Easy Recipes to Try for the Fall
By Heather Mimikos
The coziness of fall is upon us, and with it an abundance of fall recipes to bake or cook. As someone who just got her own kitchen a little over a year ago, learning the balance between making dishes that are nutritious and ones that aren’t too difficult to make has been a journey. Also, I love to bake, and finding times to bake as a busy double major has also been a challenge. This year, I have found a few recipes that give off the coziness of fall without too many steps (or dishes)!
Cooking:
As college students, the narrative of dinners being only ramen noodles and frozen Trader Joe’s meals has definitely applied to me, but this year I’m trying to cook more often (as we all say). While I can’t promise I will truly cook every single dinner I have, I have found a few that I enjoy and aren’t too difficult to make.
Garlic Noodles:
Ingredients: spaghetti noodles, garlic (jar or minced), butter, soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, parmesan, green onions. One pot and one pan.
I discovered this New York Times recipe for garlic noodles about a week and a half ago and have made them for dinner three times already. I haven’t followed the recipe to a T, since I don’t have fish sauce, but just the garlic, parmesan, soy sauce and oyster sauce are delicious. It only calls for two pans, but you could definitely separate the noodles out and make it in one. If you love garlic and oyster sauce, I highly recommend this recipe.
Soup and Bread:
Egg Drop soup ingredients: three eggs, broth (chicken, bone, etc.), corn starch, soy sauce seasonings of choice (or turmeric, garlic powder, white pepper, chicken bouillon). One pot.
Another fall favorite versatile dinner is some kind of soup with some kind of bread. This varies in steps depending on how tired you are from your day of classes—even a Campbell’s tomato soup can and grilled cheese will definitely put you in the cozy fall vibe. Tiktok is also full of soup recipes (like this egg drop soup recipe mentioned above!) if you’re feeling like putting on your chef hat. A side of garlic bread can even be easy: melt some butter, add minced garlic and garlic powder, and really whatever extra spices you want, and spread it on some toast. Avocado toast goes well with different soups too!
Baking:
I’ve always loved to bake, and I was so excited when I got my own kitchen—even though my oven was too hot and you had to estimate the time to bake instead of using the time on the box. It can be hard to find those times to bake, but baking can be quicker than you think. Don’t be ashamed to use a box mix! It will still come out delicious, I promise.
Banana Bread:
My favorite early fall days were when my grandpa would deliver a tin of banana bread to us, fresh and delicious. Banana bread always feels home-y to me, and it is so easy to add pumpkin puree or pumpkin spice to the mix. You can also add chocolate or butterscotch chips if you’re feeling fancy, but a warm loaf of bread in the morning always feels like fall to me. This banana bread mix is a consistent favorite of mine!
Pumpkin Cake Mix:
Like I mentioned, I love the boxed cake mixes, especially the ones that come out for fall. One that I’m especially excited about is Pillsbury’s Perfectly Pumpkin Cake Mix, which you can get at Ralphs. If you’re looking for a low-stress recipe or baking for the first time, all you need is water, oil and eggs and you’ll have a delicious pumpkin cake!
Fall can often turn into a time of stress, midterms, and to-do’s piling up, but you can still tap into that cozy energy with minimal effort! As a fall lover, finding the cozy fall energy amid the chaos through different dishes and baked goods is so important. While none of these are as easy as throwing a Trader Joe’s meal in the microwave, if you have a little bit of time, you can embrace the fall energy!
