Inspire New Recipes for Fall 2017

I'll be honest: I'm a picky eater. I have always been picky when it comes to food, so when I find recipes I love, I cherish them. I share the recipes with my family, and now I am sharing these recipes with you, my dear readers.

Fall is a great season for eating comfort food. The temperatures are beginning to drop outside, which means you crave those warm, irresistible foods that instantly make you feel better about everything in your life. You sink into your sofa with blankets while holding a bowl of chili, hot chocolate, or a piece of pumpkin pie, and that is what Fall is all about.

Take a chance and try out some new recipes. You might just inspire others to try them, too.

Below are five recipes that will be perfect for this Fall:

1. Potato Soup 

I use the Pioneer Woman's recipe for this dish, and it's my favorite recipe. I must admit: I'm really picky about my potato soup. It needs to be just right. It shouldn't be too creamy, too lumpy, or too thin. It should have just the right consistency.

But, once I found the Pioneer Woman's recipe in her Dinnertime cookbook (I'm a huge fan of the Pioneer Woman, by the way), I never went back to any other recipes. It's perfect.

My version of The Pioneer Woman's potato
soup recipe (photo/Kasy Long).

To make this simple soup, you need:

• Bacon bits 
• One medium yellow onion, sliced 
• Three carrots, scrubbed and diced 
• Three celery stalks, diced 
• Six small russet potatoes, peeled and diced 
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt (if needed)
• Black pepper (if needed)
• 1/2 teaspoon of Cajun spice (if needed)
• Eight cups of low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• Three tablespoons of all-purpose flour 
• One cup of milk (whichever kind you prefer) 
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream (I substitute with whole milk) 
• One tablespoon of minced parsley 
• One cup of grated cheese 

In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the onion, carrots and celery. Stir and cook for two minutes, or until the onion has softened a bit. Then, add the potatoes, salt, pepper and Cajun spice (if needed), and cook for five minutes more. 

Add the broth and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Cook for ten minutes, or until the potatoes are starting to get tender. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and the milk, then pour the mixture into the soup, stir to combine, and let the soup cook and thicken for five minutes. Working in batches, remove half of the soup from the pot and pour it into a blender. Puree the soup until it's completely smooth and then pour the pureed soup back into the pot with the rest of the soup. 

Note: I don't puree the soup into a blender because I prefer a thicker potato soup. If you're like me and want a thick soup, then you can omit this step. 

Add the heavy cream to the pot (if you want to), add the parsley, and stir the soup. After this, you're ready to go! Spoon out a bowl of the delicious soup, top it with cheese, bacon bits and crackers (I use croutons), and you're ready to settle down for a delicious warm bowl of comfort food for a chilly Fall evening. 

2. Cheddar Biscuits 

These biscuits are irresistible and go with everything, especially the potato soup shared in this post. I also use the Pioneer Woman's recipe from the Dinnertime cookbook for this dish. It's so good. I eat way more than I probably should! 

To make these biscuits, you need: 

My version of The Pioneer Woman's
cheddar biscuits recipe (photo/Kasy Long).

• Four cups of all-purpose flour 
• One tablespoon of baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt (if needed) 
• 1/2 cup of cold, unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pans (or you can use baking spray)
• 1 1/2 cup of milk (whichever kind you prefer) 
• 1/2 cup of vegetable oil 
• Two eggs 
• 2 1/2 cups of grated cheese 

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray your muffin tray with baking spray. Pour the flour, baking powder, and salt (if needed) into a large bowl. Cut the butter into cubes and add it to the bowl. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, oil and eggs. Pour the wet mixture into the butter-flour mixture and stir until it just comes together. Then, add the grated cheese and stir until everything's mixed together. The mixture will be a little on the thick side, but that's okay. It's supposed to be that way. 

Drop about 1/4 cup of the helping into each cup of your muffin tray. Bake the biscuits for 20 to 22 minutes, or until they're golden brown on top. After that, you're ready to go! Serve the biscuits with a warm cup of potato soup, and you're ready for a perfect Fall evening! 

