Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in South Florida Family Events and Recipes

This weekend, we have National Apple Dumpling Day, National Monte Cristo Day and National Cheeseburger Day all rolled into one! So get your taste buds and your kitchen ready for some good food with our recipe line-up.

  • Old-Fashioned Apple Dumplings (courtesy of allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

  • 1 recipe pastry for double-crust pie

  • 6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored

  • ½ cup butter

  • ¾ cup brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 3 cups water

  • 2 cups white sugar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch pan.

  2. On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a large rectangle, about 24 by 16 inches. Cut into 6 square pieces. Place an apple on each pastry square with the cored opening facing upward. Cut butter into 8 pieces. Place 1 piece of butter in the opening of each apple; reserve remaining butter for sauce. Divide brown sugar between apples, poking some inside each cored opening and the rest around the base of each apple. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over the apples.

  3. With slightly wet fingertips, bring one corner of pastry square up to the top of the apple, then bring the opposite corner to the top and press together. Bring up the two remaining corners, and seal. Slightly pinch the dough at the sides to completely seal in the apple. Repeat with the remaining apples. Place in prepared baking dish.

  4. In a saucepan, combine water, white sugar, vanilla extract and reserved butter. Place over medium heat, and bring to a boil in a large saucepan. Boil for 5 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved. Carefully pour over dumplings.

  5. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Place each apple dumpling in a dessert bowl, and spoon some sauce over the top.

  • Monte Cristo Sandwich (courtesy of shewearsmanyhats.com)

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs

  • pinches of salt and pepper

  • 4 slices sturdy white bread (or white bread of preference)

  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard

  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

  • 1/2 pound thick sliced baked ham

  • 1/2 ounce, weight shredded gruyere cheese

  • additional salt and pepper to taste

  • 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

  1. Beat eggs in a shallow dish (large enough to fit a sandwich) along with a few pinches of salt and pepper. Set aside.

  2. Assemble sandwiches, with mustard, mayonnaise, ham, cheese, salt and pepper to personal preference. Slightly compress sandwich.

  3. Heat skillet over medium heat. Add butter; allow to melt.

  4. Dip and coat each sandwich in beaten egg, and place in skillet. Cook sandwiches 2-3 minutes on each side, until browned to liking and cheese has melted.

  • Hatch Chile Smash Burgers (courtesy of foodandwine.com)

Ingredients

  • 1 pound 85% lean ground beef

  • 1/4 cup grated sweet onion (from 1 small onion)

  • 2 tablespoons roasted, peeled, and chopped Hatch chiles (from fresh or thawed frozen chiles)

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1/4 cup canola oil, divided

  • 8 white American cheese slices

  • 4 brioche hamburger buns, split

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

  • 6 tablespoons mayonnaise

  • 6 tablespoons Hatch Chile Salsa

Directions

  1. Using your hands, combine beef, onion, chiles, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl just until evenly incorporated. Shape into 8 (2 1/2-ounce) balls.

  2. Heat a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over high until smoking. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Add 4 meatballs, and immediately flatten to 1/4-inch-thickness with a sturdy, wide spatula. Cook until bottoms are crisp and deep brown, about 1 minute. Flip patties, top each with 1 cheese slice, and cook until bottoms are well charred and cheese is melted, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from skillet, and cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons oil, remaining 4 meatballs, and remaining 4 cheese slices.

  3. Preheat broiler to high with oven rack 5 to 6 inches from heat. Brush cut sides of buns with butter. Arrange buns, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Broil in preheated oven until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Spread each bottom bun half with 1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise, top with 2 patties, and spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons Hatch chile salsa over top. Cover with top bun halves, and serve immediately.

Enjoy!