Cheddar Cheese + Apple Pie


I recently asked the Prudent Mamas on facebook if I should put cheddar cheese on my apple pie. The answers ranged from “duh, of course!” to “what the ?”

I’d never had my apple pie with cheddar cheese before, but I had often seen it offered, especially on travels to the midwest and the northeast. That night I was feeling indecisive, so I made two small rustic apple pies and enjoyed one with whip cream, and one with cheddar cheese.

Get the Cheddar Cheese Apple Pie verdict and recipe after the jump, and let us know what you think about cheese on pie in the comments for your chance to win this week’s surprise prize – that awesome yard of whale fabric.

The Verdict: Cheddar Cheese + Apple Pie = OH YES!

Here’s my go-to apple pie recipe.

This makes 2 small rustic apple pies or one regular pie.

For the Crust (you can just buy a pre-made crust, but it’s so easy to make)
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter
4 tablespoons ice water

Directions
Mix the first 3 ingredients in a food processor. Cut a cold stick of butter into cubes. Pulse until you have a meal with bits no bigger then small peas. Add ice water 2 tablespoons at a time until dough comes together. Smoosh into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for about 20 minutes. Remove, split into two sections, and roll each out into a general circle.

For the Filling
Ingredients
5 medium apples peeled, cored, and sliced
1.5 tablespoons apple pie spice (cinammon, nutmeg, and allspice, but I keep the pre-mixed apple pie spice on hand because i love apple pie so much)
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons water

Directions
Mix all of that stuff together. Now you have your filling. Place your circle of crust on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Pile the filling in the center. Fold the edges of the crust over the filling. Brush the crust with melted butter and leave a small pat of butter on top of the filling in the center. Sprinkle the whole thing with sugar (turbanado sugar works nicely). Bake 15-20 minutes at 375, until it’s almost done. Open the oven and put a slice of sharp cheddar cheese on top. Bake for another 5-10 minutes until the pie is done and the cheese is all melty.

It doesn’t taste super cheesy – it’s just that perfect balance of salty and sweet. Even tiny plastic cows love it. Umm, so good, I think I have to make another tonight.

by

61 Comments

princess granola

in theory this sounds good to me… i enjoy fruit and cheese recipes- asiago pear pasta in a red cream sauce, omg!- but sweet pie just screams ICE CREAM at me every time. Especially when the pie is hot and the ice cream gets all melty…mmmm… and i have never made a rustic pie but i have a bag of apples in my kitchen right now so i'll finish my blog reading later. ๐Ÿ™‚

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MD

Your apple pie looks delicious, but I like my apple pie cold and neat. I'm a plain jane kind of gal. Black coffee, black tea, cold apple pie. I totally get the appeal in theory, but I'd rather nibble on very very sharp cheddar cheese and then have a slice of pie for dessert. I am eager to try the pie recipe though!

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Catherine

No.
Nope.
Can't do it.

I love food {perhaps a little too much} and adore cheese {yes, I said adore}…but this combo just makes my throat close up.

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Taylored Times

My Grandmother had a trivet that said, "Apple pie without the cheese is like a kiss without the squeeze." And it's true. I L.O.V.E a slice of cheese with my apple pie (usually aged sharp cheddar). Your pics looks so awesome I'm drooling & will have to make some tonight!!!

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Kelly

Definitely gonna try this…especially since I'm 6 months preggo and would eat cheese on cardboard! It might be hard to get the hubs to try it, but more for me!

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Four and 20 Blackbirds

Hey there!
I read your blog all the time and love, love, love it. This is the first time I've commented – but it seemed like the right time.

I teach baking (especially pies) classes in Seattle and have a recipe that you'll love – Caramel Apple Pie with Sea Salt.
It has the perfect combo of sweet and salt. It was a big hit with students all winter.

Here's the link with the recipe and pics…
http://www.typepad.com/site/blogs/6a0134859a7b98970c0133f29d003f970b/post/6a0134859a7b98970c013488ab8457970c/edit

Feel free to share! (and try!)
Best,
Wendy Sykes
Fourand20Blackbirds.com

Reply
EG

I think I have one apple left in my house. I guess this will have to wait.

On the bright side, I finally got a food processor so there's a chance I can make pie crust without having to pretend I really wanted it to be a cobbler all along! Now I NEED to make a pie to test it out!

