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Celebrate National Peanut Month With Natural Peanut Butter

Peanut Butter and Apple Stuffed Pork Chops
Peanut Butter Salad Dressing
Buckeye Balls
Cream of Peanut Soup

(Family Features) - Peanut butter has long been a favorite pantry staple; in fact Americans eat enough peanut butter in a year to make more than 10 billion peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. But, peanut butter can be enjoyed many more ways than just a sandwich. Smucker's® Natural Peanut Butter encourages consumers to celebrate National Peanut Month by offering unique and fun recipes using peanut butter. Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter creamy and chunky varieties offer a robust peanut flavor, made from peanuts and salt.

Natural peanut butter is a great way to enjoy that natural peanut taste. There are many ways to enjoy natural peanut butter. Spread natural peanut butter on apples and celery for a quick snack. Or try adding natural peanut butter to some of your favorite desserts or savory dishes. You may notice that the peanut oil sometimes rises to the top of the jar. This occurs naturally, and the oil simply needs to be stirred back in to fully enjoy the product.

Did You Know?

Just one serving of natural peanut butter - 2 tablespoons - provides:

Eight grams of protein
Two grams of fiber
Ten percent of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Reference Daily Intake (RDI) of vitamin E and 12 percent of the RDI of magnesium
Zero grams of cholesterol
Zero grams of trans-fats per serving

For more delicious meal ideas and cooking tips, please visit www.smuckers.com.

Peanut Butter and Apple Stuffed Pork Chops
Makes 4 servings

4 3/4-inch-thick center cut pork chops, fat trimmed
1/4 cup Smucker's® Natural Creamy Peanut Butter
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs, toasted*
1/2 cup finely chopped apple (packed)
1 large shallot, minced (or 1/4 cup minced onion)
1/2 cup Smucker's® Apple or Currant Jelly, melted (for basting, if desired)
Salt and pepper to taste
Crisco® No-Stick Cooking Spray

With small knife, make a "pocket" in each pork chop by cutting horizontally from outside edge almost to the bone.
In medium bowl, mix together remaining ingredients except jelly, salt and pepper. Shape stuffing mixture into 4 equal patties.
Spread each meat pocket open and put one stuffing patty into each pork chop. Using wooden toothpicks (2 to 3 per chop), close each pocket to prevent stuffing from falling out during cooking.
Preheat oven to 450°F. Spray pork chops lightly with Crisco No-Stick Cooking Spray. Place large, oven-proof frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Place pork chops in pan and cook about 8 minutes, turning often, or until well-browned on both sides.
Remove pan from stove and place in hot oven to cook another 20 minutes. If desired, baste pork chops with jelly during last 5 minutes of cooking time. When pork chops are done, remove toothpicks and season with salt and pepper.

*To toast bread crumbs, place crumbs on foil-lined baking pan and bake in 300°F oven (or toaster oven) 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned.

Peanut Butter Salad Dressing
Makes 4 servings

1/2 cup Smucker's® Natural Creamy Peanut Butter
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly brewed tea, room temperature
1/4 cup orange juice
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice or cider vinegar
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced

Mix dressing ingredients in medium bowl. Stir until mixture is blended and smooth. (Dressing will keep two days.)

Buckeye Balls
Makes 8 dozen

1-1/2 cups Smucker's® Natural Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 cups confectioners' sugar
Coating:
1 pound chocolate flavor candy coating
2 tablespoons Crisco® Shortening

Combine Smucker's Natural Creamy Peanut Butter, butter or margarine, vanilla and salt in large bowl. Beat at low speed of electric mixer until blended. Add 2 cups sugar. Beat until blended.
Continue adding 1/2 cup sugar at a time until mixture shaped into ball will hold onto toothpick. Shape into 3/4 inch balls. Place on tray. Chill.
For coating, combine candy coating and Crisco Shortening in microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave at 50% (medium) for 30 seconds. Stir. Repeat until mixture is smooth. Insert toothpick in candy ball. Dip three-fourths of ball into melted coating. Scrape off excess.
Place on waxed paper lined tray. Remove toothpick. Smooth over holes. Refrigerate until coating is firm; then remove from paper. Store at room temperature in covered container.

Cream of Peanut Soup
Makes 8 servings

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup Pillsbury® BEST All Purpose Flour
2 12-1/2-ounce cans chicken broth
1 12-1/2-ounce can vegetable broth
1 cup Smucker's® Natural Chunky Peanut Butter
1/2 cup half-and-half

Cook onion, carrot and celery in butter over heat in medium saucepan until tender. Stir in Pillsbury BEST All Purpose Flour; mix well. Add chicken broth and vegetable broth; stir until thickened. Stir peanut butter into soup; mix until well blended. Reduce heat to low; cook 10 to 15 minutes or until flavors are blended. Stir in half-and-half. Season to taste.

SOURCE: Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter