Bacon Cheddar Apple Crisp
So you probably already have a good idea of what you are cooking for Thanksgiving. I’m going to assume your menu looks a little something like this: bacon-wrapped turkey, bacon mashed potatoes, bacon green bean casserole, bacon pumpkin pie.
So dinner is covered. But what about breakfast? I suggest that you start Thanksgiving morning off with a healthy serving of bacon cheddar apple crisp. I know what you’re thinking, “Bacon? For breakfast? Get outta town!“ But I hear people do it all the time, and the time for you is now (or, more accurately, Thursday morning).
Bacon Cheddar Apple Crisp (ATK recipe with a few additions)
For topping
- 6T flour
- 1/4c packed brown sugar
- 1/4c sugar
- 1/2t cinnamon
- – 1/4t salt
- – 5T butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and softened
- – 3/4c chopped pecans
- – 6-8 slices bacon, candied and chopped
- – 3/4c sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
For filling
- 3lbs (6-8) apples (I used McIntosh and Granny Smith), peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1/4c sugar
- 1 1/2t fresh lemon juice
- 1/2t lemon zest
Directions
- Mix the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt together.
- Add the butter and toss to coat. Pinch the butter chunks and dry mixture between your fingertips until the mixture looks like crumbly wet sand.
- Add the nuts and the bacon, and toss to incorporate. Refrigerate the topping for at least 15 minutes before baking.
- Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the apples, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest together and place in an 2 quart glass or ceramic baking dish or 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Distribute the chilled topping evenly over the fruit.
- Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is deep golden brown, about 40 minutes.
- Remove the crisp from the oven and sprinkle with cheese. Put back in the oven for 6min or until the cheese is bubbly.
- Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with Cool Hwhip, whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
I was concerned that one or more of the different flavors would get lost with everything going on up in there. That was definitely not the case. The sweetness of the apples and the topping and the savory bacon and cheddar came together to create one big bowl of goodness that had me counting my blessings.
