KTVB Kitchen: How to make grilled apple focaccia sandwiches with pumpkin pecan cream cheese

BOISE, Idaho — Ingredients

¼ cup apple jelly

2 teaspoons lemon juice

¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

cayenne pepper, to taste

2 red and/or green apples

4 fresh focaccia buns or your choice fresh baked buns, English muffins, or bagels, split lengthwise

Pumpkin Pecan Cream Cheese (recipe below) 

Method 

For glaze:

In a small pan, combine apple jelly, lemon juice, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. Heat and stir over medium heat until bubbly. Remove from heat; set aside to cool slightly.

For apples:

Core apples and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rings. Toss apple slices with glaze. Set aside.

Heat a skillet or grill. Grill apple slices on grill for 1-2 minutes, turning once. Remove from grill and set aside.

Toast split focaccia’s, or grill cut side down, in skillet until toasted.

To serve, spread desired amount of the Pumpkin Pecan Cream Cheese on the toasted sides of each focaccia. Top with the apple slices. Makes 4 sandwiches. 

Optional: add 2-3 slices bacon strips to the sandwich = yummy!

For Pumpkin Cream Cheese

Ingredients

1-8-ounce package cream cheese softened

½ cup canned pumpkin

2 tablespoons honey

½ cup coarsely chopped pecans

 ½ teaspoon each: pumpkin pie spice and ground cinnamon

Method 

In a medium bowl, mix softened cream cheese, pumpkin; honey, pecans, pumpkin pie spice & cinnamon until smooth. Makes about 2 cups.

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