How to Serve Apples at Dinner

Co-authored by Amber Crain

Last Updated: March 29, 2019 References

Although we tend to associate apples with dessert, they also have a place at the dinner table. Apples are often paired with white meats like chicken and pork in order to add some sweet and tangy flavor. You can also make a number of salads, soups, and other appetizers using apples. Finally, you can add apples to pizzas, sandwiches, and other dishes for a bit of crispy tartness.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:
Using Apples in Main Courses

1
Cook some apples with white meat. Apples make an excellent accompaniment to roast pork and chicken. Simply throw some apple slices in your roasting pot or pan with the meat and let them cook. If you are frying your meat, you can also add apples to the pan while you are cooking a pork chop or chicken breast.^{[1]
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- Roast apples inside a whole chicken to add some sweetness.^{[2]
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- Apples also pair well with pork and chicken-based products like sausages.^{[3]
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Serve applies with seafood. In addition to white meat, you can also serve apples with seafood like shrimp and scallops.^{[4]
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Research source} The flavors are complementary and the two look visually appealing together, as well. Try serving shrimp or scallops with thin red apple slices. Complement the color of tuna steaks with bright green apple slices.

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3
Add apples to vegetable dishes. In addition to your meats, you can also pair apples with vegetable side dishes or strictly vegetarian meals. Apples pair particularly well with vegetables that have a mild flavor, adding a sweet flavor to any dish. You can also cook them with starches like potatoes.
- You can combine green apples with yellow curry powder and some garlic to make a green apple curry.^{[5]
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- Pair apples with cauliflower for a nice vegetable side dish that you can pair with pork or chicken.^{[6]
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- Apples also go nicely in most vegetable purées.^{[7]
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Use apples for sauces and glazes. If you are looking for a sauce to pair with your chicken, pork, or seafood, you might consider incorporating some apples. You can create a sweet apple glaze with some brown sugar, apples, and a little cooking oil.^{[8]
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- You can also skip making the sauce and simply purée an apple and serve your meat with a side of homemade applesauce.^{[9]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:
Adding Apples to Soups, Salads, and Appetizers

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Make an apple salad. One of the easiest ways to have apples for dinner is to make an apple-based salad. Simply dice up an apple and combine it other vegetables, such as red onions, artichokes, and celery.^{[10]
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Research source} You can also garnish many leafy green salads with an apple to add some sweet or tart flavor. In the summer, you can toss apples with kale, roasted walnuts, and feta cheese.^{[11]
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Serve raw apples with a cheese plate. If you are serving a cheese plate appetizer, apple slices can make a great accompaniment. In general, you should try to pair sweeter apples with full-flavored cheeses. Proper pairings will help bring out the flavors of the cheese and the apples.^{[12]
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- For example, cheddar or bleu cheese pairs well with sweet apples. Brie is also tasty with apples.
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Dice up some apple salsa. Because of its sweetness, raw apple pairs well with spicy ingredients like jalapeño or poblano peppers. Try adding ingredients like sugar, ginger, and nuts that go well with apples and bring out their flavor. Serve this sweet and spicy appetizer with tortilla or pita chips.^{[13]
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Cook apple soups. For cool fall evenings, apples make for delicious soups. You can sauté apples with other vegetables to create a hearty stew or purée the fruit for creamier soups. If you are in a pinch, you can also use applesauce instead of puréeing your apples.^{[14]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:
Using Apples as Toppings and Garnish

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Top your pizza with apples. If you want to add a little tartness and sweetness to your pizza, try adding apple slices. The apples pair well with caramelized onions and different cheeses like feta, cheddar, and gorgonzola. If you like your apples to be soft, consider sautéing them before putting them on the pizza.^{[15]
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Add apples to your sandwiches. Apples can add some extra crunch and flavor to your sandwiches. You can add apple slices to deli meat sandwiches or roast apples in your grilled cheese sandwiches.^{[16]
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Research source} You can also add apple chunks to chicken salad.^{[17]
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- Consider pickling apples and adding them to your sandwiches for some extra flavor.^{[18]
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3
Garnish main dishes with apple slices. Apples can be a visually appealing garnish for almost any main dish, especially since there are several colors to choose from. Play around with color and texture when using apple slices for garnish. For instance, a roasted chicken with a crispy browned skin can look great surrounded by deep red apple slices. Green apple slices next to yellow curry sauces can make the color of both foods really pop.

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