As summer comes to an end, everyone is gearing up for the fall season and, with that, comes the infamous Pumpkin Spice-themed foods and drinks. Yep, it’s that time again, folks.
This year, however, Kraft Dinner is offering Canadians a new take on the seasonal flavor in the form of a Pumpkin Spice Macaroni and Cheese dinner box.
Made with the same cheese powder base many of us grew up on, the new mac and cheese adds the fall flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger. The result is a spicy and cheesy dinner treat.
Those all about pumpkin spice can sign up for a waitlist, and 1,000 lucky Canadians will be able to get their hands on a box of the new mac as well as some swag for free.
Everyone else, it seems, will have to wait until October to try it out.
If you want to truly feel that fall has arrived, one simple way to do it is to cook with butternut squash! It’s not very complicated. You can add it to soups, pasta, sweet or savory pies or you can just roast it!
Butternut squash grows during the summer, but it’s harvested in the fall. Thanks to its thick skin and firm flesh, you can store it for several months. This means you can cook all kinds of dishes using butternut squash during the cold season: from autumn to winter.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database, one cup of cooked, cubed butternut squash, or around 205 grams, contains: 82 calories, 1.8 grams (g) of protein, 0.18 g of fat, 21.50 g of carbohydrate, including 4 g of sugar and 6.6 grams of dietary fiber. It is a good source of fiber, potassium, calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin C.
If you haven’t cooked with butternut squash yet, then you should know that it has a sweet, nutty taste similar to that of a pumpkin’s. It’s one of the most versatile vegetables (though it’s technically a fruit, it’s used as a vegetable in the kitchen) because there are so many delicious ways to use it in different dishes. We suggest you cook with butternut squash by experimenting with all the cooking techniques.
Butternut squash can be roasted, sautéed, toasted, puréed for soups such as squash soup, or mashed to be used in casseroles, breads, muffins, and pies.
5 ways to cook with butternut squash
1. Roast it
One of the most common ways to cook butternut squash is roasting it. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, remove its seeds (which also can be roasted into a nice salty snack), lightly brush its flesh with vegetable oil, and place the halves on a baking sheet and then into the oven. Some people roast the butternut squash cut-side down, others cut-side up, and some of them like to cut the squash into half-moon slices or cubes. Once roasted, it can be eaten in a variety of ways, from salads to sweet snacks, if you season it with honey and cinnamon.
If you’re using it in salads, you can eat it in both cold and warm combinations. You can pair roasted butternut squash with broccoli, baby spinach, cooked wild rice, lentils, quinoa, chickpeas, red onions, roasted bell peppers, feta cheese, stemmed and finely chopped kale, nuts and seeds.
Butternut squash can be eaten in salads or sweet snacks if you season it with honey and cinnamon.
2. In soups
Peel the squash, cut it into cubes, then boil its flesh for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until soft. Then, use it to make flavored soups. Check different recipes on the Internet, but keep in mind that most of them ask you to add vegetable or chicken stock, vegetables like onion and carrots, or even apples, butter, and heavy cream. Season them and serve with crumbled cheese, croutons or roasted butternut squash seeds. You can also try our roasted butternut squash soup.
3. Risotto or couscous
Do the same with the butternut squash as you do for soups if you want to use it in risottos and couscous dishes. After you boil it, you can either mash it and then add it to your dish, or use cubes of it. Combine it with peas, mushrooms, beans, cooked chicken, onion, or sweet corn. Of course, the combos and recipes are endless.
4. With pasta
Spaghetti, farfalle, penne, tagliatelle, or even lasagna sheets go great with butternut squash. Add to your classic spaghetti carbonara, or in any pasta recipe. Try it with parmesan, fried bacon, or in mac and cheese and you won’t regret it. For lasagna, one of the basic recipes needs butternut squash puree, ricotta, low moisture mozzarella, spinach, onion, and lasagna sheets.
Any pasta goes well with butternut squash. For example, spaghetti with roasted pumpkin and spinach.
