Working on a contest entry: Cheddar Apple Dutch Pancake

During an impulse buy yesterday (I'm really good at those, by the way) I picked up a magazine I hadn't seen before. After months of nothing but those Taste of Home monthlys (not that there's anything wrong with Taste of Home), a new player on the shelves was a bit exciting.

Mixingbowl.com is an offshoot of Better Homes and Gardens and is half Facebook, half Allrecipes.com. It's a user-friendly site to upload, download, and critique recipes. You can join groups, enter contests (lots of baking contests! for money!) and blog. And you know how I love to blog...

A contest currently running is looking for anything apple...celebrate fall! Bake an apple! Fry an apple! Souffle an apple!!

I scoured the recipe books for some inspiration and came across the ol' german pancake. Or dutch baby. Or Anchorage apple pancake baked-in-a-cast-iron-skillet thing. They're special. They remind me of my best friend Fawn. Of my mom when she visits. They're full of baked buttery goodness and I can't believe the thought never crossed my mind to learn to make my own, though the truth of the matter is that they are much better at it than me and I never had the need!

So I had the basic foundation for a dutch apple pancake, but something needed to change to make it my own and a little more contest worthy. Enter Matanuska Creamery Susitna Sunshine Sharp White Cheddar.  Oh, yum.

So suddenly my nummy sweet breakfast confection becomes my nummy sweet AND SAVORY breakfast confection and all is well in the little blackbird nest!

Cheddar Apple Dutch Pancakes

2 apples (I used granny smith), thinly sliced
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole milk
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat cast-iron skillet on medium heat, melt two tablespoons of butter and saute apple slices for about two minutes. Arrange slices in single layer (in same pan) and set aside. (At this point I sprinkled a few tablespoons of the cheese over the apples.)

Combine remaining ingredients and mix well, ensuring lumps and clumps are incorporated into batter. Pour over apples in cast-iron skillet and pop in the oven for ten to fifteen minutes. Voila!