Sausage-Stuffed Apples

This recipe is from my mom's old Boston Cooking School Cookbook, and is not found in my updated Fannie Farmer Cookbook. It's a shame, too, because this was a very interesting dish. It didn't really seem like dinner, but it had sausage, so I wouldn't call it dessert. It would kind of fit in the breakfast category, but it didn't taste at all like a breakfast food! I made it for dinner, so I guess it's a dinner dish.

For this, I used:

• 1 lb. ground sausage
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 c. onion, chopped fine
• 8 apples
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• (optional: 8 strips bacon...I didn't have any or I'd have used it)

Instructions:

Cook onions, garlic and sausage in a skillet for about 10 minutes or until sausage is completely cooked.

I used drops from my mom's tree, so if they look a little scrubby, that's why!

Core the apples meanwhile.

Stuff the cavity in each apple with sausage (I really had to pack it in and still ended up with a bit extra)
Sprinkle sugar over the tops
If using bacon, drape a strip over the top of each apple
Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes until apples are soft.

These turned out well. The first night, the apples were a little crisp still, but we reheated the leftovers the next day and the apples cooked until soft, as they are supposed to be. It was good both nights. The sugar made a crispy sheen on top of the apples, and the sausage and apples complemented each other nicely. This is a good apple dish that can be a main course, and it was nice to find a use for apples that wasn't a dessert. This was a little different than a usual dinner course, but not bad for a change of pace.