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Fall Food Bucket List

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Everyone talks about bucket lists full of adventurous activities and destinations to see! I think those lists have a place, but I’m more the girl who marks recipes in magazines and cookbooks to come up with everything I want to taste! This Fall Food Bucket List is full of recipes using the ingredients that make this season amazing, and is a little bit more realistic than skydiving off a cliff in New Zealand!

comfort food recipes for fall

I don’t know that there’s been one year of my life where Fall hasn’t been my favorite season! Even  as a kid when it also meant going back to school, I still felt like Fall held all kinds of new possibilities! It felt like more of the start to a new year, than the beginning of January did.

I love that we live in PA where Fall means sunny days full of changing colors and crisp evenings around a bonfire. It’s still warm enough to grill outside and roast some marshmallows for s’mores.  At the same time, it’s brisk enough that I can wear jeans without looking ridiculous (I’m looking at your summer heat), and the heat and AC both get turned off in favor of open windows.

Oh Fall… I really do love you!

appetizers for football games

Especially the food! I can start using my oven again without turning the kitchen into a sauna, and I actually have extra energy to experiment rather than just taking the easy way out because the heat has exhausted me! Plus, it’s the perfect time to start experimenting with some new recipes for your holiday meals!

If I haven’t convinced you yet that Fall is thee best… then maybe these recipes will help! These are some of my tried and true favorites that go perfectly with the Fall weather! Maybe you’ll be adding them to your Fall Food Bucket List soon!

Italian Hoagie Dip

For our household, Fall also means the start of college football season! I’m always looking for easy recipes to serve for games that taste delicious! This Italian Hoagie Dip tops the list for us. I’m actually not even really a fan of lunchmeat in sandwiches or wraps, but in this dip.. I could inhale it. Every bite has the perfect combination of lunchmeat, cheese and seasonings. It’s a beautiful thing.

Classic Italian Hoagie Dip_- A Turtle's Life for Me

Cheesy Sweet Potato Stuffed Pepper

This is a fun twist on a stuffed pepper recipe, and is perfect if you’re trying to incorporate some meatless meals into your routine! The sweet potato practically screams Fall recipes, and is also a nice entree option if you have a vegetarian at your Thanksgiving meal!

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Ham and Cheese Sliders

These sliders are more amazing than I expected them to be. I really thought, “Okay, a hot ham and cheese sandwich. Big whoop”. But I had some sliced ham leftover from dinner the night before, and there were friends coming over to watch more football… so I threw these together. I’m a fan of tart fruit with ham, so I added some cranberry sauce. You can leave it out if you want to, but you would be wrong. It really should be included and enjoyed!

ham-and-cranberry-sliders

Parmesan Baked Potato Wedges

This is such a classic recipe and one that every household should keep on hand! It’s inexpensive, fast to prepare and goes with nearly any meal. I often make huge batches of these potato wedges to go with our dinner, because we love the leftovers just as much. You can heat up the leftovers for breakfast with some scrambled eggs (sometimes I even chop them up and reheat in a frying pan for hashbrowns) or throw some shredded pork and toppings on them for some potato nachos. We never tire of these!

Parmesan Baked Potatoes

Oven-Toasted Breaded Ravioli

This is one of my kids’ favorites so I had to throw it in there! Sometimes I’ll get the minis and they eat them for an after school snack. Other times I’ll buy full-size ravioli and it’s a perfect entree on a chilly night. This is another good recipe if you’re trying to work in some meatless Monday meals!

Click here for the recipe >

oven-toasted-ravioli-homemade-recipe-a-turtles-life-for-me

Turkey Corn Chowder

This is one of those recipes that you can really adjust to meet your tastes… or what you have left in your fridge! Ha! Once you have your basic soup base down, don’t worry so much about what vegetables you throw in there. This is a great way to use up leftover veggies and turkey from your Thanksgiving meal! Although, we’re guilty of making it all through the fall because we love it so much!

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Turkey Corn and Potato Chowder

Slow Cooker Tomato Soup

Another favorite soup for us is this creamy tomato soup that’s bursting with flavor. Although, we’ll eat nearly any soup that’s made in our slow cooker because it gives it so much time for the flavors to really meld. If you like a spicy soup, add a little sriracha. If you like a creamy tomato soup, add some light cream and parmesan. Adjust the flavors to suit your taste.It’s our favorite way to enjoy tomato soup!

Slow Cooker Tomato Soup that tastes great and is healthy!

Grilled Pork Sandwiches

Since we still grill well into the Fall (who am I kidding?? We grill into winter if there isn’t snow covering everything!), grilled pork is one of our favorite meats to grill in the autumn. It goes so well with the Roasted Parmesan Wedges I shared above, roasted veggies or even in a sandwich. My personal favorite way to eat it in a sandwich is with goat cheese and fig preserves like I show here. I got the idea when I had a hamburger at a local restaurant with the same toppings. I transferred the idea to thinly sliced pork, added some fried onions and serve it on a thin, crusty bread. Delicious! My kids love eating grilled pork on arepas or in carnitas if you wanted to try a different version!

garlic-herb-pork-sandwiches-with-fig-and-goat-cheese

Bacon Jalapeno Corn Fritters

These are the perfect appetizer to wow your guests. They use basic ingredients, but the result is amazing and they always get gobbled up. This is a great way to use up frozen corn if you froze any at the end of summer!

Click here for recipe >

bacon-jalapeno-corn-fritters

Sticky Korean Beef

I made this for the first time maybe a month ago, and it’s already become a family favorite! We’ve already had 2 more times since and my kids can’t get enough of it. I usually steam some broccoli to go with it, but you could also add steamed carrots as a side. It just has so much flavor and pairs perfectly over rice. I’m a bit of a fanatic about keeping bags of frozen ground beef on-hand, which makes this entire meal come together in less than 10 minutes!

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Sticky Korean Beef Recipe

Breakfast Burritos

Fall also means busy school mornings, and these breakfast burritos are a lifesaver. I am not a morning person. Let me repeat that for emphasis… I am NOT a morning person. People who can make their kids a hot meal in the morning get all the googly eyes from me. It will not be happening in this house, unless I can freeze it ahead of time for them to warm up. These breakfast burritos fit the bill and my kids love them. Hot and filling, and if it’s an especially busy morning, they can even eat them while they walk to school.

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Freezer Breakfast Burritos Recipe

Cheesy Taco Skillet

This is a recent recipe I created for our taco loving family, and it was a huge hit. Filling and a nice twist on the regular Taco Tuesday. You can change up some of the toppings (feel free to add black olives even though my family despises them!), and make it your own! Either way, just make it because it is delicious!

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Taco Casserole Recipe

Bread and Butter Noodles

This recipe for bread and butter noodles rarely gets any love when I share it, which is such a shame to me because my kids inhale it! I am not even exaggerating. I don’t think I’ve ever once made it without one of my kids rushing to the kitchen in excitement. They absolutely love it and would be perfectly fine if I made it a few times a week! It’s a great way to use up the heels on your loaves of bread too!

Click here for recipe >

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And if you’re looking for even more additions for your Fall Food Bucket List, check out this collection of 20 Delicious Soups or Delicious Fall Potato Recipes! I am very much of the belief that you can never have too many potato recipes!

And be sure to tuck this list of Alcoholic Drinks away for your holiday party! I can’t wait!!

20-boozy-holiday-drinks

Now I want to hear what’s on your Fall food list? Any comfort foods that are your favorites! Let me know which ones of mine you try and what you think! I have a feeling they’ll become family favorites soon!

Delicious comfort food recipes for Fall