Everyone loves fall in New England — the crispness in the air, the crunch of the leaves, the resurgence of leather boots. For me, the best part of autumn is the surplus of foods I enjoy year round — squashes and pumpkins and sweet potatoes, oh my!
If you’re like me, you see a ton of amazing fall recipes that look delicious. You bookmark them or print them, and you really do mean to make them. Then your toddler needs you, or your partner needs you, or you need sleep. The recipes sit there, waiting to be made.
Well, tired, stressed-out moms, good news! You can have your fall recipes and eat them, too!
For your gustatory pleasure, I am sharing with you three embarrassingly easy “recipes” that will allow you to enjoy your favorite fall foods and look like you spent way longer on them than you did.
Butternut Squash Soup
Step 1
At 375 degrees, bake a butternut squash that you’ve halved lengthwise and seeded. Bonus “easy” points if you use pre-peeled and diced squash.
Step 2
In a stockpot, add the flesh of the squash to water, chicken stock, or veggie stock. Simmer, then blend with an immersion blender. You can decide how thick you want the soup by how much liquid you add. You can also add whatever spices you feel like — a five-spice blend, cinnamon and nutmeg, cumin and cinnamon — your choice!
Step 3
Enjoy!
Caramelized Sweet Potatoes
I love sweet potatoes! I have recently discovered the easiest and sweetest way to make them.
Step 1
Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes.
Step 2
Put them in the slow cooker and cook them for 3-4 hours on low.
Step 3
Try not to eat them all at once when you discover how caramelized the bottoms have gotten and how delicious they are!
A word of caution — if these do come out very sweet (they can be too sweet if overcooked), use them for a sweet potato pie. Mmm… pie.
I’ve found it helpful to prepare a bunch early in the week and then take them to work as a healthy starch option. They’re delicious in a salad with avocado!
Pumpkin Chocolate Brownies
This dessert is a cross between brownies and fudge. Often times, people don’t even realize there is pumpkin in it, but they can tell there is something different.
Step 1
Mix a box of chocolate cake mix and a can of pumpkin.
Step 2
Bake according to the directions on the box.
Note — I’ve never tried this adaptation, but I bet a box of spice cake would enhance the pumpkin flavor and make it even more of a fall recipe. If your kiddo isn’t so into pumpkin, this may be one way to sneak it in.
Wishing you all a stress free and delicious fall!
