Apples and Anthropology

Tuesday, August 4, 2026

Beans and Greens with Smoked Turkey Legs and Sausage

This is the first in my #cheapandnutritious food series.

Beans, in particular dried beans, are some of the cheapest and most nutritious things you can eat. This recipe is a mishmash of several recipes that I love. Emeril's Gumbo Z'herbes is a favorite but we will add a 15-bean soup mix to up the nutrition and some smoked turkey legs and sausage too. I'm making a BIG batch so we can eat it for a few days or take some for lunch. Serve it with brown rice or cornbread muffins.

1 pkg of dried 15-bean soup mix, soaked overnight or using the quick soak method

1 pkg of smoked turkey legs

1 pkg ham hocks, optional

1 lb sausage, andouille or smoked, sliced

1 head of green cabbage, chopped

2 onions, chopped

5 stalks of celery, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

2 T garlic, minced

1 bunch of kale, chopped

1 bunch of mustard greens, chopped

2 bunches of collards, chopped

1 bunch of turnip greens, chopped

enough to cover broth/water

bay leaves

In a stock pot, start sautéing onions, garlic, celery, and carrots, then add turkey, sausage, ham hocks and cook until hocks get some color and fat glistens and onion is transparent. Add all the greens and cabbage and cook down. Add beans and 20 cups of broth.

Add bay leaves, smoked paprika, cajun seasoning, salt and pepper and the seasoning packet from the beans.

Bring to a boil and then turn down to simmer for 2 hours or until the beans are tender.

Serve over rice with hot sauce and cornbread.

Sunday, August 2, 2026

Cheap and Nutritious Meal Series

I'm challenging myself to plan our weekly meals and my goal is to make cheap, nutritious meals for our family. We are a family on the go so batch cooking is good. I want to try to get our daily dose of fiber, iron, and protein along with complex carbohydrates. This series will focus on those things.

Additionally, the cheapest meals are those that utilize the things that you already have on hand. I will cook our cupboards as much as possible too.

Sunday, June 14, 2026

Roasted Sweet Potato, Black Bean, and Spinach Freezer Burritos

Ingredients:

Oven-roasted sweet potatoes:

5 lbs large sweet potatoes, cubed

3 T Olive Oil

1 t Accent or MSG

1 T salt

1 T black pepper

1 T smoked paprika

1/2 T onion powder

1/2 T garlic powder

1 T cornstarch

Meats:

1 shredded rotisserie chicken

2 lb ground beef, cooked with taco seasoning per instructions

Veggie Mix:

3 T olive oil

2 large Onions, chopped

2 green peppers, chopped

1 lb mushrooms, sliced

4 jalapeños, finely diced

2 T minced garlic

4 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained

2 10 oz cans Rotelle diced tomatoes and chilies

2 lb bag frozen roasted corn or regular corn

1/4 c or more to taste, Badia Taco Seasoning

2 T dried parsley

2 T dried cilantro

2 T smoked paprika

2 T onion powder

2 T garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

Quinoa or Rice:

5 cups quinoa or brown rice to cook according to package directions

chicken broth in the amount required for quinoa or rice, likely 10 cups

Additional filling:

4 lbs pepper jack cheese or other melting cheese, shredded

2 lb baby spinach

100 burrito-sized tortillas

parchment paper, optional

gallon freezer-sized bags

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss cut sweet potatoes with olive oil and seasoning powder mix. Spread onto three sheet pans leaving plenty of space for optimal browning. Roast for 15 minutes, toss, and return to oven until crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside about five more minutes. Set aside.

Prepare quinoa or rice according to package directions but substitute chicken broth for water. When cooked, remove from heat and cool in a bowl or sheet pan; set aside.

Shred chicken and cook beef. Set aside.

Heat oil in large pan with high sides. Sauté onion, peppers, garlic, and mushrooms in a couple batches, until mushrooms release their liquid and it cooks off (I divided this into two large pans to cook). To each large pan, add two cans of drained black beans, one can of Rotelle, one lb of frozen corn, and seasoning, divided between the pans. Cook until the liquid is gone and remove from heat.

