Digging around in Grandma’s recipe box again, I’ve found so many new recipes to try, and what better way to piece things together and learn even more in the kitchen? Plus I never know what notes I may find, written by her hand.
This Apple Quickie is one of the best apple crisp recipes I’ve ever tried. Grandma has written on the recipe, “Tastes like old fashioned apple crisp.”
Indeed it tastes delicious. It has such a sweet flavor, and one of the nice things about it is that it doesn’t require a ton of ingredients.
The hardest part about this recipe is peeling and slicing the apples. It’s definitely a recipe I’ll be making again and again. Kinda like another family-favorite, cinnamon stuffed pears. You might even add a pinch of homemade apple pie spice for extra flavor.
I hope you enjoy!
Apple Quickie (Apple Dump Cake)
Apple Quickie, or apple dump cake, is one of the best apple desserts and tastes like old-fashioned apple crisp.
8 apples (medium to large in size)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon salted butter
7.5 ounces yellow cake mix
Use canned or freshly cooked, sliced apples (I chose to use fresh apples, since they’re in season); in the case of fresh apples, core, peel, and slice. Arrange apple slices in buttered 8x8x2 pan. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over apples. Dot with butter. Sprinkle with cake mix, direct from box. Pierce with fork so juice can bubble up through.
Bake in a moderate oven at 375° for about 30 minutes. Serve while warm with whipped topping, if desired. Enjoy!
Learn how to make homemade 15 bean soup with ham with this easy stovetop dinner recipe, perfect for leftover ham. There’s so much flavor in this hearty, meaty, filling soup! Fill your bowl with the ultimate comfort food soup.
Cooler months of the year are when I just want to break out all the soup recipes… There’s just something cozy about a warm, steaming bowl of ham and 15 bean soup.
15 bean soup is perfect for chilly fall days, rainy days, or days where you just need a bit of down home comfort. And it pairs deliciously with a skillet of buttermilk cornbread.
Why You’ll Love This Soup
It’s the perfect way to use up leftover ham in a most delicious way. We usually use a ham hock from a glazed pre-cooked ham we’ve baked.
Like I mentioned above, 15 bean and ham soup really is the ultimate comfort food. It’s warm and cozy.
It’s also hearty and filling.
15 bean soup with rice is a healthy one pot dinner. You’ve got protein, fiber, fat, and carbs in one big pot of soup.
It’s chock full of delicious flavor, from the beans to the meat to the veggies and seasonings used.
Ingredients and Substitutions Notes:
Speaking of seasonings, let’s talk ingredients…
Garlic and Yellow Onion – You can use fresh cloves of garlic or already minced garlic you can get at the grocery store, usually in the produce section. Yellow onion also gives a nice kick to the flavor.
Red and Green Bell Peppers – I love the color this gives to the soup, not to mention the flavor. If you need help learning how to dice the peppers, here’s how to cut a pepper, including how to dice.
Ham Bone or Ham Hocks – If you don’t have a leftover ham bone, you can always just buy one at a local butcher shop. Or instead you can substitute something like smoked sausage.
15 Bean Soup Mix – While you can just use navy beans or cannellini beans, I love a bag of 15 bean soup mix. You get a variety of beans in Hurst’s HamBeens, including northern, pinto, large lima, yelloweye, garbanzo, baby lima, green split, kidney, cranberry, small white, pink, small red, yellow split, lentil, navy, white kidney, and/or black bean. You will need to soak the beans overnight in water, but you won’t need the seasoning packet.
Long-Grain Rice – I prefer long-grain rice because it’s usually not as sticky, and it falls apart in the soup. Of course, you can always leave out the rice if you don’t want to add it to the soup; but I will say the rice really adds to the heartiness of this wonderful bean and rice soup.
Seasonings – It’s pretty simple. You’ll just need salt, pepper, and smoked paprika for a good flavor kick.
How to Make 15 Bean Soup with Ham
As I mentioned in the ingredient notes above, be sure to soak the beans overnight, so they’re ready to go the next day. Also, be sure to thaw the ham hocks ahead of time.
