Sausage-Stuffed Apples

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Cut apples in half through the stem. Cut a tiny slice off the uncut side so the halves lie flat, if necessary. Using a melon baller or spoon, discard the core and seeds, then remove most of the apple flesh, leaving a 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick shell. Finely chop the flesh.

3. Heat oil, shallot and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until it starts to sizzle. Add the chopped apple and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large shallow bowl and stir in brandy (or cider), sage, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Let cool for 10 minutes.

4. Mix turkey and pork into the apple mixture. Stuff each apple half with about 1/3 cup of the mixture. Place the stuffed apples in the prepared baking dish.

5. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the filling reaches 165 degrees F, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Serve drizzled with any pan juices.

Tips

Depending on your supermarket, it might be hard to find a lean option for ground pork. But it's easy to make your own in a food processor. Choose a lean cut, such as loin or tenderloin. Cut into pieces and then pulse in a food processor until uniformly ground (being careful not to overprocess, turning the meat into mush). Or ask your butcher to grind it for you. Using lean pork instead of regular ground pork saves up to 164 calories and 5 grams of saturated fat per 3 ounces of cooked meat.