It’s officially my favorite time of year. Fall, is finally upon us. It’s my die hard fave for a lot of reasons: the cooling weather, the dramatic hues and shades of the changing leaves across East Tennessee, and the social acceptability to wear leggings and over-sized shirts indefinitely.
Not least of all though, I love this season because of all the decadence that accompanies it in the way of food. So I figured hey, why not round up a few of my personal favorite recipes, ones that I simply adore and that allow me to joyfully jam pumpkins into anything and everything. I sincerely hope you love them too.
Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients:
4 cups marshmallows
1/8 cup of canned pumpkin
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp butter
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
Directions:
Step 1. Place the butter in a large pan on medium low heat and let it melt.
Step 2. Add marshmallows.
Step 3. When your marshmallows have melted, add your Krispies, pumpkin and spices and stir. Add more or less of your spice mix to taste. Done!
Pumpkin Alfredo
Ingredients:
1 pound fettuccine (reserve 1 cup of pasta water)
6 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2/3 cup half and half
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
Directions:
Step 1. Bring a large pot of water to boil over a high heat. Add 1 tsp of salt, then the fettuccine. Cook until al dente (see package instructions).
Step 2. Melt the butter over a medium-low heat. Stir in garlic and cook for about one minute. Stir in half and half, Parmesan, pumpkin and nutmeg. Stir and heat sauce through until cheese is fully melted. Stir in pasta water 1/4 cup at a time, until sauce consistency suits you.
Step 3. Add pasta and cover over medium-high heat until sauce is smooth and pasta in well coated in sauce, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 4. Serve with a garnish of fresh parsley and enjoy!
Pumpkin Chili
Ingredients:
2 pound ground beef or turkey (I used 1 pound of each)
1 (15 ounce) can black chili beans
1 (15 ounce) can white chili beans
1 (15 ounce) can pure pumpkin
3 cups V8 vegetable juice
1 (10 ounce) can Rotel
1 (4.5 ounce) can green chiles
1 packet of chili seasoning
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Step 1. In a large pot over a medium heat, cook the meat until browned and drain.
Step 2. Add in the rest of the ingredients and seasonings and simmer for approximately one hour.
Step 3. Serve and enjoy. Seriously. How easy was that!?
