4 Surprising Uses for Your Apple Slicer

While there are some kitchen tools that bear the brunt of meal time prep (your favorite knife, a salad spinner, measuring spoons, a great skillet, a cutting board) there are others that seem reserved for just that one special task. But with kitchen storage space at a premium, it’s a good idea to periodically reassess what’s truly necessary and what might need to go. Unless you’re a really big apple lover, regularly baking your way through such favorites as apple cobbler, apple pie, apple bread, and apple pandowdy, the apple slicer appears to be a one-hit wonder. Or is it?

As it turns out, your dusty little apple slicer is way more useful than you might think. In fact, you could be using your apple slicer to do more than efficiently slice apples and pears — all with less fuss and clean-up than employing the variety of tools it could replace. That’s right, this user-friendly tool could help expedite some crucial meal prep tasks, get dinner on the table faster, and treat you to a tasty morning treat. This simple manual device is more than just a combination apple corer and slicer, it’s a handy tool that can help meal prep everything from root veggies to mozzarella or help you whip up the easiest doughnuts you’ve ever made.

There’s nothing like a pan of herbed roasted root vegetables in the fall and winter. They’re such a belly warmer, all caramelized edges and fork-tender centers, sweating in the heat of the oven. It’s a perfect lazy day dinner — just 30 minutes in the oven, filling the house with the savory scents of rosemary, garlic, and thyme. And you can take advantage of that extra-long sheet pan, throwing on some meat (chicken, pork tenderloin, or maybe tri-tip) with your roasting roots. The only problem — there’s still all that peeling and chopping to do, right? Wrong. 

First, as long as your veggies are clean, don’t waste time peeling them (especially root veggies like potatoes, yams, carrots, and beets). Leave those skins on for an added nutritional boost. Second — you’ve got that apple slicer still lingering in your kitchen drawer from last fall, when you made scratch apple pie post-apple picking. Now’s the perfect time to use it. Start by giving your veg a good scrub. Next, remove any green tops and cut any oversized root vegetables in half so they’re roughly the size of an apple. Then, use your apple slicer just as you would on an apple. You’ll end up with ready-to-roast, beautifully wedged veggies in minutes. Minimal kitchen time, maximum flavor. Plus, you can save those center cores, cutting them down into coin-shaped bits for breakfast the next day with your frittata. Also, try it for seasoned air-fried potato wedges instead of plain frozen fries.

Summertime and the grilling is easy. Grilled kebabs can be a breeze to cook and so fun to eat. The one drawback? All that chopping. While mushrooms and cherry tomatoes can hit the skewer whole, many other veggies need a wee bit of hand holding. But not if you have your trusty apple slicer! Whether you like a more traditional Middle Eastern or Mediterranean kebab or a slightly sweeter Hawaiian kebab, no one’s getting out of here without the onions and peppers. And if you’re going Hawaiian, you’re gonna need some sweet and juicy pineapple. All of which can be quickly and easily managed by a sharp, quality apple slicer.

You’re on your own chopping squash for your kebab, but when it comes to onions, bell peppers (sharp green or sweet yellow, orange, and red varieties), and that luscious pineapple, your apple slicer has you covered. The method is roughly the same: cut the tops off your veggies (or fruit) and place the apple slicer on top, centering it. Then push down to quickly slice wedges of red, yellow or white onion, or any bell pepper, and even a petite pineapple. The center corer makes easy work of it all, eliminating the extra-wstrongly fumed onion core and the pepper’s placenta (along with its seeds). A few caveats though: You’ll need to remove the skin from both your onion and the pineapple and be sure to core your pineapple before using your apple slicer. 

Now, this might be the apple slicer hack that takes you right over the edge. I mean, canned biscuit dough? But just hear me out. Canned biscuit dough is one of the quickest ways to make a no fuss donut, and an apple slicer is one of the quickest ways to cut a bunch of donut holes out of dough. (I mean, they are the best part of a donut, right?) After applying the apple slicer, roll your dough into balls and pop those evenly cut chunks into some hot grease. When they’re done, toss them in cinnamon sugar or drizzle them with chocolate sauce or glaze for a yummy weekend breakfast treat. 

But that’s not even the half of it, because turns out, there are lots of clever ways to use canned biscuits, and some of those recipes call for cutting it into pieces. Not the least of which is the donut’s Louisianan cousin — the beignet. Just follow the same steps as the donut holes, then finish off your goodies with powdered sugar — finger licking good! You can also use this excellent hack to make sweet and spiced monkey bread or savory pepperoni pizza pull-apart bread (season and butter your dough balls and line a bundt pan with these tasty bite-sized bits). Even dumplings get a turn in chicken soup (just be sure to pre-bake your biscuits before adding to your hot pot of chicken-y goodness). These perfect little chunks also make a great cobbler or breakfast casserole topper.

Whether you’re using softer Italian varieties of mozzarella (Pro tip: Skip the burrata, it’ll just make a mess) or the firmer ball we’re all more familiar with stateside, an apple slicer can help you get the job done when it comes to slicing wedges of mozzarella. 

Pair soft wedges of fresh mozzarella with juicy Roma tomato wedges and fresh basil along with a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar for a chunky insalata caprese. Cut those wedges crossways to create bite-sized mini-triangles that fit neatly on a skewer with rolled prosciutto and a chunk of juicy melon or a ripe cherry tomato for a refreshing appetizer. Or, for a decadent Friday night cuddled up on the couch, cut firm mozzarella with your apple slicer, battering and freezing it ahead of time. Then, deep fry your cheese wedges for an quick-and-easy homemade gooey, stringy fried mozzarella wedge you’ll adore. Try dipping them in warmed marinara, herbaceous pesto, or hot honey for a touch of extra pizazz. Oh, and remember that pizza pull-apart bread? These mozzarella wedges fit nicely in between buttered dough balls and pepperoni slices. 

Now that your apple slicer is on firm footing, safe from the donation bin, let’s talk about that strawberry huller you just had to have.