Recipe Background
Amish Apple Scrapple combines savory sausage with sweet apples, perfect for reheating and nostalgia.
The first day of college is etched into my memory, not just for classes but a peculiar morning dish that set the tone for my years ahead. Bunking in a cluttered dorm, I faced the challenge of making the most from my meager pantry. Among the basics, a small packet of bulk pork sausage and a lone apple sat eagerly waiting for transformation. I remembered our Friday breakfasts at home where Mom would whip out an impressive scrapple. It wasn't just food; it was her way of telling us to embrace the day. Missing home, I decided to recreate a simplified, spiced-up version using what I had on hand.
No culinary wizardry existed without some solid tips, as I quickly learned. Cooking the sausage and onions first would bring out rich flavors before mixing them with apples and thyme. Letting the cornmeal blend simmer was key—it lent depth, turning this dorm experiment into a comforting masterpiece. After hours of chilling and a delightful fry, my dormmates and I dined on slices served with a glug of maple syrup. It became our little culinary tradition amidst the chaos of exams and endless assignments. Dorm life found its delicious rhythm, and each bite took me back to that comforting space between old memories and new beginnings.
Living in a college dorm wasn't about fancy meals but finding warmth in the simplest ingredients. This scrapple echoed that simplicity with its blend of textures and tastes. It taught me that flavor doesn't come solely from fuss or skill but from heart and a dash of creativity. Lightly crisped on the outside, smooth within, it perfectly matched the chaos and joy of dorm life.
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound bulk pork sausage
- 1/2 cup onion finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 1/2 cup apple unpeeled and diced
- 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3 cups water divided
- 3/4 cup cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- maple syrup to taste, for serving
Directions
- Grease a 4x8-inch loaf pan.
- In a large skillet, cook the sausage and the onions over medium heat until the sausage is no longer pink and the onions are tender, for about 5-7 minutes.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of the drippings in the skillet and discard the remaining drippings.
- Set the sausage-onion mixture aside.
- In the same pan, add 2 tablespoons of the butter, the apples, the thyme, the sage, and the pepper to the drippings.
- Cook the butter mixture in the skillet over low heat until the apples are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the butter mixture away from heat and stir in the sausage-onion mixture. Set it aside.
- In a large, heavy saucepan, bring 2 cups of the water to a boil.
- In a medium bowl, combine the cornmeal, the salt, and the remaining water.
- Pour the cornmeal mixture into the boiling water, stirring constantly, and return it to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and let the cornmeal mixture simmer, covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Transfer the cornmeal mixture from the heat and stir in the sausage mixture.
- Pour the scrapple into the prepared loaf pan.
- Refrigerate, covered, for at least 8 hours and up to overnight.
- Slice the chilled scrapple into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
- Sprinkle the flour over both sides of each of the slices.
- In a large skillet, heat the remaining butter over medium heat.
- Add the flour-coated scrapple slices and cook until both sides are browned.
- Serve warm with the syrup.
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