It's been a crazy few weeks around here. I'm sorry I haven't updated the new blog post with recipes, but the relief efforts of Hurricane Helene have completely overwhelmed me. I truly haven't even done much of anything it feels like to help the survivors. Regardless, I did continue to cook meals. I just didn't do a lot of picture taking and sharing which I apologize for. I don't have actual pictures this time of the meals I made but I'm still going to share what I did and how it tasted so you'll know. I added a dessert for y'all this week too that was a hit, so don't miss it at the bottom.
1. Maple Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes & Apples - Two thumbs up.
This recipe was definitely easy to make. I did not use bone in chicken thighs simply because I just didn't. I never buy the bone in kind. That's really the only tweak I did for the recipe. I will add that I would encourage you to find true maple syrup and not the imitation corn syrup kind. It does make a huge difference. Jeff and Gavin both liked this recipe. I think the apples really made a difference too. This one was gluten free and dairy free.
2. Venison Shepherd's Pie - Don't panic you can use beef!
We actually had leftovers for this one and the leftovers were just as good if not better than the first day! If you don't use venison for cooking that's ok. Just substitute the Venison for Ground Beef. I would shoot for 90/10 beef. The only thing I did differently for this recipe was use a frozen veggie medley that was corn, carrots, green beans, and peas instead of just peas and carrots. The seasoning was great for this and adding parmesan cheese to the potatoes really was icing on the cake. You should give it a try. This is a gluten free meal, but you'd have to substitute the cheese for a cheese alternative for it to be dairy free.
3. Crispy Sheet Pan Gnocchi w/ Mushrooms and Italian Sausage - I'm on a gnocchi kick right now.
SOOO Good. I had some butternut squash I grew that I wanted to use so I searched for a recipe with that. The only thing I switched out on this was that I used chicken sausage instead of pork. I have never cooked gnocchi in a sheet pan recipe and it was perfect. I highly recommend. Jeff wasn't sure at first, but he did like it. This one is a keeper. This was a gluten free and dairy free meal. Just make sure you buy gluten free gnocchi.
4. Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash - a good one.
I also grew acorn squash this year. We ended up harvesting them a little early (I can't remember why we did that) so ours were on the smaller side. The meal was good, but I think adding rice or something would have been good. You could definitely just make the filling if you wanted to. The cranberries and apples were really good because I don't normally cook dinners with those. This recipe wasn't a huge hit, but we ate it and were satisfied. You can make this gluten free simply by purchasing GF Breadcrumbs.
5. Carmel Apple Dump Cake - EVERYBODY LOVED THIS!
I'm usually not a fan of dump cakes for some reason they rarely turn out well for me. This one was a first. If you can apples, then you'll be able to use them in this recipe. You can also make this gluten free and dairy free. Just find a gf spice cake mix box. They do exist. Also, just sub the regular butter for a dairy free version. If you're buying the apples canned, then read the ingredients for flour. Sometimes flour is added to thicken up the sauce for the apples. Also, for the love of everything please make your own carmel sauce or find one without high fructose corn syrup it also exists. Regardless, Gavin told me this was the best apple recipe I've ever made. (my heart smiles).
What fall recipes are you making?