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Thursday, May 30, 2013

Bacon Apple Butter Flatbreads with Caramelized Onions and Gouda

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When Musselman's sent me some of their apple butter in preparation for grilling season, my first instinct was to use it in a marinade or some BBQ sauce. I even went so far as to select a sauce from Musselman's extensive list of recipes, when I decided to change gears a bit and use it on my favorite grilled flatbreads.
Much like the white bean flatbreads with prosciutto, we started off by grilling the flatbreads until they were just beginning to char. I then spread a thin layer of apple butter on them. Bacon pairs well with, well, everything, so a sprinkle of that was next, followed by some chopped pecans and smoked gouda. At this point I stuck the flatbreads in the oven where I broiled them until the cheese began to melt. The finishing touches were onions that had been caramelized in balsamic vinegar and chopped spinach. 
I love my friends and family in that they are always willing to sample whatever crazy combination I put in front of them. This one was no different! My hesitancy turned to relief when they immediately started raving about the flatbreads (which I cut into squares with a pizza cutter). These definitely have a lot going on, but each of the ingredients works so well together. If you don't have gouda, I think blue cheese would have also complemented the flatbreads well.
Lucky for me, I still have the majority of my jar of apple butter left, so I can still try a BBQ sauce recipe  or a number of Musselman's other ideas...they have some fantastic sounding desserts that feature apple butter! Want to try it yourself? Musselman's has offered to send one of my readers their very own jar of apple butter, along with a sauce mop, and recipe cards. Just leave a comment on this post by tomorrow at 9 pm, telling me how you'd use the apple butter...either one of the Musselsman's recipes or your personal favorite use for apple butter. I'll randomly pick a winner and announce it on Saturday!

I used random number generator to pick a winner for the Musselman's Giveaway and the winner was commenter #12, Serena, who wants to make an apple butter cheesecake (YUM)!
Serena, send me an email at natalie@thesweetslife.com so that I can get your prize to you!

P.S. The winner for the Champion tshirt was announced in the original post. 

One Year Ago: Dried Mango Coconut Muffins
Two Years Ago: Spicy Stuffed Mushrooms
Three Years Ago: Grilled Fattoush


Bacon Apple Butter Flatbreads with Caramelized Onions and Gouda

Ingredients:
-1 batch of grilled flatbreads (could also make on pizza dough)
-2 onions, thinly sliced
-3 tbsp olive oil
-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
-1/3 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
-1/3 cup chopped pecans
-1/2 cup Musselman's apple butter
-1 cup smoked gouda, shredded
-1 cup spinach, finely chopped

Directions:
1. While flatbreads are grilling, heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 20-30 minutes, until beginning to brown and caramelized. Add balsamic, stirring to combine, and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
2. Spread a thin layer of apple butter on each grilled flatbread. Sprinkle bacon and pecans evenly over flatbreads. Top with gouda, divided between flatbreads. Place on baking sheets and broil on high until cheese melts.
3. Top flatbreads with caramelized onions and finish with spinach. Cut into slices and serve.