Savory Ways to Use Apples at Thanksgiving

Apples are a wonderful snack and also make wonderful desserts. What most people don't realize is that apples aren't just for sweets. They make a wonderful addition in savory recipes as well. They're certainly a special ingredient that will wow your guests' taste buds this Thanksgiving.

Apple Cornbread Dressing

Cornbread dressing is a favorite at the holidays and works beautifully with pork or turkey. While most people love to use onions in their cornbread dressing, you can also use apples. Granny Smith apples are a wonderful way to keep cornbread dressing moist without over sweetening the dish. Dried cranberries can also be added to balance out any sweetness the apples might add. This is a simple substitution. Just use the same amount of apples as you would onions and substitute the celery with the dried cranberries. Of course, you'll want to reconstitute the cranberries in warm water or chicken stock before adding them to the dressing.

Apple Cranberry Relish

What would Thanksgiving be without cranberries? Cranberries add a pop of flavor that contrasts perfectly with turkey. Of course, the same old cranberry sauce can get boring after a while and canned cranberry sauce hasn't wowed anyone in decades. Thankfully, cranberry relish is easy to prepare. All you need to do is mix chopped apples with dried cranberries that have been reconstituted in orange juice, orange zest and finely minced ginger. Allow the mixture to refrigerate overnight so that the flavors can mingle. Think of this as a fall version of salsa.

Apple Cider Ham Glaze

Not everyone enjoys turkey at Thanksgiving. For those that like ham, this is an easy way to add the delicious flavor of apple into a savory dish. To prepare, you'll need to mix about a cup of brown sugar with 3 cups of apple cider, a few good grinds of fresh cracked black pepper, ground cloves and cinnamon. Prepare your ham for glazing as normal. Combine the glaze ingredients and bring to a boil in a small sauce pan and reduce to medium heat. Keep cooking until the mixture reduces by half. Place some of the glaze on the ham and add more glaze every 15 minutes until the ham is heated through.