

Orange Cranberry Cashew SaladTalking about fancy, I am not very fancy. Fancy restaurants make me nervous and I usually leave hungry. Well, yesterday Travis and I went to this kind of fancy restaurant for an event with appetizers and such. As soon as we walked in I thought, “Something smells funky.” I mean I wish I spent the time enjoying meeting and talking to people but I mostly thought about how funky it smelled. I’m just being honest here. Anyways, they had some nice flatbread pizza and fancy fries and dips that of course we devoured. Afterwards, I told Travis that the funkiness was definitely from the fries. I thought it was a cheese or something but turns out they were truffle fries.

Orange Cranberry Cashew SaladNow, here’s the difference between me and someone fancy with a refined “palete” (yes, I had to look up how to spell that because I don’t use that word in real life). Turns out, I HATE the smell and taste of truffles. A fancy person would say that’s crazy and I don’t know what’s good. I’m sorry, but I’m not a fan. It must be one of those acquired tastes that only fancy people like. Or maybe I can just blame my heightened sense of smell and taste on the pregnancy. Perhaps I shouldn’t rule out such a supposedly wonderful thing so quickly. So instead I will say that as of today, I am not a fan of truffles, but who knows what will happen in the future.

Anywho, getting back to the salad. Regardless of how refined you palate is, this is a fancy and simple salad that you will love!

Orange Cranberry Cashew Salad
Super simple salad perfect for any event!
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Prep Time
5 min
Prep Time
5 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 orange
  2. 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  3. 1 tablespoon honey
  4. 1 teaspoon mustard
  5. salt and pepper, to taste
  6. 1/4 cup olive oil
  7. Spinach and/or salad greens of your choice
  8. Dried cranberries
  9. Cashews
  10. Fresh Mozzarella cheese
Instructions
  1. Cut the skin off the orange with a knife. To do this, I cut the top and bottom of the orange off, then ran my knife around the orange from top to bottom. Make sure to get all the white pith off in this process.
  2. Using a sharp knife, cut out the orange wedges by cutting just inside the white lines (see image above). This makes nice slices without the pith.
  3. Squeeze the juice from the leftover orange pith into a bowl. Whisk in the balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard, and salt and pepper.
  4. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until it comes together.
  5. In a large salad bowl toss together the salad greens, dried cranberries, cashews, Mozzarella cheese, and a drizzle of the salad dressing, to taste.
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Shepard’s Pot Pie

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Shepards Pot PieShepard’s pot pie. What exactly is that? Well that’s a good question since it’s kind of something made up from mixing other recipes together. Think chicken pot pie with a mashed potato (like Shepard’s pie) topping. Usually in my chicken pot pie recipe I use an exorbitant amount of potatoes for the chicken to potato to other vegetable ratio. So, why not just make potatoes a star with a mashed potato topping?? Genius, I know. It was bound to happen someday.

Shepards Pot PieChicken pot pie/Shepard’s pie/Shepard’s pot pie are recipes that usually go well on a cold winter night since they tend to warm your belly and your soul. Well, folks, here it is April 8th in southern Michigan and there is snow on the ground and there’s more snow in the forecast. So let’s forget the whole “it’s good in the winter” thing and say that this would be a perfect April dish when the snow is coming down in parts of the country where there should be no more snow for the season. It’s okay, next week will probably be 80 degrees and sunny based on the weather patterns here.

Shepards Pot PieEnough about the crazy weather and back to the Shepard’s pot pie. Everyone has preferences for what they like in their pot pie recipes. Please, add whatever you like. I’m not a fan of mushrooms and onions aren’t huge on my list of favorites (so I only added a little onion). Some people love those so add mushrooms and more onion if that’s you’re pleasure. You can add frozen corn…that would be delicious. You could even make this with ground beef instead of chicken if you wanted to really go the Shepard’s pie route! Hmmm, I didn’t think of that before but that would have been good. Whoever tries it with ground beef, let me know how it goes.
Shepards Pot Pie

Shepard's Pot Pie
Serves 6
Chicken Pot Pie...with a mashed potato twist!
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Prep Time
45 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
1 hr 35 min
Prep Time
45 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
1 hr 35 min
Ingredients for the Mashed Potatoes
  1. 3-4 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
  2. 2 tablespoons butter, plus 1 tablespoon to top the potatoes before baking
  3. 1/2 cup milk
  4. salt and pepper, to taste
Ingredients for the Pot Pie
  1. 1/3 cup butter
  2. 1/3 cup flour
  3. 1/2 medium onion, chopped
  4. 2 carrots, diced
  5. 2 stalks of celery, diced
  6. salt and pepper, to taste
  7. 2/3 cup milk
  8. 1 1/2 cup chicken stock
  9. 1 pound chicken, cooked and cubed
  10. 3/4 cup frozen peas
  11. 1 refrigerated pie crust
Directions for the Mashed Potatoes
  1. Add diced potatoes into a pot of cold water. Bring the water to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
  2. Drain the potatoes and set aside.
  3. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, milk, and salt and pepper into the same pot. Once melted, add the potatoes back into the pot and mash.
  4. Set aside.
Directions for the Pot Pie
  1. While the potatoes are cooking, heat 1/3 cup of butter in a large saute pan over medium heat until melted. Add in the flour, onion, carrots, celery, and salt and pepper. Stir constantly while cooking for 8-10 minutes, or until the vegetables are just getting tender.
  2. Remove from heat and add in the milk and chicken stock.
  3. Heat over medium to medium-high heat until mixture comes to a simmer, stirring constantly. Let simmer for 1 minute, until the mixture thickens.
  4. Add in the cooked chicken and peas and simmer until heated through. Remove from heat and set aside.
  5. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
  6. Press the pie crust into an 8x8 pan (on the bottom and up the sides of the pan). This might take some finagling to fit but luckily pie crust is forgiving in this case.
  7. Pour the chicken pot pie mixture into the uncooked pie crust. Top with a layer of mashed potatoes, making sure to press the potatoes all the way to the edges. Top with 1 tablespoon of butter (cut into smaller pieces to spread over entire top).
  8. Place pan on a foil-lined baking sheet (in case it spills over) and bake in a preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.
  9. Let sit 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
  1. If you don't let the pot pie sit after baking, the chicken and veggie mixture will be thin and tend to run everywhere. Letting it sit for a bit helps the mixture to stay together a bit more while serving.
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Chicken Parmesan