Then just follow these steps…
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven pan over medium heat, and sauté the onion, garlic, and bell peppers for 5-10 minutes, or ’til softened.
Add the ham bone or hocks and 15 bean soup mix to the onion mixture in the Dutch oven.
Cover the ham bone with the water. Cover and bring to a boil; then reduce the heat to low-medium, and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours.
Remove the hocks from the water; then pull the meat from the bone and chop.
Add the chopped meat back into the water, along with the rice, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
Cook for another 15-20 minutes, or ’til the rice is thoroughly cooked.
Then serve the soup with cornbread or crackers.
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ’s
Can you freeze 15 bean soup with ham?
Yes, you can. Just be sure to store it in an airtight container, so it doesn’t get freezer burn. It should freeze well for about 3 months.
How should you store this soup?
Store it in an airtight container in the fridge; it should keep for 3-5 days.
Can you make this soup in the slow cooker?
Yes, you absolutely can slow cook it. You may need to remove the ham from the bone half way through cook time, which will likely be 4-5 hours on low heat.
Why do you need to soak 15 bean soup mix?
There are a few reasons for soaking a package of 15 soup beans… One is to make them more tender and not have to cook quite as long. Another reason is because it helps to make them easier to digest and not cause quite as much gas.
Is there a way to thicken the soup?
While I feel this soup is already pretty thick, you can use a potato masher to mash some of the beans, and that’ll lead to a somewhat thicker consistency.
Variations and Ways to Change It Up
There are a few ingredients you can swap and things you can do to change this bean and ham soup up just a bit…
Use chopped smoked sausage, Italian sausage, or breakfast sausage in place of ham.
Add crushed tomatoes, or better yet, diced tomatoes with green chilies for a Tex-Mex flair.
Add more veggies, like chopped Swiss chard, parsnips, or spinach leaves. You can even add in some shredded carrots for a little more color, flavor, texture, and nutrients.
Get creative with seasonings… Make it Cajun or Tex-Mex by swapping out seasonings.
Sub in chicken broth for part of the water to give even more flavor.
More Delicious Soup Recipes
If you love this 15 bean soup recipe, you’ll love these soups too…
If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!
15 Bean Soup with Ham
How to make homemade 15 bean soup with ham. Easy stovetop dinner recipe, perfect for leftover ham. So much flavor in this hearty soup!
Learn how to turn fresh pear halves into baked stuffed pears, filled with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. This is an easy dessert recipe anyone can make and oh so delicious!
My mom has a pear tree in her front yard, and every year she shares those pears with all the kids. One season I came up with this delicious buttery recipe for cinnamon baked pears, and I’ve made them ever since.
I love the buttery crispy topping on each individual pear half. It’s like a mini, personal-sized pear crisp with every bite.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe Too
One of my favorite things about this dessert is you can change ingredients to fit any dietary need. For example, I’m gluten-free, so I sub gluten-free flour for the all-purpose flour. You can also sub dairy-free butter for the butter in the recipe.
Speaking of ingredients, there are only 6 ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your pantry.
This makes 12 personal-sized desserts with just 6 pears. That makes it a really easy and simple dessert you can make for a dinner party or get together.
Again, that buttery crispy topping; when you dig into the pear with your fork, the pear is all tender ooey gooey with that wonderful sweet topping… It’s so delicious!
Ingredients and Substitutions Notes
Salted Butter – Real butter is best, but if you need dairy-free, you can sub a dairy-free butter instead. I also recommend salted butter for the flavor it gives to each stuffed pear. Just be sure to soften it ahead of time.
All-Purpose Flour – If you’re like me and need to make this gluten-free, just sub a good gluten-free flour. I also recommend unbleached flour.
Cane Sugar – You can also use granulated sugar.
Light Brown Sugar
Ground Cinnamon – I love the flavor cinnamon adds to the topping mixture; you can also add nutmeg if you want.
Pears – Let’s talk about the best pears for baking below. I highly recommend Bartlett, as they’re usually easily available.
