Festive, Fall, Affordable

At the pumpkin patch.

I'd like to think that I can cook - or at least build up my cooking skills enough to be half-way decent - but having a busy college student schedule means that I don't have the time (or the money) to do a lot of it.  This fall, however, has got me in the mood to cook up some of my fall favorites.  Per usual, when I'm in need of a new recipe, I check out marthastewart.com (don't judge).  These are two of my favorite recipes so far. I've changed the ingredients and directions slightly to make them more college-student friendly.

30-Minute Chili

I made this chili at the beginning of fall break for my boyfriend, sister and roommate.  Paired with some corn bread (literally $.49 at Price Copper) and honey, this chili brought me back to when I was little and my mom would make us homemade chili and cornbread during the colder months.  This chili in particular has a lot of hamburger in it per portion, making it thick and delicious and not too soupy.

Ingredients:

Marthastewart.com

Serves 8

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

3 small onions, chopped

6 garlic cloves, chopped (you can never have too much garlic)

Salt and pepper

3 Tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 lb ground beef chuck

3 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes in juice

2 cans (14.5 oz each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Shredded cheddar cheese (optional, but not really)

Directions:

1. In a large (5-quart) heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Add chili powder and cinnamon. Cook, stirring, until mixture has begun to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add beef, and cook, breaking it up with a spoon until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes with their juice and beans. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a rapid simmer. Cook over medium heat until chili has thickened slightly and beans are tender, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese.

Then, of course, on to dessert.

Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Squares

I made these last year for a mini-Thanksgiving dinner I had with some friends before Thanksgiving break.  These were a major hit and I'm really excited to make them again this season!

Ingredients:

Makes 24

Marthastewart.com

2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1 Tablespoon pumpkin-spice (or substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon each allspice and cloves - all ground)

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup canned pumpkin puree (found this for $.64 at Aldi)

1 package (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside. 
2. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled). Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. 
3. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. 
4. Cool completely in pan. Lift cake from pan (using foil as an aid). Peel off foil, and use a serrated knife to cut into 24 squares.
   

And there you have it.  Two perfect fall foods to top off my favorite season of them all.