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Karen

When I saw your facebook post, I was going to write, "Duh!" but I come from the Dairy State and cheese goes on just about everything…Beer Cheese Soup, anyone? Want to know something else just divine? Granny Smith apples and cheese. I prefer Merkts spreadable port wine cheddar, but I'm not sure everyone has that brand available to them or if it's just a local thing. Plain old cheddar cheese is equally as good!

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sarah

I don't think that I could try it. Just too odd for me. I don't know what it is about the idea of cheddar cheese in pie or fudge (actually had to make for cooking class and refused to eat it-ugh!). I can't even stand the thought of sour cream in cheesecake either, so maybe I am the odd one.

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Sara

I was first offered cheddar with my apple pie a few years ago and I too was skeptical at first…but man does it change your mind about the combination of two of my favorite things pie and cheese.

Now I order it whenever I have the chance. So Yummy!

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Emskyrooney

I usually go for vanilla ice cream with my pie but I'm going to try this next time! And to Four and 20 Blackbirds- thanks for the recipe link- looks delicious!!

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amy

I'm just hopeless with pie crust, so it's kind of a relief I get a free pass for life since I was diagnosed with celiac. Who would expect me to make a pie crust now? (Looking on the bright side, right?!) But cheddar cheese & pie isn't a new one for me. I can't remember who used to eat it when I was a kid, but somebody did. Aunt? Grandmother? Not sure. Anyway, I like apple crisp better–no crust to mess up.

I love the whale fabric. I think it might be just enough to squeeze out some curtains for my son's room. He wants something ocean-y and I have been slacking in actually ordering some fabric. How nice it would be to have it just show up in my mailbox…!

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Sarah

Your pie recipe looks fabulous! I was actually introduced to the cheese and apple pie idea by some Dutch friends when I was studying abroad in college. I, too, thought it entirely batty, but had to admit defeat when I realized how utterly yummy it is. Cheese and ice cream are two very different flavors, though, so I think it's best not to compare ๐Ÿ™‚ They both go great with apple pie!

Reply
Theryn

The first time I ever saw this was when I went to a ploughman's lunch with a 70 year old co-worker. She told me that her dad always said "Apple pie without cheddar cheese is like a hug without a squeeze."

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Maggie

Though I love slices of cheddar with my apples, the thing to have with apple pie is and will always be homemade vanilla ice cream!

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marybethf

I love a good combination of salty and sweet so I'm up for a try! I've never made a pie before but your recipe is so easy to follow I might just have to!

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ppags

You must be very, very brave to try this combination. The bravest I get is with salted chocolate. I might try the apple pie recipe but I think I will leave the cheese topping to others.

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Mrs. Fischer

Pretty sure this would be awesome! Kind of sad that I didn't think of it myself. (That's a little whine to go with your cheese.) My husband and I love fruit and cheese together. One of our favorite date snacks is grapes and cheese curds. They are the perfect size to fit one of each in your mouth, and such a yummy combo. Thanks for sharing your recipe!

Reply
Jan

I work in a High School kitchen and when a student ask what can I get for $1.00 my answer is string cheese with an apple. (believe it or not a lot of them go for it!) I say yes to Apple Pie with cheese on top. YUM

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Timmi

I worked in a restaurant and people would order apple pie with cheese and I thought they were nuts! I have never actually tried the apple pie cheese thing (perhaps this week) but I love apple slices with cheese and my daughter thinks I'm so gross!

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Paul and Amy Lopez

I was taught to ALWAYS try something before I said I did not like it. Man, this is going to be hard though. Just thinking of this combo makes me sick to my stomach but seeing ALL the other readers say they love it too makes me think that maybe my gut reaction (definetly a play on words) may be the wrong reaction. So, next time apple pie is served I WILL try this. I WILL, I WILL, I WILL…..maybe. : ) P.S.-I LOVE the look of your pie!!

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Heidi

I have never tried it, but I love snacking on apples and cheese together, I love apple pie and I love cheese pie, so I would definitely love to try apple and cheese pie

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tweak-91

If there is one thing I learned from living over in Europe it was to try new things even if they seem odd. I'll have to give this a try, I bet my family in WI would love it during our family reunion this July. After all it is the cheese capital!!!

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sariroo

Cheddar cheese on apple pie??? This is definitely not a new idea. I grew up in Wisconsin and of course, we put cheese on everything. But I can honestly say that I don't know anyone under the age of 60 who actually eats this but it is definitely an option at many restaurants, especially good old down home farm cooking type places.

