by Jenna Byers

It’s that time of the year again. The weather is cooling, the leaves are changing, and most importantly, apples are being picked! We’re here to help you make some creative apple dishes so that you don’t end up using all of your apples for about five pies because you don’t know what else to do with them. From a Smokey Apple Chickpea Veggie Burger to a Chorizo and Apple Rice Salad to Apple Nachos – we’ve got you covered. No apples will be going to waste on our watch.

1. Smokey Apple Chickpea Veggie Burger

These tasty burgers can be eaten for any meal of the day on either a bagel, bun, or english muffin.

What you’ll need:

1 can of chickpeas

1 cup of panko breadcrumbs 

¼ cup of flour

1 onion, quartered

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tbsp. Soy sauce

2 tbsp. Apple cider vinegar

Pinch of paprika, sage, thyme, black pepper

1 medium apple

1 tbsp. Olive oil

To make these, combine all of the ingredients except for the apple and olive oil in the food processor. After pulsing until well-mixed, add shredded apple and pulse until just mixed. Next, chill in a sealed container for at least an hour. Afterwards, form patties from the dough. Then, you can either bake these for 30 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (flipping halfway through), or pan fry in olive oil. 

2.  Chorizo and Apple Rice Salad

This salad can be served as a meal or as a side dish. You can also make this salad vegan by removing the chorizo. 

What you’ll need:

2 cups of uncooked rice 

3 chorizo sausages, chopped

½ medium red onion, diced

1 medium red pepper, seeded and diced

2 apples, cored and chopped (preferably Granny Smith)

⅓ cup of pecans

½ cup orange juice

½ tsp dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

Lemon (optional)

Begin by preheating the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook your rice according to its package. Next, saute your chorizo and diced onions for a few minutes. Add in the red peppers and a pinch of salt. Turn the heat off and add ¾ of the apples, thyme, orange juice, and stir together. Bake this mixture for 15 minutes. Afterwards, mix the remaining apples to the baked dish and stir together. Optional: squeeze ½ a lemon on top to add an extra zing and keep the uncooked apple from browning. Enjoy!

3.  Apple Nachos

These fast and easy apple nachos make the perfect snack when you’re craving something sweet.

What you’ll need:

An apple (any kind works)

Peanut butter

Honey

Optional: Granola, chocolate chips, cinnamon, coconut flakes, and chia seeds 

Start by cutting your apple into wedges (I prefer using an apple corer/slicer in order to make the perfect wedges). Then, drizzle your peanut butter on top (if it’s kind of chunky and not drizzling, you can microwave it for about 10 seconds). Next, drizzle some honey on top of the apple. Finish it off with whatever toppings you’d like. I prefer granola, chocolate chips, and cinnamon! Pro tip – you can also use maple syrup if you really want to channel your inner fall vibes!