Did you know? There are more than 100 varieties of apples grown in the U.S.! Autumn is apple season in most states – so it should be easy to find some in your hometown.

Enjoy apples in some of these simple ways:

  • Enhance chopped salads: Add crunch to your salad by including sliced apples along with spinach, pecans and feta cheese.
  • Enjoy a sweet-apple dessert: Sauté sliced apples and sprinkle them with cinnamon.
  • Add apples to sandwiches: Enjoy apple slices in a turkey and cheese sandwich or in a grilled cheese.
  • Make apple chips: Preheat your oven to 200 F and add thinly sliced apples sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar to a baking sheet, and bake them for one hour. Flip the apple slices, sprinkle them with more cinnamon and sugar, and bake them for another hour or until desired crispness.
  • Grill apples: Brush apple slices with melted butter and grill them for about five minutes on each side. Drizzle them with cinnamon and honey and enjoy!
  • Make overnight apple oats: In a container, combine ½ cup oats, ½ cup skim milk, ½ cup chopped apples, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon honey. Place the container in the refrigerator while you slumber and simply eat them out of the jar in the morning.
  • Enjoy nut butter with apple slices: Slice apples and top them with your favorite nut butter and raisins.
  • Try roasting vegetables with apples: Evenly chop carrots, potatoes, onions and apples and drizzle the mixture with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Sprinkle in your favorite spices, such a thyme and basil, and bake the mixture in a baking pan for 30 minutes at 425 F.
  • Dip apples: Enjoy sliced apples dipped in yogurt or melted cheese.
  • Make an apple smoothie: Blend together one apple, half a chopped banana, ½ cup of orange juice and a few ice cubes.

    Simple Apple Crisp

    Serves: 6

    Prep Time: 5 minutes

    Cook Time: 40 minutes

    Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 tart apples, medium size
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup whole-wheat flour
  • ½ cup old-fashioned oats
  • ⅓ cup butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 F and coat an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Slice apples into equal-size parts and place them in a baking pan.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients until well-mixed. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples.
  4. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the apples are tender when pierced with a fork.
  5. Serve warm and top with whipped cream, if desired.