Give Your Applesauce A Hint Of Heat For An Exciting Dinner Side

Applesauce is an excellent side choice for dinner any night of the week. It's quick and easy and helps you use up all those apples you buy every week but don't always get through. But man, can it get boring — there's probably a reason this unassuming dish is so often associated with baby food. But if you're serving anyone who's not a toddler, it's time to spice it up with the help of chile peppers.

Adding heat in the form of chiles adds dynamic flavor, transforming this simple side into an unforgettable accompaniment. But it's not all about adding a fiery edge. You will want to thoughtfully balance sweet and spicy to create intrigue and make every bite engaging.

Spicy applesauce is the perfect side for many mains precisely because of this complexity. The sweetness from the apples mellow the chile's heat, while the peppery notes and intriguing aroma bring out depth in the apples. Even better, it's easy to make. This change is perhaps the least amount of work you can do to make a memorable meal and still say you cooked something.

Some people enjoy a real kick of heat, while others prefer a mere suggestion of spice. Understanding how all the elements work together can help you take any fiery applesauce recipe you find and make it work for you.

Start by toasting your aromatics. Cinnamon and ginger are top choices here, as they straddle the fence between sweet and spicy and are classic companions for both peppers and apples. As for the peppers, if you want them cooked, roast them in the oven or toast your chiles in the air fryer. Either method adds depth and may make the peppers less spicy. For better control of the spice, remove the seeds and ribs in some or all of your chiles (the ribs and white pith contain the most capsaicin, which is what brings the burn). You can also skip the peppers altogether and add a pinch or three of ground cayenne at the end until it's as spicy as you want.

Use any variety of apple you like. Cooking apples stay firmer and are a must if you like chunks in your apple sauce, but dessert (a.k.a. eating) apples work, too. Chunks of apple can help disguise the heat by giving you a big bite of sweet. You can also use store-bought applesauce.

Consider adding apple cider vinegar to your applesauce. Its acid can help balance both the apple's sweetness and the pepper's heat, making the result taste more cohesive.

Spicy applesauce is a beautiful accompaniment to dishes of roast meat. The one-two punch of sweet and spicy complements the unctuous, savory flavor of pork especially. It's also a worthy sidekick for traditional meatloaf. 

But spicy applesauce is no one-hit wonder. Serve it as a condiment on pulled pork sandwiches or as part of a well-designed charcuterie board. Add it to baked goods like super-soft muffins, use it as a filling for hand pies, or as an ingredient in homemade ice cream. For breakfast or brunch, try it in an apple-noodle kugel, with chicken and waffles, or atop peanut butter pancakes. Or use it as that special something in a creamy pumpkin soup.

As many potential uses as spicy applesauce has, it may be prudent to make large batches. That way, you can ensure that you have enough for every way you want to try it.