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loulou

im gonna have to say no to this one. Just too wierd for me. But each to their own, the Americans think us Aussie's strange for eating fairy bread.

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Tricia

I've heard of it, known people who eat their pie with cheese but never tried it myself. However once you said those magic words, "salty, sweet," I knew I'd have to try it.

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Jen

The Californian in me (the little girl who grew up in the Golden State) says, "NNOOOOOOOO!" But the Southerner in me (my new adopted home) says, "Oh my word, YES, y'all."

Reply
MEM

I know this sounds crazy but I hate mixing fruit and dairy. No pie a la mode. No whipped cream. Nothing. BUT I do love cheese mixed in my apple pie crust. Too bad I'm dairy-free for my nursing 6 month old. I'm craving a little cheddar-apple right now!

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Alison C

I'm from the UK and this is relatively common here. Apple and cheese (especially nice mature cheddar – none of your strange processed cheese)is a classic combo. For those put off by the look of the pie try putting cheese through the pastry or it making a lidded pie then grating a little cheese under the lid. It is soooo delicious – go on give it a try!

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Stacie

I live in the Dairy state and love cheese and will put it on just about anything. I said "just about anything"! I know it's popular to put cheese on apple pie but even typing it is making me cringe…sorry!

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ChicTreats

That looks….DE-LICIOUS! It's almost my lunch time, so I'm super hungry. Your photos have sent my tummy rumbles into overdrive, LOL! I may have to try this. Never had it, but I'm game.

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Anne

I've seen this a lot but never tried it. I think I'll have to do a side by side comparison next time I make apple pie!

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Danielle

One of my favorite qick and easy dinners is grilled sharped cheddar cheese sandwiches on sourdough bread with thinly sliced apples, so this pie sounds delicious to me. Thanks for sharing!

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Anna

Oh my GOSH that looks and sounds SO good!! I can't wait to try it!! Hopefully I can convince my husband to give it a try as well.

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4mckenzies

My husband says this is the BEST thing since sliced bread!! I, however, am not yet brave enough to give it a try… Your picture does make it look tasty though… Hmmm…. do I see apple pie w/ cheddar cheese in my future?
BTW… Baker is my son's name, I write a blog through his eyes @ 3mckenzies.blogspot.com. ๐Ÿ™‚
LOVE, LOVE yalls blog. Ginger ๐Ÿ™‚

Reply
Melissa

While growing up in Maine, my mom told me how her grandfather always had a slice of cheddar to go with his apple pie. "Gross!" I thought. It took me a few years of growing up to appreciate it, but I must admit it is good with a sharp cheese. I've never seen it baked on top only as a side to go with your pie. I also love that it's sort of a old family recipe passed down from my great grandfather, just makes it that much more special. But who really needs to make apple pie any more special?

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mrs.pabody

Well, I confess that I do love cheese with almost anything, and as a dear friend often told me,
"Apple pie without some cheese
Is like a kiss without a squeeze!"

I think I'll use your embroidery ideas and put that on my kitchen wall….. ๐Ÿ˜‰

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KtLizbet

LOVE Cheese on my apple pie, but I have never baked it on, I always just put a cold piece on top… I think I'm going to have to make me an apple pie today. It's -45 with the windchill where I live so Running the oven is an added bonus ;-D

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Brianne Burke

Every Thanksgiving we have apple pie and every Thanksgiving, without fail, my Dad says, "you know what this is missing? Cheddar cheese." He then tells a long story to support this that ends with, "they always say apple pie without some cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze." At this point I am not sure if it is a running joke or he forgets that he has been telling us the same story for at least 20 years! I can't wait to make this for him!

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Heather

Apple pie and cheese are both favorites by themselves,so together….sounds like an exceptional marriage. I love food combos like that though, cheese and fruit together in salad, baked brie with fruit compote. Fruit and cheese were made for each other! ๐Ÿ™‚

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Anplica

Apples + Sour cream = YUMMY pie
Apples + Cheddar = hmmmm…

I may have to just try this one out sometime. Maybe. If I can pull myself away from my stand-by sour cream apple pie…

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Rachel

I'm all over it! I've never tried it before, but I will eat almost anything with cheese on it. Now if they could only figure out how to coat prenatal vitamins in cheese. That would really helpful ๐Ÿ™‚

Reply

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