5. Pies and tarts
Although you can use butternut squash in savory dishes (by pairing it with spinach and cheese, for example), we usually think of sweet dishes when it comes to pies and tarts. Follow your recipe. It usually asks you to blend together cooked and pureed butternut squash with sugar, eggs, half and half and spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and maybe vanilla extract. This mixture is used in tart shells or in pies.
Summer has finally ended and that’s good because the heat was this close to melting us into nothingness. And along with cooler air, the next season brings the best fall produce you should incorporate into your meals.
I have to say that summer is never exactly what I expect or think I want. I always have these fantasies about extravagant vacations, fun times with friends and deliciously chill dishes I put on my plates. But the reality, as opposed to that fantasy, is that I end up sweating it out in the house because the outside is way too hot for me and I am a spring child: definitely need to keep my cool.
So, when the heat finally breaks, and autumn arrives, I breathe a deep sigh of relief. I can finally go out on long walks and hang out with people without the conversation being consumed by snarking at the weather and complaining about heat exhaustion. One other thing I love about the incoming season? So many fresh fruits and veggies to enjoy and cook with. These are the ones I plan on working with this year because they have the flavor, the texture and the nutrients I long for.
Let’s rejoice! Because the season of comfort food, fall produce, blankets, hot tea, and romance is almost here!
Cozy up this fall with a nice fall produce based meal, like this pumpkin soup.
10 fall produce you need on your table this year
1. Beets and kohlrabi
Sure, they can make your kitchen look like a crime scene with their bright, red-colored juice. But that doesn’t mean that beets aren’t something you should cook with. We tell you more about this right here. But I’ll summarize a little: they have a sweet and earthy flavor and are loaded with vitamin C, folic acid, and potassium. You can use them in a variety of dishes.
And yeah, in temperate climates, beets are in season starting in fall, until spring. Buy some with their greens still attached.
Kohlrabi, another rooty delicious veggie, comes into season at the end of fall and stays sweet into winter. Its taste is similar to that of cabbage and broccoli and maybe you should try cooking with it.
2. Figs
Fresh figs! Get your fresh figs, while you can! They have two harvest seasons: one in summer and the other one in late fall. They have a lovely texture and an even greater flavor, and you can do so many things with them in the kitchen. It’s true, they can sometimes be a bit expensive, but if you have the possibility of splurging a couple of times, why not do it?
They’re rich in minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, and copper, but also antioxidants, and vitamins A, E and K. Not to mention so much soluble fiber!
Figs are the treat you don’t want to miss this fall. Bake them into a tart and enjoy!
3. Cranberries
These are definitely in our top berries list. They’re native to North America and they are harvested in the fall. that’s what makes them excellent for so many dishes. Half a cup of cranberries has only 25 calories, while at the same time, the berries are loaded with antioxidants and also vitamins like C, A, and K.
You can use them in so many dishes! Like salads, cookies, and muffins. Or you can make a cranberry sauce for your turkey dinner.
4. Eggplant
As I am writing this, I can almost feel the enticing smell of roasted eggplant that sometimes fills the hallway of my apartment building with promise. It’s a fall produce item that comes into season near the end of summer and lasts all fall long. I like to turn it into delicious spreads like Baba Ghanoush. That means you can roast it and keep it in your freezer for a few good months, until spring.
How do you cook with eggplant? Every way you prefer. Here is a nice, simple to follow guide. But just know that you can roast it, grill it, stuff it, and so many more things!
5. Pears
Some people would say that pears are better than apples (I am one of those people, I confess). I love their grainy texture so much and their sweetness is unparalleled. Their season starts in the middle of summer, but some of the varieties are still picked during winter, too.
You can use them to make delicious desserts, no problem, but they also work well in savory dishes and salads!
Caramelized pears and cinnamon. Now that’s a great fall combo!
6. Pumpkin
Arguably the poster-child of fall produce, pumpkin really does signal that cooler weather is coming. They come into season in September and then they leave an impact on all of our holidays: they become works of scary art during Halloween, they shine as pie filling and let us not forget our special fall lattes.