3. Pumpkin bread 

Fall is associated with pumpkins. You carve and decorate them for Halloween, and you bake them for your food. While people love to drink pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks, I prefer to bake pumpkin bread to get into the spirit for the season. So, here's an easy recipe for the perfect pumpkin bread. 

You will need:

My pumpkin bread (photo/Kasy Long).

• 1 1/2 cups of flour 
• One teaspoon of salt (if needed)
• One cup of sugar 
• One tablespoon of baking soda 
• One cup of pumpkin puree 
• 1/2 cup of olive oil (can substitute with canola or vegetable oil) 
• Two eggs 
• 1/4 cup of water 
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon 
• 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg 
• 1/2 teaspoon of allspice 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir together the flour, salt (if needed), sugar, and baking soda into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together the pumpkin, oil, eggs, water and spices. 

Then, combine the two bowls together, and stir until the mixture is thick. Pour the mixture into a loaf pan (spray with baking spray), and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. After that, you're good to go! You're ready for a delicious dessert that meets all of your pumpkin cravings during this Fall season. 

4. Hot apple cider 

Hot apple cider (photo/A Sweet Pea Chef).

There's nothing like warm, spicy apple cider to break the ice when you're entertaining on a chilly autumn day. Serve this at a bonfire this Fall and your guests will love you! This version of hot apple cider is the easiest recipe on this list, so enjoy! 

You'll need: 

• Six cups of apple cider 
• 1/2 teaspoon of whole cloves 
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg 
• Three cinnamon sticks 

In a three-quart saucepan, heat the ingredients until they're boiling over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat; simmer uncovered for about ten minutes. 

Before serving, strain the cider mixture to remove the cloves and cinnamon, if you desire. Serve hot and you're good to go! 

5. Butternut squash casserole 

Squash has really been popular this Fall season, as well as for a few years. I would compare squash to pumpkins because people crave squash just as much as they crave pumpkins.  

This casserole recipe tastes similar to a sweet potato souffle, with a custard-like texture. This dish can be the perfect meal for a family gathering this autumn! 

To make this dish, you'll need:

Butternut squash casserole (photo/Allrecipes.com)

• One butternut squash 
• One cup of white sugar 
• 1 1/2 cups of milk (whichever kind you prefer) 
• One teaspoon of vanilla extract 
• Salt (if needed) 
• Two tablespoons of all-purpose flour 
• Three eggs
• 1/4 cup of margarine, melted 

For the topping, you'll need: 

• 1/2 package of vanilla wafers, crushed 
• 1/2 cup of margarine, melted
• One cup of brown sugar 

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the butternut squash in a microwave and cook on high for two to three minutes until it's soft. Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and cube it into even slices. 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the squash to the pot and cook until it's tender for about 15 minutes. Then, drain the pot and mash the squash. 

In a 9x13 inch casserole dish, combine three cups of the mashed squash, white sugar, milk, vanilla extract, salt, flour, eggs, and margarine. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. 

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the crushed vanilla wafers, melted 1/2 cup of margarine, and brown sugar. Crumble over the top of the cooked casserole and return to the oven to brown. Then, you're all set and ready to dig into this delicious casserole dish! 

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These recipes aren't exactly new. I didn't invent these recipes, but maybe you've never tried making these dishes. Be bold and daring. Try something new for this Fall season to bring to your next family gathering, bonfire, or just to have at home on a chilly evening. You might impress your friends with your delicious food, and then you'll give them the recipe to also try. 

Besides, while you're inspiring and encouraging the people around you, you'll have wonderful food to enjoy for yourself! 

If you make any of these dishes, share your pictures with me through social media on Facebook (@kjlsdiary), Twitter (@kjlwriter), and Instagram (@kasyj1950). I look forward to seeing your dishes! 

-KJL-