This caramel apples recipe fails on grocery apples if you skip the wax. Store fruit is coated so it looks shiny in the bin, and that film is why homemade caramel puddles on the tray instead of clinging. I scrub the apples in hot water until they feel squeaky, dry them cold, then cook a brown-sugar caramel to 240°F (116°C) and let it cool to 200°F (93°C) before I dip.

If you still have Granny Smiths after dipping, I bake them as air-fryer apple crisp. A small pot of apple curd uses the leftover fruit without another candy thermometer.

Ingredients

• 8 small to medium Granny Smith apples (about 2½ lb / 1.1 kg)
• 8 wooden caramel-apple sticks or 6-inch skewers
• 1¾ cups (420 ml) heavy cream
• 1 cup (240 ml) light corn syrup
• 2 cups (400 g) packed light brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Optional Toppings

• Chopped roasted peanuts
• Chopped pecans or walnuts
• Crushed pretzels
• Mini chocolate chips
• Toffee bits
• Crushed chocolate cookies
• Shredded coconut
• Seasonal sprinkles
• Flaky sea salt
• Melted dark, milk, or white chocolate for drizzling

Instructions

1. Prepare the apples: Wash the apples well with warm water, rubbing firmly with a clean kitchen towel to remove any waxy coating. Dry them completely, remove the stems, and push a stick through the stem end about three-quarters of the way into each apple.
2. Prepare the pan: Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or lightly buttered parchment paper.
3. Start the caramel: Combine the heavy cream, corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, and salt in a heavy 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.
4. Cook the caramel: Clip a candy thermometer to the pan, making sure the tip sits in the caramel without touching the bottom. Stop stirring and let the mixture boil steadily until it reaches 240°F (116°C), about 15 to 20 minutes. If sugar crystals form on the sides of the pan, brush them down with a damp pastry brush.
5. Add the vanilla and cool slightly: Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Let the caramel stand for about 5 to 10 minutes, until it thickens enough to fall from a spoon in a slow, heavy ribbon.
6. Dip the apples: Make sure the apples are completely dry. Tilt the saucepan slightly, dip one apple into the caramel, and rotate it until evenly coated. Lift it out and let the excess caramel drip back into the pan for several seconds, then lightly scrape the bottom against the edge of the saucepan.
7. Add toppings: If using chopped nuts, pretzels, toffee, sprinkles, or other dry toppings, press or roll them onto the apple immediately after dipping while the caramel is still soft.
8. Let the caramel set: Place the apples on the prepared baking sheet and let them stand at room temperature for about 30 to 45 minutes, until the caramel has set and no longer slides down the fruit.
9. Add chocolate if desired: Once the caramel has set, drizzle the apples with melted dark, milk, or white chocolate. Let the chocolate firm before serving.

If the caramel slides off

• A sheet of caramel that peels off in one piece means wax is still on the skin, or the apple was wet. Scrub again under hot water until it squeaks, dry it, chill 20 minutes, and wipe condensation right before the dip.
• A puddle at the base means you dipped above 200°F (93°C). Wait until a drip holds a slow ribbon, usually 5 more minutes in the pan.
• A hard, crackly shell means the syrup went past 245°F (118°C). Pull the next batch at 240°F (116°C). For this batch, let the apples sit 10 minutes at room temperature before you bite so the coating softens a little.
• Caramel too thick to coat means it cooled below about 190°F (88°C). Warm it over low heat, stirring, until it loosens back to 200°F (93°C). Don’t boil it a second time or it will go hard.

Storage

Refrigerate the dipped apples, loosely covered, within 2 hours, and eat them within 3 to 4 days. The cream in the caramel is perishable, so don’t leave them on the counter overnight. Slice just before serving so the cut apple doesn’t brown. I don’t freeze these – the caramel weeps and the apple turns mealy. USDA leftovers and food safety covers the 2-hour cooling window for perishable food.

This cheesy chicken casserole starts with seasoned chicken breasts that are lightly floured and browned in butter before they go into the oven. Browning adds more flavor and helps the creamy sauce cling to every piece. If you like this style of chicken, my cast iron skillet chicken breast uses a similar stovetop sear with garlic butter.

The sauce comes together in the same skillet with softened onion, heavy cream, sharp cheddar, and a little Dijon mustard to cut through the richness. You may also like this chicken cordon bleu, which pairs chicken, cheese, and a creamy Dijon-style sauce. Everything finishes together in the baking dish until the chicken is tender and the cheddar on top is melted and bubbling.

