Pork Sausage Stuffed Apples

Not every baked apple is filled with sweet cinnamon sugar streusel; some of them are filled with flavorful ground pork! Just like our apple cider braised pork roast, we knew that apples and pork were the perfect combo!

We absolutely love making this sausage mixture filled with ultra-savory ingredients like fresh sage, thyme, garlic, and onions. There's also a kick of heat from red pepper flakes, a little added sweetness from honey, plus plenty of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

This is the ultimate fall dinner, or even the perfect appetizer for serving a crowd this fall for any occasion.

For more cozy fall dinners, you may also enjoy this butternut squash gnocchi skillet with Italian sausage, this pumpkin risotto with chicken, and this maple glazed chicken and harvest vegetables!

❤️Why We Love This Recipe

• Made with simple ingredients. This easy recipe is made with plenty of pantry and kitchen staples. No fresh herbs? No problem, just use dried! Anything else you can find at most grocery stores.
• Delicious complex flavor. Sweet and savory, aromatic, light yet hearty, fresh, and filling, this dish has it all!
• Great for meal prep. These little beauties reheat super well, and almost get better and more juicy the next few days after.
• Easy to portion. These are really great to portion out. Each serving is one whole apple (two pieces or halves), but obviously, the apples are split in half, right down the middle. Eat one half at a time for a side dish or substantial snack. As a main dish, eat two pieces.
• Feed a crowd. Do you have an upcoming fall party to celebrate Autumn? Maybe you're looking for a unique and filling idea for Halloween or Thanksgiving. You'll love these savory baked apples!

🍎Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you'll need for these yummy roasted apples with pork. You can find more information for substitutions below.

• Apples. Medium to large apples. Choose something that will stand up well to roasting, like Honey Crisp, Cortland, or Braeburn. You want an apple that will retain its shape well, but also is naturally quite sweet on its own.
• Ground pork. We use plain ground pork for this to make our own pork sausage. We like to do this to add our own salt, herbs, and seasonings.
• Butter. We recommend using unsalted butter so you have more control over the salt level in this dish.
• Garnishes. Some of our favorite garnishes include honey, maple syrup, balsamic glaze, flaky sea salt, fresh thyme, more parmesan cheese, black pepper, and fried sage. All are optional and to taste!

Visit the recipe card for the full quantities and nutritional information.

✨Substitutions

Here are a few suggestions on additional flavors to try, or simple variations to this recipe.

• Use chicken or turkey instead. If you don't eat pork, no problem, ground chicken or turkey are absolutely perfect for this recipe.
• No fresh herbs. If you don't have fresh thyme or sage, no worries! Just use dried. Keep in mind that dried herbs have a more potent flavor than fresh, so you'll want to use about ⅓ of the amount that you would of fresh.
• No fresh garlic or onion. We do recommend using fresh if you can because the flavor is unmatched! Fresh onion especially adds a lot of moisture to the sausage and helps prevent them from drying out. However, if you're short on time, you can use onion powder instead. Again, because the flavor of dried herbs and aroamtics is more concentrated than fresh, use about ⅓ of the amount you would of fresh.
• Maple & brown sugar. You can use equal amounts of maple syrup in place of honey to garnish the apples. You could also add a sprinkle of brown sugar to add a lovely additional flavor to the apples.
• Swap the cheese. Feel free to swap the parmesan for Gruyere or sharp cheddar.

✨Variations

• Make a breakfast version! Feel free to use breakfast pork sausage here, but be aware that breakfast sausage will have some added salt and vinegar, so go easy on the added salt. We'd recommend adding about ½ of the salt the recipe calls for, but it truly depends on the brand, and we can't make any guarantees!
• Spicy. Love spice? Swap the ground pork for hot Italian sausage and extra red pepper flakes! Like breakfast sausage, Italian sausage has added salt, so go easy on adding more.
• Add herbs. Herbs like parsley and rosemary would make excellent additions to this dish!
• Smoky. Add smoked paprika to the spice blend for a smoky note!
• Add more warm spices. Cloves and allspice would make great additions to the spice blend to add a depth of flavor to the meat.
• Stretch the filling. Add cooked rice, like in our Italian sausage stuffed peppers, to stretch the meat in the filling! You can also add cooked quinoa or any grain of choice.
• Add-ins. Feel free to add dried fruit (like cranberries or cherries) or nuts (like walnuts, pecans, or pistachios) for a little added crunch and flavor.
• Mustard. Add a tablespoon or two of Dijon mustard to the mixture for a punch of flavor!
• Dairy-free. Use dairy-free or vegan butter and parmesan here if you don't eat any dairy.
• Vegan. Follow the swaps for dairy-free, swap the honey for maple syrup, and just make sure you're using your favorite ground pork sausage substitute to make this recipe vegan.

This recipe hasn't been tested with any other substitutions or variations, so we can't guarantee any results. If you make a change, let us know how it goes in the comments below!

📋Prep work

• Mince garlic, fresh thyme, and sage.
• Finely chop the onions and celery. You want small pieces since these are going inside the pork mixture.
• Preheat a large skillet over medium heat.
• Prepare a baking sheet or large baking dish with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Prep the Apples

• Very carefully, starting at the very top of the apples and through the stem, cut each apple in half lengthwise. Make sure to use a very sharp knife.
• Core the apples, and remove the seeds in the middle. We used a small cookie scoop. You can use a small spoon or melon baller as well.
• Remove the apple flesh from the center, leaving about a ½-inch "shell" on the apple. You want to remove the entire core of the apple but not make the remaining apple too thin. It should be able to support the pork mixture. (Image 1)

Cut a small piece of the apple off the back of it so it can lay flat while it bakes. (Image 2)

Dice the apple flesh from the inside of the apple as well as the backs, we will add these to the sausage mixture.

Cook down the aromatics

In a hot skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add in the finely chopped onion and celery with a pinch of salt, and cook until softened about 3-5 minutes. (Image 3)

Add in the chopped apple pieces, garlic, fresh thyme & sage, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and another good pinch of salt. (Image 4)

Cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes, then remove from the skillet to cool. (Image 5)

Mix the sausage

In a large bowl, combine ground pork with parmesan cheese, the remaining salt, and pepper. (Image 6)

Add the onion, celery, and apple mixture. (Image 7)

Gently fold ingredients together to combine. (Image 8)

Bake the apples

Roll the meat into eight balls. They should be roughly 3 - 3.5 ounces in size. Gently place the meat mixture inside the cored apples. (Image 9)

Roast the apples for 20-25 minutes, to soften the apples slightly, as well as cook the meat all the way through. The pork must reach an internal temperature of 160°F to be safe to consume, according to USDA regulations. (Image 10)

Now, simply top with a drizzle of honey (optional), with more fresh herbs, parmesan cheese, flaky sea salt, pepper, and crispy fried sage if desired. (Image 11) Enjoy!

Serve over a bed of creamy French onion mashed potatoes to make it a whole droolworthy meal!

✨Tips & Tricks

• Use firm yet sweet apples. Make sure your apples will stand up well to roasting before making this recipe. Also, you'll want to make sure they aren't too tart, but more on the sweet side. You'll need some natural sweetness in this dish for best results. We'd recommend using an apple like Honey Crisp or Pink Lady.
• Cut a slice off the back of the apple. This will ensure the apples lay flat while they are in the oven. Chop up the extra bit of apple and saute it with the aromatics!
• Don't overcook the pork. Make sure the internal temperature reaches at least 160°F before taking it out of the oven, but don't cook it for too long after that. You want the meatballs to retain their juices, as well as allow the apple to hold up well.

💭Frequently Asked Questions