Fall is here! Here in Michigan the leaves are turning colors and everywhere we look we are seeing gorgeous hues of reds, oranges, and yellows. We recently had a chili cookoff off at our neighborhood lake and it was a fantastic event. The weather was surprisingly warm, the trees were colorful against the backdrop of the lake, and, of course, all the chili entries were delicious!
And guess who was the winner in two categories of the chili cookoff? Yep, my husband Dave! He won most popular and most creative. He worked very hard on his entry, even staying up late the night before and getting up early the morning of to tinker with it.
The chili cookoff was so fun and delicious it inspired me to share our favorite fall recipes. We’ve shared a number of recipes on 2 Wired 2 Tired over the years and I always love trying out new recipes from other blogs and websites, that I thought it would be fun to share a few of our favorites.
Unfortunately you won’t find Dave’s winning chili recipe in this list – like all good chili cookoff contestants, he didn’t write anything down! ???? One of these days I’ll get Dave to write down his secret chili recipe and I’ll be sure to share it here.
The following recipes are ones we’ve made many times over the years and always look forward to making and eating! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
Pear and Pumpkin Soup
I know that a Pear and Pumpkin Soup might sound like an odd combination, but we found this soup delicious! I am someone who loves pumpkin but the thought of just a pumpkin soup seemed, even to me, just too much of one flavor. That’s why, once I mixed in the pears, it gave it a nice additional seasonal twist, perfect for fall.
Acorn Squash & Sausage – This recipe is one of our family’s fall favorites. My mom used to make it when we were kids. It’s super simple and the flavors of the squash, sausage, and brown sugar are a perfect combination to warm you up on a cool fall day. I see a lot of acorn squash recipes out there that suggest cutting the squash first, but I’ve always found this nearly impossible. So I cook it like I do a microwaved potato, just stab it with a fork a few times and then pop it in the microwave. This recipe seems pretty fancy for how truly easy it is, and it is one we look forward to enjoying every fall.
Easy Chicken Pot Pie – Chicken Pot Pie is a fall classic that I’m sure many of you have made in your own homes and that’s why I’m excited to share this recipe from Betty Crocker. Since I’m a busy mom I’m always looking for recipes that are easy, fast, and delicious. And this one fits the bill. Every time I make this I can never decide if it’s the pie or the crust that I like better! This is a great recipe to make on a busy weeknight and we often end up with leftovers that we look forward to enjoying over the next day or two.
Brown Sugar Glazed Ham – As I mentioned above, Dave is an amazing chili cook, but he has another speciality as a home chef, ham. It is one of his favorite foods and while ham is usually associated with Easter, we enjoy it in the fall too especially when the weather hasn’t gotten too cold yet and Dave can still use his smoker. Overall this recipe is not too difficult, it just takes time in the smoker, as all smoked dishes do. And it’s one that’s worth the wait!
Grandma’s Corn Chowder – I discovered this recipe on All Recipes last year and I’m so glad I did, it’s incredible and it hits the spot on a cold fall day. It’s a pretty easy recipe to make, chopping the potatoes is the task that takes the longest. I also like to double the bacon too, because when you can’t taste the bacon it does feel like the chowder is missing something. With this recipe we always end up with leftovers and often it seems this chowder is even better the next day!
Simple Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup – I love our slow cooker. It’s such a time saver. Every time I use it I always find myself thinking, “Why don’t I use this more?” This recipe is a classic for us and one that we’ve make many times each fall. It also makes quite a lot of soup so you’ll have leftovers to look forward to for a day or two depending on the size of your family. I always serve this soup with warm rolls and butter for an added touch.
Crock Pot Pot Roast – Speaking of our slow cooker, here’s another fall favorite for our family. There’s nothing like a delicious pot roast with potatoes and carrots on a cold autumn day. Cooking Classy is one of my favorite food bloggers and this recipe has always been a go to whenever we want to make pot roast. It’s not too difficult and there aren’t a million ingredients like some pot roast recipes, but it’s full of flavor and one we look forward to enjoying every time we smell it cooking in the crock pot.
Spaghetti Squash Kale and Sausage – This recipe from Simply Recipes is one that Dave and I enjoy every time we have it. It’s not a lot of work and it’s actually pretty healthy too. I do make a couple small changes to the recipe: I add butter to the dish once it’s about ready to serve. Olive oil is nice but I feel the butter adds a bit more flavor. Also instead of using bulk turkey sausage I buy the Johnsonville sausage crumbles. The come in a zip-top bags that I usually find it near the breakfast sausage section of the grocery store. The sausages crumbles save a couple steps and make preparing this dish even easier. One other tip, when I made this for the first time I was amazed at how much the kale cooked down, the recipe calls for 1-2 cups of kale, but you might find you need more then that depending how much you want in your dish.
Baked Oatmeal With Apples – At Christmas we always have a brunch with my side of the family and my mom made this recipe from Southern Living last year. I loved it and felt it was so full of fall flavors that it’s the perfect recipe to enjoy this time of year. I leave out the raisins and I think my mom did too just because we aren’t the biggest raisin fans. But this recipe is delicious and it almost tastes like a healthier version of apple crisp. It’s also so versatile you could serve it at breakfast, at brunch, as a side for lunch or even as a snack. It’s not too difficult either, the task that takes the longest is chopping up the apples. I’m looking forward to making this baked oatmeal again soon to enjoy on a chilly fall morning.
Down East Maine Pumpkin Bread – If you’ve used All Recipes over the years you may have come across this recipe. It’s a classic. It looks like they’ve recently made some updates to the recipe so I can’t see when it was originally published, but it has nearly 8,000 reviews and almost 800 photos! And I can see why, it’s a pretty easy recipe that is packed full of flavor and perfect for a fall day. It’s a recipe I’ve made and enjoyed immensely. The good news is no one in my family likes pumpkin except me, so whenever I make this I get the whole thing to myself. :)
I’ve enjoyed sharing our favorite fall recipes here, it was a bit a like a walk down memory lane! I hope you get a chance to try out some of the recipes and that they bring a bit of autumn magic to your family’s kitchen and dinner table. Enjoy every bite and happy cooking! ????
