Fall recipes from the Signal Staff

Leaves are changing, the weather is growing colder and the holidays are approaching. It is finally starting to feel like fall in Arkansas, and students couldn’t be happier. The colder weather brings staples like apple cider, anything pumpkin spice, soups, bread and so much more. Members of the Signal staff submitted their favorite fall recipes to share with everyone else ready to embrace the cold weather. 

My Grandma’s Chicken and Dumplings – Camryn Manning, Opinions Editor 

• Combine chicken, poultry seasoning, 1 tsp salt & pepper. 
• Cook in a crockpot or pressure cooker with enough water to cover chicken.
• Shred cooked chicken, and place in a large stock pot with leftover broth.

Dumplings:

lg box of chicken broth

One can cream of chicken soup

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and. crisco. Mix with a fork until Crisco is evenly mixed into flour.
2. Gradually add broth from the box (needs to be room temp or cooler), mixing with fork until the dough is no longer sticky. 
3. Take out small amounts of dough, roll flat, and cut dumplings into pieces. 
4. Add remaining broth and cream of chicken soup to the stockpot.  Heat the contents of the pot to boiling.
5. Once pot contents are boiling, gradually drop in dumplings. 
6. Cook to desired consistency.

DUMPLINGS

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon butter flavored Crisco

Fresh Bread – Kate Ellis, Print Editor-in-Chief 

To me, nothing screams fall like freshly baked bread! My grandma makes incredible homemade bread and has several family recipes (that are a secret), so I would love to share my favorite from the internet, pumpkin chocolate chip bread! It is the perfect snack that doubles as a dessert to usher in the colder weather!

Ingredients

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter , softened
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 15 ounces canned pumpkin
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 12 ounce package chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of two 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pans* with a piece of parchment paper. Spray all over with cooking spray.
2. Add the sugar and butter to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Add eggs, pumpkin and vanilla and mix to combine. 
3. In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
4. Alternately add flour mixture, then milk to pumpkin mixture, starting and ending with flour. Fold in chocolate chips at the end.
5. Pour the batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for a few minutes in the pan before inverting onto a wire rack to cool.
6. Mini loaves will bake for around 25-35 minutes

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread – Official Recipe

Cranberry Salad – Phil Byrd, Staff Writer 

The arrival of fall always excited me growing up because fall meant Thanksgiving, the holiday dedicated to thankfulness and, more importantly, food. The sweet taste of pecan pie on top of the savory goodness of stuffing put up an admirable fight for the role of the best fall food, but nothing beats the taste of cranberry salad. The jello base littered with chunks of cranberry and finished with the love only a grandmother could give, cranberry salad truly made my childhood. 

Recipe:

2 Small Blackberry Jello (Boxed)

2 cups hot water- stir to dissolve

1 ½ cups strained pineapple juice and orange juice (cold)

2 small cans (or 1 large can) crushed pineapple (drained)

1 can whole berry cranberry sauce

Mix together – chill overnight, and enjoy!

Chili – Sydni Worley, Oline Editor-in-Chief

I never was the biggest fan of chili, but as I have grown older, nothing tastes better than a bowl of chili in the Fall. The past few days, this recipe is all I have wanted. This simple, classic recipe has been my go-to. The best part is that it is so easy! 

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 large white onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (15-oz.) can kidney beans, drained
• Shredded cheddar, sour cream, and sliced scallions, for serving

Step 1

• In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add tomato paste, stirring to coat vegetables. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Drain any excess fat. 
• Step 2
• Add chili powder, oregano, cumin, paprika, and cayenne (if using); generously season with salt and black pepper. Pour in tomatoes and beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors have melded and liquid is slightly reduced, about 20 minutes; season with salt and black pepper, if needed.
• Step 3
• Ladle chili into bowls. Top with cheese, sour cream, and scallions. Chili – Official Recipe