There are some food combinations that are so classic and perfect, Macintosh apples and cheddar are one of my absolute favorites. Lately I’ve been on a bit of a cheddar kick. The other night I woke up in the middle of the night craving tacos so bad it was crazy, it wasn’t so much the tacos I was craving but the combination of cheddar and iceburg lettuce. I know what you’re thinking. Iceburg lettuce, gross, but seriously I love iceburg lettuce. It’s crispy and fresh, it’s the melon of lettuces. I am so sick of mesclun mix with balsamic on it. This trend needs to go. Every sandwich/breakfast I’ve ordered in a restaurant for the past ten years has come with stupid flavourless salad. It’s time to go back to romaine, boston and iceburg, salads that can handle a crouton or two.

So my house now has an abundance of cheddar and iceburg lettuce. And what better fruit to go with cheddar than apples. On pretty much a weekly basis I whip up an apple crumble. It’s just handy. I eat it for breakfast, snacks and dessert. It takes about 15 minutes to prepare and it lasts three or four days. In the image above of my breakfast this morning, I’ve got the apple crumble but also Applewood smoked cheddar. Applewood smoked cheddar is my favourite cheese. Keep an eye out for it, if you buy it you won’t regret it!

Maple Apple Crumble

preheat oven to 375 degrees

Apple Mixture

Macintosh Apples peeled and chopped into bite sized cubes, enough to fill an average size casserole pan 3/4’s of the way full.

Place chopped Apples in a Mixing Bowl, then add:

1/2 tsp of Cinnamon

1/4 tsp of Salt

a pinch of Ground Nutmeg

1 tbsp Flour (I use spelt but any flour will work)

1/4 cup of Maple Syrup

1/8 cup of Canola Oil

1 tbsp of Lemon Juice ( I just squeeze a 1/4 lemon wedge directly into the bowl)

Mix this well and put it into your casserole dish.

The Crumble Top

After you’ve moved the apple mixture into the casserole dish use the same bowl for crumble ingredients. (Don’t wash the bowl.)

1/2 cup of Quick Oats

1/2 cup of Flour, again I used Spelt but you can use whatever you have.

1/4 cup of Canola Oil

1/4 cup of Maple Syrup

1/4 tsp of salt

1/4 cup of Chopped Walnuts (optional)

Mix this really well so that the oil and maple soak into the oats. Then spread this over the top of the apples in the casserole dish.

Place the casserole dish into the preheated at 375 degree oven for approximately 35 minutes. When it’s done the top will be a nutty brown and the apple mixture will be bubbling up along the edges.