grilled cheese sandwiches with savory roasted apples + roasted sweet potato wedges

AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota
Last night, I made a dinner so good that even the babysitter asked for the recipe.
It started with (leftover) savory roasted apples. Each month, I am hired to create a recipe for our local market, Walter Stewart's. In addition to running into a handful of friends every time I shop there (making grocery marketing a-- dare I say it, fun-- social outing as well as a necessity!), I agree to do this because I know the family-owned market takes pride in stocking and showcasing seasonal-- and often local-- ingredients.
This month, I whipped up a batch of savory roasted apples to highlight local apples. It was a variation on a recipe I concocted back in 2011, when we had a glut of apples from a weekend apple-picking adventure, and I was trying to use them up in every possible form. This super easy side dish has now become one of our go-to's in the Fall because it's so easy, and my children LOVE it. (Another favorite apple side is Cider-Braised Cabbage and Apples.)
OK, so back to the sandwiches! As you all know if you read my blog, I've kind of been a cooking maniac this week, squeezing all of the recipes that will be spread over my 3-week Kitchen Coaching Program into a few days of testing them all-- and then some that didn't make the cut-- one more time before a test group of busy parents gives them a whirl. (They get 3 weeks to leisurely stock their freezers... I gave myself 2 days.) So, you'd think that I would have just hauled one of those meals out of the freezer for the sitter and kids to enjoy while I was at Middle School Parent's Night, but no....when I opened my fridge and saw a big bowl of leftover savory roasted apples, I knew I should use them up. And so, it was the incarnation of a gooey, sweet and savory sandwich... And they were a hit.

I assembled them before running to pick up at after school activities, then baked them in 10 minutes so they were ready when the sitter got there.

Grilled Cheese with Savory Roasted Apples
8 slices of your favorite bread
16 slices of your favorite cheese (I made 1/2 with brie and 1/2 with a smoked cheddar)
1 cup savory roasted apples
non-stick baking sheet

Preheat oven to 400. Place 1 slice of cheese on each slice of bread. Top with about 1/4 cup of savory roasted apples. Then, place another slice of cheese and second slice of bread on top of that. Bake for 5-7 minute, then flip, and bake for another 5-7 minutes, until bread is toasty and cheese is melted. Serve warm or room temp.
I also had a sweet potato in the pantry, so as a side dish, I quickly made:
1 large sweet potato
canola oil spray
cinnamon
chili powder
cumin
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Cut sweet potato (skin on or off, your choice) into 1" wedges. Spray rimmed baking sheet with a bit of canola oil, place a single layer of sweet potatoes on baking sheet, sprinkle with spices, salt and pepper. Give the baking sheet a shake to distribute everything a bit more evenly. Roast for 10 minutes, turn the wedges over, and roast another 10 minutes. Sweet potatoes should be fork tender, meaning a fork pierces the sweet potatoes easily. Serve warm. 



Like I said, the meal was a total hit. So much so that the sitter asked for the recipe before she went home! Hope your family enjoys this casual Fall dinner as much as mine did.

Sunday Soup: Curried Lentil Soup with Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes and Kale

OK, so in deciding what to make, I looked at our week ahead. I knew we'd be getting home late from a cross-country meet at tennis lesson on Tuesday, so I wanted something I could have ready / that would heat up in a few minutes, that was healthy and protein-packed, and that my kids would enjoy. Both of my kids like lentil soup, so I decided to use a carton of the Vegetarian Pho Soup Starter to make a thick, comforting Curried Lentil Soup with Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes and Kale. A big fan of meals where I can throw everything in a pot and let them do their thing, that's what I decided to do... and it worked perfectly. Since I knew this recipe was one that could be made ahead and frozen, I decided to make a 6-8 serving recipe, so we'd have some left over to tuck in the freezer.  First I brought the 4 cups of Vegetarian Pho Soup Starter + 2 cups of Pacific Vegetable Broth to a boil.
and then the diced carrots, onions and celery to the pot.
Next, I added frozen chopped butternut squash (b/c I had some on hand, but you could also use fresh butternut squash). And 1 cup of sweet potatoes, which I had peeled and chopped. 
Then the zest of one lemon,
and four frozen cubes of minced cilantro and 1 teaspoon of mild curry powder. Then I lowered the heat to a simmer, covered the pot, and let it do its thing for 25 minutes while I enjoyed a glass of wine.After 25 minutes, I checked to make sure the sweet potatoes and squash were fork tender. Then, I turned the heat off, added the chopped kale, popped the lid back on, and just let the greens wilt a bit-- about 5 minutes. Then it was ready to serve-- or to package up for busy weeknights ahead, as the case may be!Tuesday update: my kids LOVED this soup-- we all did. I made the soup on Sunday and tucked part of it in the freezer, and part of it in the fridge for when we rolled in right at dinnertime tonight. I served it over quinoa and it was a perfect, hearty, healthy meal after an active day! New favorite for the Fall and Winter seasons!!