The rest of winter squash types come into season at the beginning of fall and they last during winter, too.
7. Quinces
I feel that people don’t talk about the awesomeness of quinces enough. Because they’re so great when you just wash one and bite into it. But they work so well when you turn them into a delicious jam. You can also use them in multiple desserts.
Quinces come into season during fall and they’ll be available and ready for you to have as many of them as possible during winter months, too.
You can pair roast quince with some roasted meat and make a delicious dish for this fall.
8. Pomegranates
They’re a fall fruit as well, even if they only ripen in a warm climate. Their season starts in October and fresh pomegranates are available through December. They’re not that hard to seed if you know the friendliest technique. They have fiber, protein, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and potassium. You can add the pomegranate seeds to salads, to your morning yogurt bowl, your rice, or to your dressing.
9. Fennel
Fennel is a cold weather crop and its natural season starts in fall, through early spring. After that, it turns bitter, so it’s not really any good anymore. It’s a bulbous plant, but you can also use its stalks and fronds in recipes. It had a mild, licorice-like flavor. You can use all of the parts of this lovely green in salads, slaws, pasta, and it makes a delicious side dish for meats like chicken and pork. It’s rich in potassium, calcium, vitamin C, and vitamin A, to name just a few of its nutrients.
10. Celery and celeriac
These two fall produce favorites have quite similar names. Celeriac is also called celery root, and the two are close cousins. Both of them are in season during the cooler months of fall and they last until early spring.
You can use celery in soups, vegetable trays, top it with peanut butter or add it to a dish. It’s an excellent source of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, folate and vitamin B6.
Celery root is excellent in stews and soups and you can mash it to great effects. It’s rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B6, potassium, phosphorus, and fiber.
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We’re smack dab in the middle of fall and seeing tons of pumpkin pie-themed foods everywhere. While we thought we’ve seen every variation of the popular fall dessert, we were pleased to be proven wrong.
Simon Davies, Chef de Cuisine at Alinea restaurant in Chicago, created a crystal clear pumpkin pie that looks truly majestic.
In place of the dark orange pumpkin filling we’re familiar with, this pie is filled with what looks to be some kind of gelatin. You can see right through it and into the crust.
The tiny dessert, which can be seen to scale in this video below, is available at the celebrated restaurant for the fall says the chef.
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If you’re one who adores anything and everything pumpkin related about the season, perhaps you should pay a visit to Alinea in Chicago and try this pie for yourself.
The other thing that’s great about October, other than baseball playoffs and halloween parties, is that it’s National Pizza Month. So, to celebrate the best month of the year, FOODBEAST and Pabst Blue Ribbon have teamed up to bring us five dope recipes that incorporate our love for the best things on earth — beer and pizza.
Since there’s always an abundance of pumpkins around this time of year, it’s time we finally found a functional use for this annual symbol of Fall. Thanks to FOODBEAST’s @BookOfElie, we can finally turn a pumpkin into a functional beer keg — and stuff our faces with pumpkin pizza mac n’ cheese.
To help show off your love for all things pizza – and, of course, PBR – proclaim your undying passion for this pumpkin pizza mac and Pabst by showing off your cheesy, scrumptious creations on social media and using the hashtag “#InPizzaWeCrush.”
You’ll need to perform your due diligence to clean out the pumpkin — for the keg and the pumpkin pizza mac — but, once your Pabst Blue Ribbon pumpkin keg is flowing, it’s going to be worth the effort.
Ingredients: 2 medium pumpkins 2 cups whole milk 1 15-oz can pumpkin purée
1 pound pasta shells 1 ½ cups Pabst Blue Ribbon 1 cup chicken stock 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 8 ounces (1 cup) grated sharp cheddar cheese 4 ounces (1/2 cup) reduced fat cream cheese 1 jar pizza sauce 1 1/2 – 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup medium pepperoni 3-piece Watermelon Keg Tapping Kit
Step 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse both pumpkins and hollow out guts and most of the flesh.
