Fall Foodie Favorites: Oldies and Newsies!

Fall is just starting to pick up speed and I love when our food matches the season. For me, it makes the season that much more fun and interesting.

I thought I would share my all-time favorite fall dinners,  breakfast, breads, and desserts with you, in case you’ve been looking for some fall in your foods. Some are oldies that I found in previous falls, and some are newsies from this year. I hope you enjoy!

This newsie is White Chicken Chili Soup. It is delicious. But the simplicity of the recipe is actually why it sold me. So many White Chicken Chili Soups seem to have lots and lots of ingredients, but this one keeps it simple, while still tasting elaborate. That is a win in my book. I did make a few alterations, by mostly adding in a couple vegetables, but doing so did not make it a “vegetable chili” in any way.

Also, I did find that serving this chili over brown rice was really delicious. Not only does it make it more economical, by the spreading the chili further, it also enhanced the flavor. Here is the full recipe, with my alterations, but feel free to follow the link above and see the original. (Sidenote: I half the recipe for our little family, but here is the full recipe).

photo courtesy of Lil’ Luna.

Ingredients:

(Italics and a (*) indicate my alterations to the recipe)

• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 (15.5 oz) cans Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
• 2-4 chicken breasts (approx. 2 cups shredded chicken)
• 1 small can diced green chilies
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• *1/2 tsp. chili pepper
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• *1/2 yellow onion, diced
• *1 bell pepper, diced
• *1/2-1 cup frozen corn
• 1/2-1 cup sour cream OR 2-4 oz. cream cheese (feel free to use neufchatel)
• Optional: Shredded cheese to top
• Optional: serve over brown rice.

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, add broth, beans, chicken, green chilis, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, chili pepper, pepper, diced onion, diced bell pepper, and corn. Simmer on low-medium heat for 20-30 minutes, or until it is heated through. (I turn up the heat to medium high and just bring it to a boil until my chicken is cooked through.)
2. Take out chicken and shred with a fork, then add back to the pot.
3. Right before serving, stir in sour cream. Add cheese on top if desired.

Hooray for a relatively fast, healthy, and very delicious soup!

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The next is a favorite oldie that I have on my Gale Family Recipes site–Butternut Squash Chicken Stew. I haven’t made it yet this season, but last season, I loved it! This soup packs a punch of flavor, and I love that the base of the soup is vegetables. Anyway, so much goodness going on in this stew. And isn’t it pretty?

Photo courtesy of Cookin’ Canuck.

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This oldie–Golden Sweet Cornbread is a hit, always has been. As soon as my husband and I tried it, we were obsessed. I’ve tried multiple recipes that crumble like crazy, feel slightly dry in my mouth, or just lack flavor. This one trumps all. It’s moist, doesn’t crumble, and has a sweet, but not too sweet, flavor. I do make a couple alterations that improve flavor and help the cornbread stay together, so look for those alterations in the link above.

Photo courtesy of Allrecipes.com

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Now this newsie, is a great find and I’m so thrilled to have found it. This Zucchini Bread recipe is to die for. Really. Okay, not really, but it is at least good enough to make it multiple times, crave it, and then feel comfortable taking to neighbors.

photo courtesy of Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

I had a lot of zucchini this summer and I tried multiple recipes and this one took the cake, by far. This might not be the recipe for you, but for me I look for something delicious–not too healthy, but also not too sugary or oily. This one fit the bill for me. It also has good spices and has a good balance between feeling too heavy or light. I make no alterations to the recipe, except that I usually double it. 🙂

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Another oldie that’s on my list to make again this year is Lentil Soup with Sweet Potatoes & Spinach. This recipe is the epitome of health and yum getting married. Everything about it is healthy, but it also is fast and delicious. It also is vegetarian, which while I’m not a vegetarian, I love finding recipes that don’t take meat and use other sources for protein, to ensure I’m getting a wide range of nutrients. I did make two slight alterations, which you’ll see on my site. I’m looking forward to trying it again this year!

Photo courtesy of Two Peas and Their Pod

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This recipe breaks the mold– it’s my favorite fall breakfast! Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal is divine. Before trying baked oatmeal I was rather apprehensive. In my family, oatmeal was always a bland meal that you made if you didn’t have taste buds, or you just ignored them. But after trying this, I was changed.

Photo courtesy of Kath Eats Real Food

Baked oatmeal is so versatile, yummy, and yes, healthy. I would bake up a pan of baked oatmeal, cut them into squares and then put them in tupperwares. Then, in the morning, I would either eat it cold with yogurt or milk (similar to granola) or warm it up, cut it in half, and put some butter on it. I also just snacked on it plain, because it was that flavorful. I also love that it is something you can make ahead and then enjoy throughout the week.

After eating it for a while, I came up with another flavor and it turned out to be my favorite– Baked Pumpkin Apple Oatmeal. {**This link is probably the most comprehensive recipe. So follow this link if you want to know exactly how I make it.**} I don’t have a picture of this one, but it looks exactly the same as above.

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Lastly, here are two of my favorite bread recipes. I feel like it’s nice to have a go-to homemade bread recipe and here are two options–one is whole wheat and the other white. Both are absolutely delicious and relatively fast when it comes to rising time, and ease of making–both of which are necessities for me.

The White Homemade Bread recipe is my newsie for this year. It’s delectable. If you are looking for a crowd pleaser and not concerned about your carbs, then go for the gold, or white in this case, and give it a go. I can promise it won’t go wrong. It also makes a whopping 4 (9×5) loaves!

Photo courtesy of Just Another Day in Paradise

This No-Fail Whole Wheat Bread recipe is my oldie that I want to try again this year. I seriously loved this recipe. It had the awesome full taste of whole wheat, but lacked the typical cons of wheat bread (being overly dense or dry). Also, just like the recipe above, this recipe is speedy. Mmm, just remembering this recipe is making me crave it. Really, if you have never liked whole wheat bread, but want to try a recipe, try this one. Most likely you’ll enjoy it and then feel good about all the fiber and complex carbohydrates it packs.

Photo courtesy of Progressive Pioneer

Well, I think that will be it for today! I love baking and cooking so stick around if you want more recipes. Or better yet, hop over to my actual recipe blog–Gale Family Recipes–where I share our family favorites. My style is summed up like this: things that are supposed to be delicious- I try to keep delicious. But foods that can be easily made more healthy, I try to make healthier. After being on a no-sugar diet for over a year, I know how to be healthy, but also enjoy the taste of all foods, so hop on over for some healthy and some purely delicious family faves 🙂