Fall is such a wonderful time of the year! It is the time to wear comfy sweaters, go pumpkin picking, and of course, eat delicious food. For us collegiettes, it can be hard to recreate those scrumptious meals that our family makes for us when we go home for breaks. Thankfully, that wonderful thing we call The Internet provides easy recipes to make some wonderful dishes in our very own homes away from home!
Here are a few of our favorites:
1. Baked Homemade Mac and Cheese
Kraft Mac and Cheese is always a convenient go to, but this baked homemade Mac and Cheese is not much more difficult and tastes so much better than anything out of a box!
Recipe from: http://collegerecipes.com/recipes/baked-homemade-mac-and-cheese/
Ingredients:
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1 ½ cup elbow macaroni
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1 ½ tbsp. butter
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1 ½ tbsp. flour
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1 ½ cup milk
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10 oz extra sharp block cheddar cheese
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½ cup Ritz Crackers (crushed)
Directions:
- First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then, bring a regular sized saucepan with 3-4 inches of water to boil. Boil the macaroni for about 10 minutes, and then drain—do not rinse—and place into a casserole dish of any size. Set aside.
- In an additional small saucepan, melt the butter on medium heat.
- Once melted, add the flour and milk into the pan and stir constantly on medium heat until thickened. This should take about 8 minutes.
- Lower the heat, and cut the cheese into small-sized cubes. The smaller cubes increase the overall surface area of the cheese, and allow it melt substantially faster.
- Add the cheese cubes into the already heated mixed, and cook while stirring until fully melted.
- Once melted, pour the cheese mixture into the casserole dish with the macaroni and stir. Try to ensure that all of the noodles have been adequately covered in cheese.
- For a delicious yet optional garnish, sprinkle Ritz Cracker crumbs on top of the macaroni and cheese.
- Finally, place the casserole dish into the oven and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.
- Use a pot holder to carefully remove the casserole dish from the oven, and let sit, allowing it to cool for 3-5 minutes. Plate and enjoy!
2. Easy Homemade Chili
Who doesn’t love to curl up on the couch with a warm bowl of chili on a fall day?! All you need is a slow-cooker and the necessary ingredients and you’re good to go.
Recipe from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-homemade-chili/
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 (14.5 oz.) can stewed tomatoes
- 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
- 1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 pinch chili powder
- 1 pinch garlic powder
Directions:
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the beef and onion and sauté until meat is browned and onion is tender. Add the stewed tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, beans and water.
- Season with the chili powder, garlic powder, salt and ground black pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Easy One-Bowl Pumpkin Bread
This is the easiest, fastest and truly most delicious pumpkin bread I’ve ever had. It’s a recipe that you really must try because it’s just that good. In no time, you’ll have a warm loaf of bread and your roommates and friends are sure to be impressed by your baking skills!
Recipe from: http://www.the-baker-chick.com/2013/10/easy-one-bowl-pumpkin-bread/
Ingredients:
- 1 cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ cup pumpkin purée
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil or coconut oil (I used coconut)
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9×5 loaf pan and set aside.
- Whisk together sugars, flour, spices, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the bowl. Add pumpkin, eggs, oil, water and vanilla. Whisk, starting with the wet ingredients and working your way to the outside of the bowl, mixing until batter is smooth and clump-free. (Don’t over-mix!)
- Pour batter into the loaf pan and bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove and let cool on a rack until ready to serve.
With one of these recipes or even all three, you are guaranteed to enjoy some of the best fall comfort food out there—and you can take the credit for it! Get your friends together to try these recipes and others for an amazing fall food feast. Bon appétit!