Step 2 In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring milk, pumpkin, beer, chicken stock, and pepper to a simmer – do NOT boil.
Step 3 Once mixture reaches a simmer, reduce heat to medium and add pasta. Cook for 12-14 minutes or until al dente, stirring frequently. Once pasta is fully cooked, reduce heat even more to low, and add cheddar and cream cheese.
Step 4 Transfer macaroni to pumpkin. Hopefully there’s enough macaroni so it comes to the opening of the pumpkin. Top with layer of tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and pepperonis. Bake off in oven until cheese is melted and the top looks like a delicious pizza.
Step 5 Carve out the second pumpkin. Use instructions on the pumpkin keg tap for how to insert into pumpkin. Pour cans of PBR into hollowed pumpkin.
With Fall around the corner, it’s about time we get ready for a bombardment of pumpkin-flavored products. M&M’s is getting the ball rolling with their new White Pumpkin Pie flavor already hitting store aisles this August.
The candies are made with a pumpkin pie-flavored coating, while the inside consists of a white chocolate filling.
The 8-ounce bags of White Pumpkin Pie M&M’s can be found at Walmart for the retail price of $2.98, so you’re going to have to endure the Walmart experience for a bit, run in, grab a bag, and run out as quickly as possible.
While it’s too damn early to be thinking about fall, these M&M’s sound like they’re probably pretty good, so we might have to give them a pass and not get too mad for trying to rush summer out the door.
White girls have a reputation for being addicted to pumpkin around this time of year, but this girl went too far.
Trying to provide some comedic relief during her family’s pumpkin carving festivities, a teenage girl put her head inside a giant pumpkin, and as you can imagine, wound up getting it stuck.
The trouble started the moment she said, “Isn’t it so cute! I can probably fit my head in it.”
This video was shot by YouTube user Kristy Ralphs as she was just trying to record her family gathering, when things went south about 30 seconds in.
It was cute at first, but then the precocious youngster couldn’t get herself out of it, legitimately freaking out herself and her family.
The worst part of the video wasn’t even her getting stuck, it was undoubtedly her younger brother, who we can only assume is the middle child, unmercifully singing “I can carve a belly button on my pumpkin,” over and over again, with no end.
Too bad the video ended before she got her head out. But there is an additional video showing that she was fine and made it out OK. Even in this video, that f*cking kid somehow found a way to sneak in another verse of his annoying song.
There’s easier ways to feed your pumpkin spice problem, so don’t stick your head inside a giant pumpkin, no matter how great of an idea it sounds like.
There’s nothing that punctuates the fall season more than the welcoming aroma of turkey roasting in the oven, or catching the first long-awaited scent of a moist, fluffy pumpkin pie at the dinner table.
Beginning October 10, Subway will be celebrating the Thanksgiving tradition by offering two new menu items that highlight the flavors of fall.
Their new Autumn Carved Turkey Sandwich features thickly sliced all-white meat carved turkey. Subway’s chef’s recipe is served on 9-Grain Wheat Bread, with cheddar cheese, and features a new Sweet Cranberry Mustard Sauce, fresh spinach, tomato, and red onion, and can be ordered toasted or regular.
Additionally, Subway is excited to announce the debut of two new cookie flavors: apple pie and the beloved fall favorite, pumpkin spice.
You simply can’t celebrate fall properly without pumpkin spice. That’s why Subway is offering its new pumpkin spice cookies made with a scrumptious pumpkin-flavored dough, natural vanilla, molasses, nutmeg, white confectionary chips, and cinnamon.
Subway’s apple pie cookies are made with Granny Smith and Fuji Apples grown in the Pacific Northwest.
The large, naturally sweetened chunks of apple are lightly coated in cinnamon. Nutmeg, cloves, and natural apple flavor are then blended into the dough, creating a delicious, traditional apple pie taste.
With limited-time flavors like these, we wish that Fall would last forever!