Pecans – These are optional, and you can sub walnuts if preferred.
What Kind of Pears Are Best for Baking?
I’m pretty sure my mom’s pear tree is a Bartlett pear tree, and Bartletts bake quite nicely. If they’re a little underripe, no worries… You just may need to bake them a tad bit longer than riper pears.
Bartletts have a sweet flavor and soft, juicy texture when baked. In fact, the topping can make the top of the pear quite ooey gooey, but when you dig in with a fork, you’ll find a soft yet firm texture below, making it the perfect combination. These pears make the best oven roasted pears, in my opinion.
Other good choices for baking might include…
Anjou
Bosc
How Ripe Do Pears Need to Be for Baking?
You want pears to be ripe but not overripe; when they start to change color and show bruising, they’re probably starting to get a bit overripe. While I’ve baked them in this condition (quite a bit, actually), keep in mind they won’t be quite as pretty, and they could fall apart.
Instead I recommend waiting ’til the pears are almost perfectly ripe, meaning they’re slightly soft to the touch but still a bit firm. They will also have a pleasant fruity smell when they’re just about right for baking.
Pears ripen on the inside first, so when they just start to soften, they’re likely ready to use. When you bake the pears, they’ll acquire that soft, juicy texture you want baked pears to have.
How to Make Stuffed Pears
The first step is to mix up the crumb topping. The topping I use is inspired by my Dutch apple crumb pie recipe.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, flour, sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon together with a pastry blender.
How to Assemble and Bake the Pears…
Cut the pears in half, and scoop the center of each pear out with a melon baller, making sure to scoop out all the seeds. Place all the halves on a baking sheet.
Fill in each center with the crumb topping. Then sprinkle more on top, covering each pear with the topping.
Sprinkle with chopped pecans, if desired.
Bake at 375° F for about 45 minutes, or until the crumbled topping is golden and the pear is tender when poked with a fork.
To serve, top with whipped topping or vanilla ice cream, if desired, and serve while warm.
More Topping Ideas for Cinnamon Baked Pears
I talk about oats a bit in the FAQ’s below, but you can also add other toppings, including…
Yes, you can, so you’ll want to keep an eye on them and follow instructions for baking in the recipe card. Otherwise, your pears could turn out to be quite mushy and more gooey than intended. I usually do a fork test when testing whether they’re done in the oven… Stick a fork in the pear; if it’s tender and easy to poke with a fork, it’s likely done.
Can I use oats, including instant oats?
Yes, you can; I just prefer to make stuffed pears without oats. But yes, you can add oats; in fact, if you want to add oats, you might cut the flour in half, then sub in 1/2 cup oats. Instant oats will bake faster, but they’ll work just as well as regular rolled oats.
How should you store stuffed pears?
Place the cinnamon baked pears in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge. They should keep for 3 to 5 days.
If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!
Cinnamon Stuffed Pears
How to turn fresh pear halves into baked stuffed pears, filled with brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Easy dessert recipe anyone can make!
Mixing Bowl
Melon Baller
Baking Sheet
16 tablespoons salted butter (softened)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cane sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 whole pears
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, flour, sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon together with a pastry blender.
Cut the pears in half, and scoop the center of each pear out with a melon baller, being sure to scoop out all the seeds. Place all the halves on a baking sheet.
Fill in each center with the crumb topping. Then sprinkle more on top, covering each pear with the topping.
Sprinkle with chopped pecans, if desired.
Bake at 375° F for about 45 minutes, or until the crumbled topping is golden and the pear is tender when poked with a fork.
To serve, top with whipped topping or vanilla ice cream, if desired, and serve while warm.
Be sure not to overcook the pears. Otherwise, your pears could turn out to be quite mushy and more gooey than intended. I usually do a fork test when testing whether they’re done in the oven… Stick a fork in the pear; if it’s tender and easy to poke with a fork, it’s likely done.
How should you store stuffed pears? Place the cinnamon baked pears in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge. They should keep for 3 to 5 days.
