Fall Comfort Foods

Fall entertaining has never been easier with these simple and delicious comfort foods that are sure to please a crowd. 

Fall Vegetable, Kale & Rice Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small white onion, peeled and diced

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 6 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

• 2 medium carrots, chopped in rounds

• 2 ribs celery, sliced in 1/2 moons

• 1 large (about 1 pound) sweet potato, peeled and chopped in large chunks

• 1 tbsp herbes de Provence

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 teaspoon chicken Better than Bullion

• 1 cup uncooked wild rice

• 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced

• 2 large handfuls of kale, roughly chopped with thick stems removed

• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil over medium-high heat in a large stock pot. Add onion, and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft. Stir in the garlic, and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add in the chicken stock, carrots, celery, sweet potato, herbes de Provence, bay leaf, and Better the Better the Bullion. Stir to combine.

3. Add rice 

4. Bring to a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally.

5. Add kale and mushrooms and stir gently until combined. Cook for more 3-5 minutes.

6. Taste, add more salt and pepper as needed.

 

Fall Radicchio Brussels Sprouts Bacon Salad

Dressing

• ½ cup olive oil

• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

• 1 teaspoon honey

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• salt and pepper to taste

Salad

• 1 small head of butter lettuce, torn into pieces

• 1 small head radicchio, core removed torn into pieces

• 1/2 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced very thinly 

• 1 shallot, thinly sliced

• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled thinly

• 1 apple, sliced thin

• 1/2 c. toasted and roughly chopped pecans or walnuts

• `2-3 ounces of goat cheese (optional)

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and black pepper and whisk to combine. Taste, add more salt and pepper as desired.

2. Add Brussels sprouts to a bowl, and toss with a small amount of the dressing.

3. Arrange lettuces, Brussels sprouts, apples, and shallots on a platter.

4. Top with bacon, nuts, and goat cheese if using.

5. Drizzle with additional salad dressing. (to taste)

Parmesan Bread Bites with Thyme Honey

INGREDIENTS

• 1 refrigerated pizza dough (store-bought or homemade pizza dough)

• 6 tablespoons butter

• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt heaping

• ⅓ cup grated Parmesan (use good parmesan from the deli section)

• Honey and a few springs of thyme for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line sheet pan with parchment paper.

2. Divide dough into 4 pieces.

3. Roll each piece of the pizza dough into a long rope shape. You want it to be about 1-inch thick all the way around.

4. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut the dough into 1-inch pieces.

5. Melt butter and add salt. Brush the tops of the bites with the butter mixture.

6. Dip the top of each piece of dough Into parmesan.

7. Bake for 15 minutes. They will be very lightly golden. Do not over bake, or they will become hard.

8. Serve with honey and sprinkled with thyme leaves. And garnish with sprigs of thyme.

Fall Red Sangria

INGREDIENTS

• 1 750ml bottle of red wine

• 3 navel oranges, sliced in ½-inch rounds

• 1 tart apple, such as Pink Lady or Granny Smith, sliced thin

• ½ cup brandy

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 2 star anise pods, whole

• Rosemary sprigs for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large pitcher, place the oranges and apples in the bottom. Pour the brandy and red wine over the fruit.

2. Stir in the simple syrup if using.

3. Add in the cinnamon sticks and star anise, and give everything one more stir.

4. Refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours.

5. When ready to serve, pour Sangria into glasses, and garnish with additional oranges and rosemary.

For an easy dessert, buy a pumpkin pie and use a round biscuit cutter to cut mini pie tartlets. Top with whipped cream. 

See Lauren-Lane.com for tips on these recipes and more fall recipes.

Lauren is a distinguished Culinary Influencer, channeling her creativity into collaborating with select brands and orchestrates impactful campaigns with original content, recipes, captivating video, and engaging storytelling. Her influence extends beyond the digital realm, as she contributes her culinary expertise to the FOX4 morning show and was recently showcased on the Netflix cooking competition, cementing her status as a prominent figure in the world of food and entertainment. Lauren continues to inspire us to slow down, gather around the table feed our dreams.