Fall is a little less than a month away and if you’re like me, you’re ready to bring on the pumpkin-everything, cozy sweaters and cute decor.  Fall means football Sunday, tailgating, apple picking and nature walks with falling leaves.  With that comes all of the delicious comfort foods like savory stews and soups.  Why not kick-off the season with some recipes worthy of busting out the crock pot and heating up the oven?

Here are a few fall-ready recipes that are sure to inspire you for some cooler weather.

Chili

Chili just screams fall and this recipe was given to me years ago at a party.  I’ve been using it ever since for parties and for a family Sunday dinner.  Don’t forget to add some yummy toppings like green onions, cheese, sour cream and some corn bread (I love either the Jiffy cornbread mix or Trader Joe’s).

JENNIFER’S CHILI RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef (I suggest 90% lean so you don’t have to drain the fat)
• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 packet McCormick’s chili seasoning
• 1 packet McCormick’s Hot chili seasoning
• 1 green bell pepper – diced
• 1 red bell pepper – diced
• 1 onion – diced
• 2 tsp garlic
• 2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes
• 1 can light kidney beans (drained)
• 1 can dark kidney beans (drained)

optional: red pepper flakes

Directions: Mix beef and turkey in a crock pot with onion, garlic and chili seasoning packets.  Cook until meat is brown (keep chopping up and mixing meat with seasonings).  Test to make sure meat reaches 165 degrees.   Add remaining ingredients and let cook on low for 4-5 hours.  Stir every so often.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Nothing says fall like a pot roast.  This classic comfort food makes any cool night warm up!  Just add some fresh bread for a delicious, hearty meal.  I found this recipe on Lifeisbutadish.com.

Directions: 

1. Pat dry the chuck roast with paper towels. In a small bowl mix together the salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano. Rub spice mixture all over the roast and place back in the fridge if not using right away. (You can do this overnight if you have the time). 2
2. When ready to cook, add the spice rubbed roast into the slow cooker. Place the cut potatoes and carrots all around the roast. 3
3. In a large bowl whisk together the beef broth, marinara sauce, coconut aminos, worcestershire sauce and tomato paste. Pour mixture over the roast and veggies.
4. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
5. Once meat is cooked and falls apart easily, remove from slow cooker and set on a cutting board to rest.
6. Whisk together the arrowroot powder and water in a small bowl to create a slurry. Pour the slurry into the liquid in the slow cooker and stir. The liquid will begin to thicken after 2-3 minutes. Shred the meat and serve with potatoes, carrots and sauce.

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Creamy Roasted Pumpkin Soup

This creamy roasted pumpkin soup recipe has a TON of 5-star reviews and would be perfect for tailgating or neighborhood potluck.  I got this recipe from CookieandKate.com.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• One 4-pound sugar pie pumpkin
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 4 large or 6 medium garlic cloves, pressed or minced
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon cloves
• Tiny dash of cayenne pepper (optional, if you like spice)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
• ½ cup full fat coconut milk or heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
• ¼ cup pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)

DIRECTIONS:

1. 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Carefully halve the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds.
   2. Slice each pumpkin halve in half to make quarters. Brush or rub 1 tablespoon olive oil over the flesh of the pumpkin and place the quarters, cut sides down, onto the baking sheet. Roast for 35 minutes or longer, until the orange flesh is easily pierced through with a fork. Set it aside to cool for a few minutes.
   3. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add onion, garlic and salt to the skillet. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. In the meantime, peel the pumpkin skin off the pumpkins and discard the skin.
   4. Add the pumpkin flesh, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cayenne pepper (if using), and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Use your stirring spoon to break up the pumpkin a bit. Pour in the broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, to give the flavors time to meld.
   5. While the soup is cooking, toast the pepitas in a medium skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, golden and making little popping noises. You want them to be nice and toasty, but not burnt. Transfer pepitas to a bowl to cool.
   6. Once the pumpkin mixture is done cooking, stir in the coconut milk and maple syrup. Remove the soup from heat and let it cool slightly. You can use an immersion blender to blend this soup in the pot. I prefer to use my stand blender, which yields the creamiest results—working in batches, transfer the contents of the pan to a blender (do not fill your blender past the maximum fill line!). Securely fasten the blender’s lid and use a kitchen towel to protect your hand from steam escaping from the top of the blender as you purée the mixture until smooth. Transfer the puréed soup to a serving bowl and repeat with the remaining batches.
   7. Taste and adjust if necessary (I thought the soup was just right as is, but you might want to add more coconut milk for extra creaminess/milder flavor, or maple syrup to make it a little sweeter).
   8. Ladle the soup into individual bowls. Sprinkle pepitas over the soup and serve. Let leftover soup cool completely before transferring it to a proper storage container and refrigerating it for up to 4 days (leftovers taste even better the next day!). Or, freeze this soup for up to 3 months.

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Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting

What I love about these delicious pumpkin spice muffins is that they’re perfect for almost everything.  You can eat them for breakfast, bring them to a tailgate or to a potluck.  They’re the perfect fall treat!  I got this recipe from PioneerWoman.

Directions:

1. For the muffins: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 12 muffin tins.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in the butter with two knives or a pastry blender until it is fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add the raisins, if using. Fold gently until the mixture is just combined.
3. Pour into the greased muffin tin- the batter hardly ever fills all twelve unless you keep it down to 1/2 full.
4. For the topping- in a small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Sprinkle all over the top of each unbaked muffin.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove and allow to cool completely. Ice with cream cheese frosting, if desired.
6. For the frosting: Combine the butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix all ingredients on high until soft and whipped. Spread onto completely cooled muffins, or place into a large pastry bag with a large star tip and go crazy! Store in the fridge, as icing will soften at room temperature.

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Apple Cake

After you’ve gone apple picking, it’s time to make this yummy apple cake!  I found this recipe on TasteofHome.com.

Ingredients:

• 1-3/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups finely chopped peeled tart apples
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1-1/4 cups whipped topping

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and baking soda; gradually beat into sugar mixture until blended. Fold in apples and walnuts.
2. Transfer to a greased 13×9-in. baking dish. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Serve with whipped topping.

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I think the pumpkin soup and chili would be great to bring for tailgating or a neighborhood party and our personalized foam cups would make it so easy to serve!  You can design your cups to root for your favorite team or with anything you’d like.

Hope these recipes get you ready for fall!

XO,

Jennifer