Curried Lentil Soup with Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes and Kale1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (or 4 cubes frozen minced cilantro)In a soup pot, or Dutch oven, bring the four cups Pacific Vegetarian Pho soup base and two cups of vegetable broth up to a boil. Add the lentils, onion, celery, carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, lemon zest, cilantro and curry powder to the pot. Stir. Lower heat to medium-low, cover, and let simmer for 25 minutes, or until squash and sweet potatoes are fork tender. Turn the burner off, add the chopped kale, and cover pot for 5 more minutes so the green wilt, but do not become soggy. Serve soup warm with an optional dollop of Greek yogurt. Soup will keep in fridge for a few days, or will freeze well for up to 3 months.*This recipe was delicious with a combination of both butternut squash and sweet potatoes, but you could also make it with just one or the other. Whichever you'd prefer, and whichever is easier based upon what you have on hand!

I packed half the batch up in these freezer containers, and packed half the batch up in the fridge... ready for busy weeknights ahead!

Disclosures: the links to my favorite tubs for freezing soups within this post are amazon affiliate links. The pricing is exactly the same for you, but I earn a small commission when you purchase products via these links. {Thank you for helping to support recipe testing on the Full Plate Blog!} Also, as a food blogger, I was sent four cartons of Pacific Soup Starters to try. I was not compensated in any other way for developing this recipe, and purchased the rest of the ingredients myself. Rest assured that-- as always-- I only share recipes my family truly enjoys, and that are keepers!

grilled cheese sandwiches with savory roasted apples + roasted sweet potato wedges

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Last night, I made a dinner so good that even the babysitter asked for the recipe.
It started with (leftover) savory roasted apples. Each month, I am hired to create a recipe for our local market, Walter Stewart's. In addition to running into a handful of friends every time I shop there (making grocery marketing a-- dare I say it, fun-- social outing as well as a necessity!), I agree to do this because I know the family-owned market takes pride in stocking and showcasing seasonal-- and often local-- ingredients.
This month, I whipped up a batch of savory roasted apples to highlight local apples. It was a variation on a recipe I concocted back in 2011, when we had a glut of apples from a weekend apple-picking adventure, and I was trying to use them up in every possible form. This super easy side dish has now become one of our go-to's in the Fall because it's so easy, and my children LOVE it. (Another favorite apple side is Cider-Braised Cabbage and Apples.)
OK, so back to the sandwiches! As you all know if you read my blog, I've kind of been a cooking maniac this week, squeezing all of the recipes that will be spread over my 3-week Kitchen Coaching Program into a few days of testing them all-- and then some that didn't make the cut-- one more time before a test group of busy parents gives them a whirl. (They get 3 weeks to leisurely stock their freezers... I gave myself 2 days.) So, you'd think that I would have just hauled one of those meals out of the freezer for the sitter and kids to enjoy while I was at Middle School Parent's Night, but no....when I opened my fridge and saw a big bowl of leftover savory roasted apples, I knew I should use them up. And so, it was the incarnation of a gooey, sweet and savory sandwich... And they were a hit.

I assembled them before running to pick up at after school activities, then baked them in 10 minutes so they were ready when the sitter got there.

Grilled Cheese with Savory Roasted Apples
8 slices of your favorite bread
16 slices of your favorite cheese (I made 1/2 with brie and 1/2 with a smoked cheddar)
1 cup savory roasted apples
non-stick baking sheet

Preheat oven to 400. Place 1 slice of cheese on each slice of bread. Top with about 1/4 cup of savory roasted apples. Then, place another slice of cheese and second slice of bread on top of that. Bake for 5-7 minute, then flip, and bake for another 5-7 minutes, until bread is toasty and cheese is melted. Serve warm or room temp.
I also had a sweet potato in the pantry, so as a side dish, I quickly made:
1 large sweet potato
canola oil spray
cinnamon
chili powder
cumin
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Cut sweet potato (skin on or off, your choice) into 1" wedges. Spray rimmed baking sheet with a bit of canola oil, place a single layer of sweet potatoes on baking sheet, sprinkle with spices, salt and pepper. Give the baking sheet a shake to distribute everything a bit more evenly. Roast for 10 minutes, turn the wedges over, and roast another 10 minutes. Sweet potatoes should be fork tender, meaning a fork pierces the sweet potatoes easily. Serve warm. 



Like I said, the meal was a total hit. So much so that the sitter asked for the recipe before she went home! Hope your family enjoys this casual Fall dinner as much as mine did.