Bacon, Cheddar, and Apple Bake

This southern-style dish, which combines savory (bacon and sharp Cheddar cheese) and sweet (apples, maple syrup, and powdered sugar), makes a delicious side for any meal—or an all-in-one breakfast casserole. The recipe comes to us courtesy of Kentucky Cooks: Favorite Recipes from Kentucky Living by Linda Allison-Lewis, a 232-page, hardcover book from University Press of Kentucky. (Note: If you can’t tell from the ingredients, this isn’t exactly a healthy dish. Make this as a special treat!)

Bacon, Cheddar, and Apple Bake

• 3 medium apples, peeled and sliced
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 pound bacon, crisply fried and crumbled
• 2 cups flour
• 3 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk
• 5 eggs
• Maple syrup for topping
• Powdered sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix apples and sugar. Arrange in rows on an ungreased 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Cover apples with cheese and sprinkle with bacon. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over apples. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Serve immediately with maple syrup and powdered sugar for topping.

Yield: 8 servings

Corn and Cheddar Cheese Chowder

Corn and Cheddar Cheese Chowder

(Makes 8 servings)

• 1 1/3 cups potatoes, diced
• 2 2/3 cups boiling salted water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/3 teaspoon sage
• 2/3 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
• 4 tablespoons margarine
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 1 2/3 cups buttermilk
• Corn kernels from 4 ears, or 2 cups canned corn
• 1 tablespoon brewer’s yeast (optional)
• 5 green onions (scallions), chopped
• 1/3 teaspoon each nutmeg, salt, cayenne
• 1 1/3 cups Cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Boil potatoes in salted water with bay leaf, sage, and cumin in covered saucepan 15 minutes.

In another pan, heat margarine and sauté onion until tender. Add flour, mix until blended. Add buttermilk. Whisk until mixture thickens, keeping heat very low. Pour mixture into potato mixture gradually, stirring constantly.

Add corn, yeast, green onions, nutmeg, salt, and cayenne. Simmer for 10 minutes, adding water if too thick. Add cheese, mix well and heat until melted, being careful not to let soup boil.

Serve in soup bowls garnished with chopped parsley.

Recipe from The Saturday Evening Post Fiber & Bran Better Health Cookbook, © The Saturday Evening Post Society. All rights reserved.