Apples Stuffed with Sausage, Rosemary, and Pine Nuts

These stuffed apples are a stunning side dish. They’re filled with a sausage, pine nut and rosemary stuffing and are perfect served with roast chicken. This recipe is sponsored by the New York Apple Growers Association.

Last year, the nice people from the New York Apple Growers Association sent me a very large box of their new RubyFrost apple. This apple has a tart-sweet flavor and nice crunch. I really like to eat it cold from the fridge but it also stands up well to cooking. I decided to experiment with stuffing the apples since I was pretty sure that they aren’t the kind of apple that turns to mush. I was right. The RubyFrost is a great apple for stuffing. It holds its shape and the not-too-sweet flavor is wonderful when cooked.

When we think of stuffed apples we usually think of a sweet dessert-style filling. For this recipe I wanted to show off the delicious savory tart apple flavors. I therefore filled the apples with a bread, sausage, pine nut, and rosemary stuffing.

Making Savory Stuffed Apples

To make these stuffed apples you mix together the stuffing ingredients: bread cubes, cooked sausage (sauté your own or buy pre-cooked crumbles), toasted pine nuts, and rosemary. Hollow out the apples and then spoon in the filling.

Put the apples in a rimmed baking dish and bake at 350°F until the filling is heated through and the apples are softened a bit, about 50 minutes.

Plan Ahead

Beyond being amazingly delicious, these stuffed apples are a fabulous make-ahead side dish. Up to 24 hours ahead of time, hollow out the apples and rub the insides and any exposed white parts lightly with lemon juice. Stuff them and arrange them in the baking tray. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge.

Take them out and put them on the counter while the oven preheats. Remove the plastic wrap and then bake as directed. Note that the flesh of the apples may turn brown in the fridge despite the lemon juice. But that’s ok since it would have turned brown from baking anyhow.

If you live in the NorthEastern US, look for RubyFrost in stores near you. If you can’t find the RubyFrost, a different tart-sweet crunchy apple will work just fine.

Apples Stuffed with Sausage, Rosemary, and Pine Nuts

★★★★★

4.3 from 3 reviews

• Author: Christine Pittman
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: American

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These stuffed apples are a stunning side dish. They’re filled with a sausage, pine nut and rosemary stuffing and are perfect served with roast chicken or roast pork. Beyond being amazingly delicious, these stuffed apples are a fabulous make-ahead side dish and can be prepped up to 24-hours before baking.

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Ingredients

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• 6 apples
• ½ lb. cooked Italian sausage (about 3 links), chopped or crumbled
• 1 cup cubed fresh bread
• 3 Tbsp. pine nuts
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 and ½ tsp. olive oil

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. In a medium bowl combine the sausage, bread crumbs, pine nuts, and rosemary.
3. Cut the top third off of an apple. Use a melon baller to scoop out the core of the apple along with some of the flesh, leaving ¼ to ½ inch around the edges. Repeat with remaining apples.
4. Arrange apples in a baking dish.
5. Divide the sausage mixture among the apples, squashing it gently so that it all fits. The stuffing will be mounded above the apples. Drizzle each mound of stuffing with ¼ teaspoon of the olive oil.
6. Bake until the apples are tender, 50-60 minutes. Use a metal spatula to lift apples out of the baking dish and onto a serving plate.