Divide your sweet potato, veggie, and quinoa mixtures into thirds. Use 1/3 to assemble vegetarian burritos, 1/3 of the mixture combine with chicken, and the last 1/3 combine with the ground beef.

Fill your tortilla with 2/3 cup of the mixture, add 2 T of cheese, and 1/4 c of fresh spinach. Roll the burritos up tight. You can roll them in parchment paper if you like. We don't.

Place five in a freezer bag and lay flat in the freezer. Keep going until you have made 100 burritos! Be sure to label your bags with the date and type of burrito.

To heat; wrap your frozen burrito in a damp paper towel and heat for 1 1/2 minutes on each side.

Thursday, November 27, 2025

Thanksgiving 2025

Recording our plans for Thanksgiving 2025 here:

Cook's Illustrated Sous Vide Turkey

Bone-in Ham

Mashed Potatoes & Gravy

Corn and Hominy Pudding- gonna use TJ's Frozen Roasted Corn 9x13

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/corn-and-hominy-pudding

Broccoli Rice Casserole 9x13

Ingredients

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli, cooked and well-drained
1 cup uncooked Minute® White Rice
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup chopped onion
1 can (10.75 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup (cream of chicken or celery works too)
1 cup milk
½ pound Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes (about 8 oz or 2 cups cubed)
¼ teaspoon pepper (optional)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (for topping, optional)
½ cup crushed potato chips, Ritz crackers, or French's fried onions (for topping, optional)

Instructions

Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease a 9x13 inch (or 2-quart) casserole dish with cooking spray.
Cook Aromatics: Melt the butter in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
Create the Cheese Sauce: Stir in the condensed soup and milk until combined. Add the cubed Velveeta cheese and cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese is completely melted and the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Combine Ingredients: Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the uncooked Minute Rice, the well-drained cooked broccoli, and pepper. Ensure all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
Assemble and Bake: Pour the mixture into your prepared casserole dish, spreading it evenly.
Add Topping (Optional): Sprinkle the additional shredded cheddar cheese and your chosen crunchy topping (like crushed crackers or French's fried onions) over the top.
Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 25-35 minutes, or until the casserole is hot, bubbly, and the topping is golden brown.
Serve: Let the casserole cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

For alternative ideas and visuaRolls

Persimmon Pomegranate Salad with Endive and Pecans

https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/endive-salad-with-pomegranate-seeds-persimmon-pecan-vinaigrette

Savory Sweet Potato Casserole with Browned Butter Crispy Sage and Rosemary

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/savory-sweet-potato-casserole

Mama Stanberg's Cranberry Relish-definitely worth the hype

https://www.npr.org/2006/11/23/4176014/mama-stambergs-cranberry-relish-recipe

Roasted Veggie Medley

Mushroom and Gruyere Bread Pudding by Ina Garten white casserole

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023558-mushroom-and-gruyere-bread-pudding

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Best Mac Salad

This is a great salad to take for potlucks or to serve for a large crowd. This makes enough to serve 20 people, but the recipe can be doubled or tripled for larger events.

2 pounds of macaroni

4 stalks of celery, finely chopped

2 medium onions, finely chopped

2 green bell peppers, finely chopped

1/2 c carrots, shredded

Dressing:

16 oz mayonnaise

1 c sugar

1/4 c mustard

1/2 c white vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil macaroni in large stock pot with salted water according to package directions. Rinse under cold water.

2. Cut vegetables into small, pieces. Can be done ahead of time.

3. Stir dressing ingredients together.

4. Add vegetables to dressing and stir well.

5. Add pasta and stir well. Cover and chill for at least two hours, up to 48 hours.

6. Stir before serving.

Note: If I will be transporting the salad or making it ahead of time. I will make the dressing in a jar and add half to 3/4's at the time I mix it up and the remaining dressing just before serving.