Fall is in full swing over here and I am elbow deep in all the amazing apple dishes; warm, satisfying soups; and sweet and savory breads made with the last bit of my garden I kept fresh in the freezer. I love this time of year for its amazing and creative dishes – these are some of our contributors’ fall favorites!

Tiffany: Honestly, we eat biscuits and gravy at least once every month or so, but once the weather starts to cool off, I find that it shows up on our table far more frequently. It’s quick, warm, and hearty- a real stick to your ribs type of meal- and it just feels like home. It’s great as breakfast or dinner and is always a hit. I should preface this recipe by saying I very rarely use my biscuit recipe anymore. The Pillsbury freezer biscuits are super yummy and make it that much easier, but when I forget to add them to the grocery list, I can take the 10 minutes to whip up a batch of biscuits with a great recipe I found on Pinterest.

Biscuits

  • 3 c flour
  • 5 tsp baking powder
  • 1 ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ c cold butter (I usually pull a fresh stick from the freezer; you want it COLD)
  • 1-1 ¼ c buttermilk
  • Enough melted butter to brush over the top

Start by preheating your oven to 450 degrees, then combine and whisk together your dry ingredients. Cube your butter using a pastry cutter or fork, or you can pulse in a food processor. You’re aiming for a crumbly texture with pea sized crumbles. Add 1c of buttermilk and mix until everything is moist. Add up to an additional 1/4 c if needed. Dough should be slightly sticky. Roll out onto a floured surface about an inch thick and cut out biscuits using a 2 inch cookie cutter (I have a specific drinking glass I use). Place your biscuits on a cookie sheet and brush the tops with butter, bake for 13-15 minutes or until they are golden brown

Gravy

  • 1lb sausage (we use hot, but regular is great too)
  • 2 tbl butter
  • ⅓ c flour
  • 3c milk
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Optional: Maple Syrup

Start by browning your sausage. Once cooked, add butter and sprinkle in flour, and stir until all the sausage is coated and the grease is soaked up. Let that cook for 2-3 minutes. Add 3 c milk and stir. If the gravy feels too thick, add more milk as needed. Season with salt and pepper and a bit of maple syrup (I  always eyeball this but probably a teaspoon at a time till the spirits tell me it’s enough. You want the sweetness to be a background flavor, not the star, so don’t go too crazy… Unless the spirits tell you to!) Serve over warm biscuits.

Laurel: This recipe is originally from Aaron Sanchez, but is modified and tweaked by me. Serves 4-6 people. Prep time: 1 hour; cook time: 30 minutes.

These are so great – enjoy!

 

 

 

For the Sauce

  • 2 ounces butter
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups tomato bouillon broth
  • 4 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Pinch nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup Crema Mexicana

For the Filling

  • 10 ounces chorizo (pork or beef)
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1 C pumpkin puree (this amount can be increased to taste) NOT Pie filling
  • ½ c chopped onion
  • ¼ tsp cumin
  • ¼ tsp chili powder
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon (this is a taste thing, sometimes I omit)
  • Can also add, black beans, corn, red peppers etc.

For the Topping

  • 12-16 corn or flour tortillas
  • 1/2 package (5 ounces) Cojita cheese, shredded/crumbled
  • 1 C shredded cheese (type up to you)

To make the sauce: Melt butter in saucepan and whisk in flour. Cook for 2 minutes on medium heat, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the broth. Add remaining ingredients, except Crema Mexicana, and whisk thoroughly. Bring to a slight boil and remove from heat. Let cool, then mix in Crema Mexicana.

To make the filling: Cook chorizo according to package instructions and drain well. Set aside. Cook ground turkey in same pan utilizing the “leftover bits” from the chorizo, add the onion, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon, and cook. Add pumpkin and cooked chorizo together. Let sit. Lightly coat bottom of a baking dish with sauce. Scoop filling into tortillas add a little shredded cheese, roll and place in baking pan. Cover the tops of the enchiladas with sauce and top with shredded Cojita and any leftover shredded cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is browned.

Edee: I look forward to soup on crisp fall days. Lasagna soup is hearty, flavorful, and a new favorite. It has all your traditional flavors of the Italian classic in a quick soup. You can mix it up too, using all sausage or all hamburger, adding more onions or garlic to taste, use up leftover spaghetti or tomato sauce, or use your favorite mix of Italian cheeses.

Directions

Brown your meats in a large pot until cooked through. Rinse and return to pot. Cook with onion and garlic until onion is tender (if using fresh). Add all other ingredients except cream and cheeses. Bring to a boil, then simmer 12-14 minutes or until noodles are done. Add cream and stir thoroughly. Mix together cheeses. Serve with a scoop of cheese mixture on top of soup in individual bowls. Enjoy with your favorite crusty bread.
Edee: Caramel apples are one of our family’s favorite treats but I don’t always have the time to make the real deal. I love how easy and foolproof this dip is. It stays dippable even at room temperature and is great to serve at parties. We love it!
From: Bless this Mess Blog

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup salted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 3/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

  1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
  2. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk, stirring to combine.
  3. Stir constantly until the mixture comes to a light bubbly boil.
  4. Remove from heat right away and add the vanilla. Stir to combine.
  5. Serve warm or at room temperature with apple slices and pretzels, or drizzle over ice cream.

Naomi: I LOVE FALL. I come from the midwest and fall is a big deal to us. Its the best season, by far, in Chicagoland. The leaves changing colors, crisp air after months of humidity, Halloween items filling the shelves, and pumpkin everything! Fall in Idaho is great too! Fall recipes are my all-time favorite. Sometimes you can catch me sneaking them in throughout the year just because they are so delicious. 

I get most of my recipes from a community called Tone It Up. You can find a lot of Tone It Up recipes on Pinterest. For example, this Moroccan Stew recipe is one of my absolute favs. I like mine with a little extra cayenne for a nice kick.

Root vegetables and fresh herbs are great in the fall. Add herbs to everything! Add mint to your smoothies and basil to your salad. Add rosemary to chicken and cinnamon to coffee. Throw together a quick chili with some ground turkey, peppers, onions, tomato, beans, chili powder, cayenne, and some fresh cilantro. I like to just toss what I have on hand into a pot and let it simmer. 

I also highly recommend pumpkin parfaits for breakfast to start your day off healthy and festive. Tone It Up came out with a Fall Edition to their meal plan a while back and I still use the recipe from them which can be found here on their website. 

 

Jerica
Jerica
Jerica Stacey is the mom of three hilarious kids and wife of a hot nerd. The five of them spend their days laughing, making up songs, and snacking. She works from home as an energy efficiency consultant, although she still hasn’t decided what she truly wants to be when she grows up. For now, her passion lies in all things motherhood. She loves sharing her hard-earned knowledge on a variety of topics, including breastfeeding (and pumping!), labor, and cloth diapering. Jerica has too many kids to read the books she collects; instead, she makes sure her kids are growing up with a love for 90s music, mancala, huge dogs, dessert, and Modest Mouse. She loves true crime stories, Shrek, the idea of playing the trombone again someday, and peanut butter.

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