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 6 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
• 6 tablespoons butter, divided

For the Creamy Cheddar Sauce

• 1 white onion, finely diced
• 1 can (10.75 ounces) cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and divided

Instructions

1. Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Season the chicken: Mix the paprika, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Season both sides of the chicken evenly. If the breasts are especially thick, lightly pound the thicker ends so they cook more evenly.
3. Coat with flour: Place the flour in a shallow dish. Lightly dredge each chicken breast, then shake off the excess.
4. Brown the chicken: Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, sear the chicken for about 3–4 minutes per side, until golden brown. The chicken does not need to be cooked through. Transfer it to the baking dish.
5. Cook the onion: Remove any blackened flour from the skillet, leaving the browned bits behind. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the diced onion. Cook for about 5 minutes, until softened.
6. Make the cheddar sauce: Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the cream of chicken soup, heavy cream, and Dijon mustard until smooth. Add 1 cup of the cheddar and stir just until melted. Do not let the sauce boil.
7. Bake: Pour the cheese sauce evenly over the chicken. Bake uncovered for about 25–35 minutes, depending on the thickness of the breasts.
8. Finish with cheese: Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup cheddar over the chicken during the final 10 minutes of baking. Continue cooking until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F.
9. Rest and serve: Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes before serving. Spoon the creamy cheddar-onion sauce from the baking dish over each piece.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Tips for the Best Cheesy Chicken Casserole

• Even out thick chicken breasts. If one end is much thicker than the other, lightly pound it so the chicken cooks more evenly.
• Shake off excess flour. A thin coating is enough to help the chicken brown and gives the sauce something to cling to.
• Don’t overcrowd the skillet. Brown the chicken in batches so it sears instead of steaming.
• Keep the heat low when adding cheese. High heat can make cheddar turn oily or grainy. Stir it in just until melted.
• Use freshly shredded cheddar if possible. It usually melts more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese.
• Check the chicken early. Large breasts vary quite a bit in thickness, so start checking the internal temperature around the 25-minute mark. It’s ready at 165°F.

Storage

Let leftovers cool, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. Keep some of the cheese sauce with the chicken so it stays moist.

Reheating

For the best texture, cover the chicken loosely and reheat it in a 325°F oven until warmed through. You can also microwave individual portions at reduced power, adding a spoonful of sauce over the chicken first to keep it from drying out.

Freezing

You can freeze the cooked casserole for up to 2 months, although the cream-based sauce may separate slightly once thawed. Freeze individual portions with plenty of sauce, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and reheat gently.

What to Serve with It

Because the sauce is rich, this casserole works especially well with simple sides such as mashed potatoes, rice, roasted vegetables, steamed broccoli, or a crisp green salad. Mashed potatoes are especially good for catching the extra cheddar sauce.

This pumpkin muffins recipe uses a full 15-ounce can of puree and oil instead of butter, so the crumb stays soft instead of drying out by morning. I start them at 425°F so the tops dome, then drop the oven to 350°F so the centers set without a wet band. If you want pumpkin in a loaf, I already have a chocolate chip pumpkin bread, and these sit well next to a slice of pumpkin cheesecake on a fall table.

Ingredients

• 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
• ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil, or melted coconut oil
• ¾ cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup (180 g) chocolate chips, optional
• 1 tablespoon coarse sugar, for the tops, optional

Instructions

1. Heat the oven: Heat the oven to 425°F (218°C) with a rack in the center. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners, or grease the cups well so the muffins release. The oven needs to be fully at 425°F before the pan goes in, or the tops stay flat instead of doming.
2. Whisk the dry mix: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt until the spices look even and you don’t see streaks of soda. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off. Packing the cup is the fastest way to a dry muffin.
3. Whisk the pumpkin batter: In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin puree and oil until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Add both sugars, the eggs, and vanilla, and whisk until the sugar dissolves and the batter looks uniform. The full can replaces the milk a lot of muffin recipes add, so don’t thin it.
4. Fold and fill: Pour the dry mix into the wet and fold with a spatula just until the last streak of flour disappears. The batter should be thick, not pourable. If you’re adding chocolate chips, fold them in now, then divide the batter among the 12 cups, filling each liner to the top so they have enough batter to dome. Sprinkle the coarse sugar on the tops if you want a bakery crunch.
5. Bake high, then lower: Bake 5 minutes at 425°F, then lower the oven to 350°F (177°C) without pulling the pan. Bake 15 to 17 minutes more, until the tops spring back and a toothpick in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. Cool in the pan 5 minutes, then move them to a rack so the bottoms don’t steam and go soggy.

Dry crumb vs a gummy middle

• If the muffins taste dry the next morning, you packed the flour or swapped the oil for melted butter. Spoon and level the flour, and keep the oil. Butter tastes fine on day one, then the crumb tightens.
• A gummy, wet band in the center is usually pumpkin pie filling, which has starch and extra sugar, or mixing until the batter turns gluey. Use plain puree, and stop folding when the last flour streak is gone.
• If they sink as they cool, they came out too early. Give them 2 to 3 more minutes next batch. A toothpick with wet batter is not done, even if the tops look set.

Keep the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The fridge dries them out faster than the counter. For longer storage, freeze them once they’re cool, then thaw at room temperature or warm 15 to 20 seconds in the microwave.