6 Warm and Cozy Recipes to Make this Fall

One Pan Pork Roast with Rice and Vegetables (Alexys)

If you want to make a yummy, hearty meal but don’t want to spend a lot of time (or dirty too many dishes) this is a great option! 

Ingredients:

• 1 pork loin (you can buy pre-seasoned from the grocery store or season it yourself; a mixture of salt, pepper, and garlic is a great place to start, then add your favorite spices)
• 1 box of rice or 1 C white rice: seasoned rice like Lundberg Risotto works great
• 1 liter (about 4 C) of broth: chicken, beef, pork, and vegetable all work 
• 3 medium carrots, roughly chopped
• ½ onion, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• 5 mini bell peppers or 1 regular bell pepper, roughly chopped

Directions:

Season pork loin; set aside while preparing vegetables. Wash, peel, and chop vegetables. In a large non-stick pan combine chopped vegetables, rice, and broth. Lay pork loin on top of the mixture and cover with aluminum foil. Bake on 375℉ for an hour then uncover and bake for another 10-20 minutes. 

Chicken Congee

Congee is an Asian dish, basically a rice porridge, that can be made with a variety of add-ins or toppings. I use jasmine rice, but I have also used basmati white rice and that worked as well. It is known as comfort food that is easy to digest and good when under the weather (similar to chicken noodle soup). Plain congee (meaning just rice and water) is bland in taste, which is part of the beauty/versatility; replacing the water with broth will really amp of the flavor, but you can keep it plain if you want to focus more on toppings. Some people prefer their congee to be more liquidy (almost like soup) while others prefer a thicker consistency; I like to use around 6 cups of liquid. Either way, keep in mind that it will thicken while cooling, so if you want more liquid be sure to take off the heat just before it gets to your liking (you can always add more liquid if needed, and you will need to add more when reheating). As for toppings, I’ve gone with a classic chicken, but you can do the same with beef, pork, or even beans and lentils if you want a vegan/vegetarian option. I have made it with only water, but prefer mostly broth (at least half, if I have enough). This is also a fantastically economical option if you want to stretch your groceries; this could last me 3 days of lunch and dinner. I also reheated the last of the leftovers for breakfast, adding in all the usual ingredients I use in oatmeal (butter, blueberries, and maple syrup), and it tasted great, so you can totally use this as a base for sweet recipes as well. Keep in mind, this dish really increases in volume so you can make adjustments; use 1/2 C of rice if you want a smaller portion or up it to 1 full cup for a bigger family portion. 3/4 C gives me plenty of leftovers to reheat.

Ingredients

• 3/4 C uncooked white rice:
• 4-8 C water or broth: you can also use a 1:1 ratio of water and broth. this is where personal preference comes in; the thicker you want the congee, the less water you add, but you can always add more if needed.
• salt to taste: If you are only using water, adding a generous pinch of salt can add some flavor.

Toppings:

• Cooked chicken or other protein (whatever cut of chicken you have, cubed or shredded.)
• Hard or soft boiled egg 
• Baked or steamed carrots/other vegetables (*optional)
• A drizzle of soy sauce or coco aminos (*optional)

Directions

Rinse rice in a fine-mesh strainer. Add water and rice to a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until done. Stir occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. The cooking time of rice will vary, but I start with 45 minutes and go from there (it can cook for an hour or longer, just keep an eye on it to get to the consistency you want).

Baked Stuffed Apples 

This is a fun way to use fall apples! It is like an inside out apple pie that pairs really well with ice cream or even greek yogurt. To core the apples, if you don’t have a tool specifically for this, you can use a vegetable peeler (like the one in the picture below) or gently use a knife to cut a circle around the core, then use a flat butter knife or spoon to scrape it out until all seeds are removed and there is a hollow middle. 

Ingredients

• 1 whole apple, cored
• ½ tbsp unsalted butter, softened 
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• ¼ tsp cinnamon (pumkin pie spice will work as well!)
• Pinch of salt
• Sprinkle of cane sugar on top (*optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350℉. Get the butter out of the fridge to soften while coring apples. Core apples and place in a glass pan. Fill with butter, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until apples are soft. Be sure to save any juice/butter that spills out of apple to drizzle over the top when serving!

