Tasty Treats for Fall

October brings with it all of the scents and flavors of fall. Even if the temperatures refuse to drop very far, we still begin to crave those foods that make us think of falling leaves and cooler weather. We have collected a few recipes that will give you a great start into the season, with a few Halloween treats as a bonus. Whether you are creating meals for the kids or just the young at heart, this collection has something to offer for everyone.

Pumkin Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese Sticks
Soup

• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 c. tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (15-oz.) can pure pumpkin puree
• 1/3 c. grated Parmesan, plus shavings for serving
• Kosher salt
• 3 tbsp. heavy cream, plus more for drizzling
• Chopped fresh basil leaves, for serving

Step 1 – In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant and light golden, about 1 minute.

Step 2 – Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, about 1 minute more. Add broth, pumpkin puree, Parmesan, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until soup is slightly thickened and flavors are melded, about 5 minutes. Stir in cream.

Grilled Cheese Sticks

• 8 slices white bread, crusts removed
• 8 slices deli-sliced baby Swiss cheese
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter

Step 1 – Using a rolling pin, roll bread into flat, 1/4″-thick squares. Place 1 slice cheese on each piece of bread and tightly roll up.

Step 2 – In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, melt butter, swirling to coat bottom of pan. Working in batches, add sticks to skillet seam side down and cook, turning often, until bread is golden and cheese is melty, about 3 minutes.

Step 3 – Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with cream and sprinkle with basil. Serve with grilled cheese sticks alongside.

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Roll

Ingredients

Cake:

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 large eggs
• ⅔ cup pumpkin puree

Filling:

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan and line with waxed paper.
2. Make the cake: Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Beat sugar and eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well blended. Stir in pumpkin purée. Add flour mixture and stir until just blended. Pour batter into the prepared jelly roll pan.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
5. Turn cake out onto a clean kitchen towel. Remove and discard waxed paper. Starting with the short end of the cake, roll both the cake and towel up into a log; let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
6. While the cake is cooling, make the filling: Beat cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, butter, pumpkin purée, and vanilla in a mixing bowl until smooth.
7. Spread a large sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface. Carefully unroll the cooled cake onto the plastic wrap.
8. Spread filling over the cake, re-roll the cake (without the towel), and wrap carefully with plastic wrap. Transfer the filled cake, seam-side down, to a plate. Refrigerate until fully chilled, about 2 hours.

Chef John’s Zombie Meatloaf

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1 (8 ounce) package brown mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3pounds lean ground beef
• 3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk or whole milk
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 onion
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 pound bacon strips

Blood Sauce:

• 1/4 cup barbeque sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 dash hot sauce, or to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Melt butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Saute diced onion, celery, mushrooms, and 1 teaspoon salt until the mixture dries out and starts to turn golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, black pepper, thyme, and cayenne pepper. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
3. Combine remaining 2 teaspoons salt, ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, buttermilk, 2 tablespoons ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl. Add cooled vegetable mixture. Mix with your hands until thoroughly combined. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.
4. Slice 2 round sides, about 1/2-inch-thick, off the second onion for the zombie eyes. Push 1 clove into the center of each slice. Cut a 1-inch-wide section off the remaining onion and dice into chunks to form zombie teeth.
5. Transfer meatloaf mixture to the prepared baking sheet and use damp hands to shape into a zombie skull shape that is 3 to 4 inches tall. Form indents to represent the eyes, nose, and mouth. Drape bacon over the face, covering most of the meatloaf. Add onion eyes and teeth. Tuck in loose ends of bacon under the sides with a spatula. Cover the onion eyes with aluminum foil to prevent browning.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until the meatloaf reaches an internal temperature of 155 degrees F (68 degrees C), about 1 hour.
7. Stir barbeque sauce, 1/4 cup ketchup, and hot sauce together in a bowl to make the blood sauce.

Jack-o-Lantern Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 4 large orange bell peppers
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 pinches cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ⅓ cup thinly sliced green onions
• 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 2 cups seasoned tomato sauce, warmed

Directions

1. Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C), and oil a baking dish with olive oil.
2. Use a small knife to cut eyes, nose, and mouth into the flattest side of each pepper, just like a jack-o’-lantern. Cut around the seedpods and remove the tops, trimming and discarding any seeds from under the stems. Trim the white membrane from the inside of each pepper and shake out any seeds. Place in the prepared baking dish.
3. Mix together ground beef, salt, pepper, cayenne, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, green onions, melted butter, ketchup, Cheddar cheese, and rice in a bowl until well combined.
4. Stuff mixture evenly into peppers and cover with the pepper tops.
5. Wrap the baking dish loosely with foil and place on a sheet pan, and bake in the upper center of the preheated oven for 1 hour.
6. Remove the foil and continue baking until peppers are tender and ground beef is cooked through, 10 to 15 more minutes.
7. Place stuffed peppers on a few tablespoons of warm tomato sauce. Serve immediately with more sauce on the side.

Vampire Teeth Cookies

Ingredients

• 30 oz package of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough *If you prefer, you can purchase pre-baked cookies and assemble as directed*
• 1 cup miniature marshmallows
• 1 ⁄2 cup slivered almonds
• 1- 4.25 oz. tube of red decorator icing or a tub of white frosting and red food dye

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Divide dough into 12 sections and roll each section into a large ball.
2. Bake cookies on a baking sheet according to package instructions (about 12 minutes) and cool completely.
3. Cut each cookie in half. With the wrong sides of the cookie facing up, squeeze a strip of icing around the inside of each cookie half.
4. Line the icing on one cookie half with mini marshmallows (the round part of the cookie will form the teeth, but add a few marshmallows along the flat edge also so that the vampire teeth mouths stay level.
5. Place the other half of the cookie on top of the marshmallows to form the mouth and teeth.
6. Working quickly, before the icing dries to the touch, place a slivered almond to the outsides of the two front teeth to make fangs.
7. Continue to make your vampire teeth creations with the remaining cookies.