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Chicken ParmesanEvery once in awhile I get a hankering for a classic and simple dish like Chicken Parmesan. I mean, you can’t go wrong with a classic. It just so happens that this is a fairly classic recipe made oh-so-delicious with a panko breadcrumb and Parmesan coating. If you aren’t familiar with panko breadcrumbs, think breadcrumbs but lighter and crispier. You can find them in basically every grocery store, if not every one, so don’t worry that they’ll be hard to find. It’s worth it. For real.

Chicken ParmesanI’ve only ever actually made Chicken Parmesan maybe a couple times in my life. This is a dish that’s so easy to order at a Italian restaurant and it’s pretty much always delicious. Where can you really go wrong with breaded chicken, cheese, and pasta? It’s like you’d have to *try* to make those ingredients taste bad. Even though I’ve made it before, I for some reason was convinced that it would be hard to make and would be a disaster. False. Totally false. This recipe is not hard to make at all. And it totally was not a disaster. Note to future Steph thinking Chicken Parmesan is hard to make…IT IS SO EASY!

Chicken ParmesanThe main advice I have for anything breaded is just to prep well. As you may or may not know, I am a very experienced cook so you should all listen to any and all advice that I have. That’s a joke…my experience is limited. However, you can be assured that any advice I post is from personal experience. So that’s a win for you! Once you have the 3 pans (flour mixture, egg mixture, and breading) ready to go, you’re basically golden. The rest is just a little cooking on the stove top and in the oven. Easy peasy.

Chicken ParmesanThe moral of the story is that no matter how delicious Chicken Parmesan can be at a restaurant, you can easily make it just as (if not more) delicious in your own home. Your own home, folks.

Chicken Parmesan
Serves 4
Simple and delicious Chicken Parmesan with a light and crispy breading
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
35 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
35 min
Ingredients
  1. 4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
  2. 1/2 cup flour
  3. salt and pepper, to taste
  4. 2 eggs, whisked
  5. 1.5 cups panko breadcrumbs
  6. 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
  7. 1/2 cup olive oil
  8. 2 tablespoons butter
  9. 1 cup pasta sauce
  10. 4 slices mozzarella cheese
  11. basil, optional, to garnish
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Place chicken (1-2 breasts at a time) in a plastic zip top bag. Use a rolling pin to pound each chicken breast to about 1/2" thick. Set aside.
  3. Mix together the flour and salt and pepper, to taste. Pour mixture onto on a plate or large flat pan and set aside. Have another pan (with edges) ready with the whisked egg and salt and pepper, to taste. In a 3rd pan, mix the panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Dredge the pounded chicken in the flour mixture, coat with the egg mixture (let extra slightly drain off), and finally coat in the breadcrumb mixture.
  4. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saute pan over medium to medium high heat. Once the oil is heated, add the dredged chicken into the pan and cook 2-3 minutes per side, until just golden brown.
  5. Place the chicken on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover each piece of chicken with about 1/4 cup of pasta sauce, mozzarella slices, and basil.
  6. Bake in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until cooked through and the cheese is melted.
  7. Serve over pasta.
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Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip

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peanut butter dipHappy (almost) Easter! Easter is a time often filled with wonderful things including celebrating with families and friends. And with family and friend celebrations come many dinners and get-togethers. Maybe someday I will be good enough to make a fancy lamb shaped cake or egg-shaped mashed potato balls (I’m pretty sure that’s not a thing. Love mashed potatoes…so maybe it should be a thing.). Nonetheless, with work and travel and general life craziness comes little time to put something spectacular together for now. If that’s the case for you as well, you probably have the 3 minutes to pull this together for a party and quite possibly the ingredients to do so without a run to the store. Win. Win. Win.

peanut butter dipThis super simple peanut butter yogurt dip is a quick, delicious solution to hunger. And with my growing body (thanks to baby), you can be assured I am *always* hungry. Always. No joke. It’s real. With just 4 ingredients, and a generally healthy mix of ingredients at that, this is a perfect snack, appetizer, or even dessert. It’s slightly sweet, slightly salty, and 100% amazing. The possibilities are STUPENDOUS! 

peanut butter dipPeanut butter yogurt dip is perfect with apples and bananas. And I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas. Come on, you know the song. If not, I’m not sure what you learned in elementary school. It’s also a perfect pairing with graham crackers. As much as I loved the apples and bananas with this dip, I have to say my favorite was the graham crackers. I’m a carb-aholic though so that comes as no surprise!

peanut butter dipIf you come up with another perfect pairing, leave a comment and let me know what you enjoyed this dip with!

Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip
Slightly sweet, slightly salty peanut butter yogurt dip that's healthy and delicious!
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Prep Time
3 min
Total Time
3 min
Prep Time
3 min
Total Time
3 min
Ingredients
  1. 1/2 cup peanut butter
  2. 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (or about a 5.3 ounce container)
  3. 3 tablespoons honey
  4. 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl with a spoon.
  2. Serve with fruit or graham crackers.
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