German-Style Hash (Taryn)

Ingredients (serves 3-4)

• ½ lb of potatoes
• ½ lb of cabbage or brussels sprouts
• Olive oil
• Spices: salt, pepper, rosemary, paprika
• 1 medium onion, diced
• ½ lb of sausage, preferably chicken sausage or German white
• ¾ cup of beef stock, other stocks will work
• 2 tablespoons of mustard. Preferably whole grain, sweet, or other German
• 1 tablespoon of maple syrup (if not using a sweet mustard)
• ½ cup of sauerkraut, optional
• ½ cup of sour cream or plain yogurt
• Topping options: fresh parsley, chives, or green onion

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut potatoes into ½ inch pieces and cabbage into 1 inch pieces (brussels sprouts in half). Place on a baking sheet with olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, and paprika. Bake for 25-30 minutes, mixing once, until potatoes are fork-tender. Wait about 15 minutes while potatoes and cabbage are in the oven, then start the rest of the dish. In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil and onions and cook for 5 minutes. Cut sausage into ½ inch thick coins and cook until both sides are brown, about 7 minutes. Add cooked potatoes and cabbage to the pot. Add beef stock and simmer for about 3 minutes, then lightly mash about a fourth of the potatoes to help create a thick sauce. Add mustard, maple syrup, and sauerkraut, then cook for one minute. Turn heat to low, and add sour cream. Taste for more salt, pepper, and paprika. Top with fresh and dried herbs. 

Beef and Cornbread Pie (Taryn)

Also known as tamale pie, this is an easy, flexible recipe perfect for a fall evening. You can follow the recipe below, but simply it’s a mixture of meat and bean in a casserole dish topped with a cornbread mix. I use beef, but ground turkey would be great. You could also easily use leftover chili (regular or vegetarian), brisket, or pulled pork. You want the meat mixture to be just saucy enough to not burn in the oven, but not too saucy that the squares you cut out completely fall apart. Other optional ingredients: diced bell peppers, sweet potatoes, and olives.

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 lb of ground beef
• 2 jalapenos, optional. Pickled would also be great
• 1 can of black beans. Kidney or pinto would also work
• 1 cup of diced tomatoes (fresh, canned or grape tomatoes all work)
• 1 cup of tomato sauce or a small can of enchilada sauce
• 1 ½  tablespoon of cumin
• 1 tablespoon of chili powder
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon of onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 cup of corn, fresh, frozen or canned
• 1-2 cups of shredded cheese, optional
• 1 ½ cup of cornmeal
• 1 cup of flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup of milk or dairy alternative
• 6 tablespoons of melted butter
• Optional toppings: sour cream, salsa, avocados, cilantro

Preheat the oven to 375F. In a pot, heat oil and cook onions and beef until beef is cooked through. You may want to pour off some fat from the beef. Dice one jalapeno and add that plus beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and spices to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes until everything is incorporated. Add corn and cook for another minute. Turn off heat and prep cornbread. Mix dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar) together, and in a separate bowl mix wet ingredients (eggs, milk and butter). Mix together. In a casserole dish, ladle beef mixture and smooth. Top with cheese if you want. Scoop cornbread mixture on top: start by ladeling about 6 large spoonfuls across the beef and cheese mixture then smooth. If you’re having difficulties, wet your fingers and finish covering up any holes. Top cornbread for leftover sliced jalapeno, optional. Bake for 20-30 minutes until cornbread is slightly brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let set for about 10 minutes before cutting. Top with whatever you like.

Ground Turkey with Sweet Potatoes and Peppers (Bethany)

Ingredients

• 2 Cups sweet potato, diced
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 2  cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup yellow onion, diced
• ½ cup bell pepper, diced
• 2 Tbsp evoo
• 1 Tbsp italian seasoning
• 1tsp red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ shredded mozzarella
• Fresh parsley for garnish

Directions

Dice sweet potatoes and boil for 7 minutes then drain and run under cold water. In a skillet over medium-high heat add EVOO and ground turkey. Use a wooden spoon to break up the turkey and cook for 5 minutes. Add in the garlic, onions, peppers, sweet potatoes, and seasoning and mix until well combined. Continue to cook while stirring occasionally until the vegetables are fully cooked, about 5 minutes. Top with mozzarella and place a lid on top of the skillet until the cheese is melted. You can also cook in a cast-iron skillet and place under the broiler to melt the cheese. Garnish with parsley and serve.

What are your go-to fall meals/ingredients?