I thought that since we're approaching the holidays and fall is an excellent time to nab fresh apples from your local grower, it'd be cool to promote an absolutely delicious recipe I heard about the other day. I've yet to try it myself, but my mouth waters just thinking about it. Here it is:

Ingredients:

1 lb Sausage
2 tbsp Yellow onions -- minced
3 tbsp Packed brown sugar
1 Garlic clove -- minced
8 Bacon slices -- chopped
8 Apples -- baking type (Pro-tip: Large apples like Cortlands, Honeycrisp, and Northern Spy are excellent for both baking and for stuffing. They also retain their shape well, which is important when making baked apples in general.)


Directions:

1. Use all ground bulk sausage or a combination of bulk and mild to hot Italian sausage. If using hot Italian sausage, you may wish to omit the garlic.

2. Brown sausage, add garlic and onion. Stir for 3-4 minutes until onion begins to turn light brown and is softened. Drain the mixture thoroughly.

3. Wash and core but do not peel the apples. Stuff the cored apples with the sausage mixture. Sprinkle with brown sugar and top with the bacon slices.

4. Put into an oven-safe baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 40-45 minutes or until apples are soft.

ProTip: Be sure to keep an eye on the apples as they bake. I've done normal baked apples before, and they sometimes have the tendency to bubble up and over. Also check to make sure that they don't scorch. Burnt apple doesn't taste particularly good.

Enjoy!