Sweet Potato Waffles

Let’s talk about sweet potatoes! I love and adore them and eat them fairly often, but always as a savory side with dinner. After making my Sweet Potato Burgers last month, I wanted to try another new way to use sweet potatoes – enter sweet potato waffles!

You know, to be honest, I’m not sure I’ve ever had sweet potato pie. I know, I know, I am seriously missing out! I wasn’t really in the mood to make a whole pie though so waffles seemed like a better idea! I have to say, sweet potato waffles were a great decision!

I made my own sweet potato puree by just boiling some cubed sweet potato, but you can also roast it for even better flavor. Or, you can buy it canned if you want a shortcut. I prepped my puree the night before so I could just get started on making the waffles right away in the morning.

Maddie loved these waffles! I got 6 waffles out of this recipe so I also ended up freezing some and we enjoyed these over the next few weeks. I heated them up by popping them right in the toaster and they crisped up perfectly!

I love these waffles for a nice fall breakfast. They are a great alternative for those who don’t love pumpkin or if you just want to change things up for breakfast! Serve them with toasted pecans or walnuts.

Orange Glazed Dinner Rolls with Cranberry Orange Butter

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And just like that, it’s already November and time to start thinking about Thanksgiving! While there’s certain recipes I have to make every single year, I like to think of at least one new twist to dress up more traditional sides.

I have partnered with  Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast to create this delicious homemade recipe with Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast​. Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast​ has lived in my pantry for as many years as I can remember! Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast has particularly always been my favorite because it makes baking homemade breads so easy! It doesn’t require a long rise time or proofing which makes it easier to make homemade yeast recipes even when I am short on time! I don’t consider myself an avid baker so this yeast is perfect for bakers at any skill level.

And honestly, what is better than that smell of homemade bread baking in your oven?! Especially during this time of the year, that smell of homemade bread just makes me feel all warm and cozy! It also gives me a sense of accomplishment knowing even my dinner rolls were made from scratch!

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One of my favorite flavor combos this time of year is cranberry and orange. So I made orange glazed dinner rolls with cranberry orange butter. Holy Moly! Let me tell you, these dinner rolls might just steal all of the thunder on your holiday dinner table! The orange glaze is so perfectly sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. And while I normally say less is more. In the case of this glaze, more is more! I found myself just licking the spoon.

The cranberry orange butter is the perfect accompaniment with the rolls. It’s one of those things that looks more impressive than it actually is. All you need is some salted butter, a bit of fresh squeezed orange juice and orange zest, and some chopped dried cranberries. You can bake the rolls a day in advance if needed and then just heat them back up quickly the day you plan to serve them. You can also prepare the cranberry orange butter in advance. I would recommend making the glaze fresh and make sure it is heated for easy brushing before serving!

Pumpkin Risotto

I don’t make risotto very often since it’s a time commitment of about 40-50 minutes and you really need to stand at the stove and stir constantly. There is something very relaxing about pouring in the broth and just stirring the risotto until it is cooked. It’s a great chance to catch up on your favorite podcast or listen to some music. Oh, and wine, don’t forget to pour yourself a glass of wine!

When I tell you that this Pumpkin Risotto is one of the best things I think I have ever made, I’m not even kidding.

This risotto is what all of my perfect fall dreams are made of! It’s rich and velvety thanks to the pumpkin puree and also has a bit of gruyere cheese and Parmesan stirred in at the very end. It’s our comfort in a bowl and worth every minute it takes to prepare!

Instant Pot Apple Cider

I cannot believe that October is almost over! I’ve got a super easy drink recipe for you today that is perfect for Halloween or for the upcoming holiday season! Homemade apple cider made right in the Instant Pot. It’s so easy and so delicious! And what could be better than sipping on some apple cider on a cool and crisp fall night?!

Slicing up the fruit and waiting for the pot to come to pressure is the longest part of making this as it only needs about 15 minutes to cook.

I actually made this recipe twice as I wasn’t happy with it the first time around. The first time, I threw the oranges and lemons in with the peels included. The cider ended up having a bitter taste from the rinds so I made it a second time, but this time, peeling the orange and lemon and discarding the peel and rind and the cider was much better. Definitely peel the orange and lemon first!

I like to use a mix of apples for this recipe as they each add a slightly different flavor. I used honey crisp, golden delicious, and gala apples. You can use whatever combination you’d like to use, but I recommend giving a good mix of apples a try and see what you think!

I used maple syrup to sweeten, but brown sugar or granulated sugar works too! You can make this in advance if you’d like. The cider keeps for about a week in the fridge. You can also serve it hot or cold. I like to garnish it with more sliced apples and orange slices!

Freezer Bean Burritos

Raise your hand if burritos are totally your jam? Yeah, me too. I actually don’t eat them very often from restaurants since they are so filling and oversized. But, I like to sometimes eat those mini frozen ones for quick lunches. They seemed simple enough to make on my own so I gave them a try!

These are a total win for both me and Sean. We have been eating them for lunch whenever we are home.

Let’s talk about the filling! I use a mixture of both black beans and pinto beans. If you prefer, you can just use two cans of one type. After the beans, I add some fresh lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and a couple of other basic spices.

I used my mini food processor to blend everything up. If you want to make a double batch, I recommend using a regular-sized food processor. And if you do not have a food processor, you can still make these! Just throw everything in a bowl and mash as best you can with a fork!

One important thing to note before you make these – you don’t want to completely mash the beans up to the point where they get really liquidy if that makes sense. You want it to be mostly smooth, but with some larger chunks of beans intact. And you want it to be thick enough to spread so be careful not to overmix. It may help to stick a fork or spoon in and mix it up between pulses if it seems like the mixture closest to the bottom is getting over blended.

After you blend up the beans, you just need some shredded cheese and some tortillas! Keep in mind that these are not those big restaurant-style burritos. I used 8-inch tortillas which are great for lighter lunches or even snacks.

After you roll them up, stick them in the freezer and that’s it! These were ready and in the freezer in about 15 minutes. To heat them, I wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave for up to 2 minutes and lunch is ready!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

I don’t typically bake a lot of cookies this time of year as I’m usually focused on Halloween stuff and then Thanksgiving, but these Pumpkin Snickerdoodles are the perfect fall cookie for the fall and the holidays!

My classic snickerdoodles are one of my most favorite cookies ever, especially during the holidays (and they have even won some cookie competitions!). I wanted to make a pumpkin version of this classic cookie favorite and these pumpkin snickerdoodles did not disappoint!

I took my regular snickerdoodle recipe and made some tweaks to include pumpkin. Like the original, these snickerdoodles are so perfectly sweet, soft, and thick! In my opinion, there’s nothing worse than a hard and crunchy snickerdoodle!

I brought these into my office to share with the lab and they were gone in about a minute!

A couple of things to note – first, I do recommend chilling the dough. It prevents the cookies from spreading as much which gives them more thickness. I have made them without chilling and while they are still okay, I prefer chilling the dough. You only have to chill the dough for about 30 minutes, but you could also make it it in advance and chill overnight if needed. Oh, and these cookies freeze really well too!