Recipes with Apple Cider

September 27, 2016
Photo: Jose Picayo
Both apple cider and apple cider vinegar impart delicious fall flavor to soups, desserts, drinks, dressings, and entrées. View some of our favorite ways to infuse spiced-apple flavor into autumn meals.
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Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Apples

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Apples

This one-dish pork tenderloin entrée is perfect for fall. Sweet spices coat lean pork tenderloin, while apples get a savory treatment with shallots and thyme. We use a cast-iron skillet, which evenly conducts heat and keeps the pan hot so that the pork and apples can each get a good searing and lots of caramelized flavor. The tenderloin, sliced into medallions, will cook quickly, so keep a close watch: Overcooking will quickly dry out and toughen this lean cut. Because the dish is ready in 20 minutes, it's essential to have everything on hand and a game plan before you start cooking: Slice the apples before you begin and keep them from browning by tossing the slices with a few teaspoons of lemon juice and cover with plastic wrap. Shallot's papery skin can be a little stubborn to remove, you can sometimes find them pre-peeled in the produce department or soak them in boiling hot water for two to three minutes to make the skins easier to remove. Have a plate and a piece of aluminum foil ready to tent over the meat to keep it warm while the apples cook.

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Cider Doughnuts with Maple-Tahini Glaze

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Cider Doughnuts with Maple-Tahini Glaze

We make old-fashioned, cake-style cider doughnuts even more irresistible by adding maple frosting laced with nutty tahini. Look for tahini in the supermarket’s international aisle or at Mediterranean markets. It’s an incredibly versatile flavor booster, simple yet sophisticated, like peanut butter with a passport.

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Smothered Vinegar Pork Shoulder with Apples and Kale

Photo: Rob Culpepper
View Recipe: Smothered Vinegar Pork Shoulder with Apples and Kale

Settle in tonight for a cozy, comforting dinner. The pork is wonderfully tender and the kale-apple mixture provides the perfect complement to this meal.

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Honey Cider-Beer Cocktails

Photo: Brian Woodcock
View Recipe: Honey Cider-Beer Cocktails

The cider-honey base of this fall beverage makes enough for a whole batch. Beer and cider are refreshing and lower in sugar and alcohol than stronger potions, which tend to go down a bit too easily. The cider syrup needs time to cool; let it rest while you get ready for your party.

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French Onion and Apple Soup

Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: French Onion and Apple Soup  

Apples are a tasty welcomed addition to this traditional comforting classic of stringy melted Swiss, sweet onions, and sourdough bread.

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Chicken, Apple, and Butternut Stew

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Chicken, Apple, and Butternut Stew

Cider, chopped apple, butternut squash, and parsnips lend appealingly forward sweetness to this fall harvest stew. Unfiltered apple cider has pectins that help thicken the stew. If you use filtered, clear cider, add another tablespoon of flour.

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Cider-Roasted Chicken

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Cider-Roasted Chicken

Brining overnight in a salt-and-cider mixture makes this chicken incredibly flavorful and moist while basting with reduced apple cider adds a hint of sweetness to the finished chicken.

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Cinnamon Apple Raisin Bread Pudding

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Cinnamon Apple Raisin Bread Pudding

For an alcohol-free version, substitute apple cider or apple juice for the brandy. Golden raisins, sweetened dried cranberries, or dried cherries can stand in for the raisins.

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Cider Sangria

Photo: Peter Frank Edwards
View Recipe: Cider Sangria

Make the most of day-old wine by turning it into a lightly spiced, brandy-enhanced punch. Throw in some fresh fruit to soak up the flavors, and you have a happy, crowd-pleasing concoction.

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Chicken with Cider and Bacon Sauce

Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Chicken with Cider and Bacon Sauce

Bacon is the key to a simple sauce that transforms skinless, boneless chicken breasts into a meal that looks and tastes more involved than it really is. A little unsweetened apple cider rounds out the sauce with a subtle layer of flavor. Another sauce secret: Don't forget to scrape the browned bits from the pan when you deglaze it, because they're the key to a richer sauce.

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Spiced Cider

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Spiced Cider

Warm up your crew after candy collection with seasonal sips like our Spiced Cider spiked with brandy. Kids will love it too, sans alcohol, of course.

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Roasted Cider-Brined Pork Loin with Green Tomato Chutney

Photo: Squire Fox
View Recipe: Roasted Cider-Brined Pork Loin with Green Tomato Chutney

For the deepest flavor in this pork main dish, use unfiltered cider.

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Spice-Brined Turkey with Cider Pan Gravy

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Spice-Brined Turkey with Cider Pan Gravy

You can use a double layer of turkey brining bags, then keep the bagged turkey in a stockpot in the refrigerator to guard against punctures. Garnish the turkey with fresh herbs and apples, if desired. For more great variations on this roast turkey recipe try: Roast Turkey with Onion and Cranberry Chutney, Shallot and Sage-Roasted Turkey with Shallot Gravy.

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Cider-Braised Cabbage

Photo: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Cindy Barr 
View Recipe: Cider-Braised Cabbage

A little sautéed onion, cider vinegar, and whole-grain mustard make this cabbage a fast and delicious side to add to your weeknight meals.

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Cider-Glazed Chicken with Browned Butter-Pecan Rice

Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Cider-Glazed Chicken with Browned Butter-Pecan Rice

With chicken cutlets and boil-in-bag rice, this unique take on the chicken-and-rice dinner couldn’t be easier (or faster!) to make.

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Apple Cider Vinaigrette

View Recipe: Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Quick and convenient, this vinaigrette is a must-try. It takes five minutes to make. Plus, it’s healthier than store-bought dressings, which tend to be loaded with sugar and sodium.

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Apple-Cider Pie

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Apple-Cider Pie

This top-rated pie is a beautiful combination of fall ingredients. Reducing the apple cider gives concentrated flavor to the filling that keeps the apples moist and delicious.

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Cranberry Sauce with Apple Cider

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Cranberry Sauce with Apple Cider

Apple cider stands in for water to add dimension to this cranberry sauce. It's great with pork or turkey. Try some as a relish on a sandwich made with leftovers.

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Braised Kale with Bacon and Cider

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Braised Kale with Bacon and Cider

This recipe calls for what might appear to be a lot of kale, but it wilts to a manageable amount in the pan. The dish is a suitable side for roast chicken or pork. Also, consider using kale as a stand-in for spinach in other dishes. This low-calorie side dish has about 15 percent of the minimum daily recommended amount of fiber.

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Crisp Autumn Serenade

Photo: Ryan Liebe
View Recipe: Crisp Autumn Serenade

This cocktail brings together the seasonal flavors of apples, pears, ginger, and maple. Bourbon gives it a bit of bite and backbone. (For a sweeter, richer version, you could use a dark rum, like Plantation Grande Reserve or El Dorado 5-year.) You'll make more of the tangy ginger-maple syrup than you need for the recipe; save the remaining syrup for other cocktails or to sweeten and spice up tea or mulled wine.

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Roasted Root Vegetables with Sorghum and Cider

Photo: Anna Williams
View Recipe: Roasted Root Vegetables with Sorghum and Cider

Sorghum—also known as sorghum molasses—is the distinctive, syrupy by-product of sorghum grain. Look for it in specialty stores and gourmet grocers, or substitute molasses.

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Apple-Poblano Whole Roast Turkey

Photo: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Apple-Poblano Whole Roast Turkey

A hint of Southwest spice and chile heat blend with sweet apples for a crowd-pleasing change from traditional turkey. Brining is the key to a moist bird.

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Kale Salad With Apple and Cheddar

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Kale Salad With Apple and Cheddar

The classic delight of sweet apples and extra-sharp white cheddar cheese meet in this kale salad to give the vitamin-enriched green an extra boost of flavor.

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Maple-Cider Brined Turkey with Bourbon-Cider Gravy

Photo: Charles Masters
View Recipe: Maple-Cider Brined Turkey with Bourbon-Cider Gravy

If guests expect the ritual carving at the head of the table, opt for a classic whole presentation, like Maple-Cider Brined Turkey with Bourbon-Cider Gravy. This recipe provides rich seasonal maple and cider flavor, and perfect juiciness from the brine. Tip: Use your largest stockpot for brining the bird, or a brining bag.

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Hearty Oats and Grains

Photo: Iain Bagwell
View Recipe: Hearty Oats and Grains

When you have a house full of guests who'd enjoy a wholesome, hearty breakfast at their own pace, the slow cooker can come to your rescue. Get it going first thing, and let folks serve themselves when they're ready to eat.

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Spiced Caramel Cider

Photo: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Spiced Caramel Cider

If you'd rather snuggle up to a cozy fireplace and hand out candy, rather than collect it, then you'll want to curl up with this warm, flavorful, and savory cider. If you'd prefer a beverage with less spice, try substituting apple juice for the apple cider. It's fantastic either way.

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Overnight Apple Butter

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Overnight Apple Butter

A mixture of apple varieties, rather than just one type, will produce apple butter with rich, complex flavor in this slow cooker recipe. Good choices include Esopus Spitzenburg, Granny Smith, Jonathan, Northern Spy, Rome, Stayman, Winesap, and York.

Enjoy the apple butter over toast or English muffins, or serve it with pork chops or chicken.

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Walnut-Stuffed Apples

Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Walnut-Stuffed Apples

Nothing says "autumn" like the fragrance and flavor of cooked apples, especially when they're filled with a mixture of sweetened currants and walnuts and spiced with cinnamon. Serve these apples warm from the slow cooker with low-fat frozen yogurt.

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Cider and Sage Pork

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Cider and Sage Pork

The classic ingredient combination of cider and sage allow the delicious flavor of the pork to shine through. Serve with steamed green beans.

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Parsnip and Apple Soup

Photo: Jose Picayo
View Recipe: Parsnip and Apple Soup

Tangy yogurt and smoky bacon provide a nice and unexpected counterpoint to this sweet, creamy soup. Serve with fresh bread or as a starter with a meat-based entrée.

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