Let's denote the number of 3-pound bags of whole apples that Miguel buys as "x". Then, the cost of these whole apples will be 3.75x dollars.
We know that Miguel buys 12 pounds of peeled apple slices, which cost 5.74 dollars per 2-pound bag. Therefore, the cost of these peeled apple slices is:
12/2 * 5.74 = 34.44 dollars
The total cost of Miguel's purchase is $45.69. Therefore, we can write an equation:
3.75x + 34.44 = 45.69
Simplifying and solving for x, we get:
3.75x = 11.25
x = 3
Therefore, Miguel bought 3 bags of whole apples, each weighing 3 pounds, for a total of 9 pounds of whole apples.