Have you ever wanted to make some tasty fall recipes with your family? Here are some personal favorites from the teachers and residents of Bellefonte:

Pumpkin Bread

“During the Fall, this is something that I enjoy curling up and eating.” – Heidi Martin

To make you need:

• 2 ¾ C. sugar
• ⅔ C. shortening 
• ⅔ C. water 
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla 
• 2 C. pumpkin 
• ⅔ C. chopped nuts
• 1 C. raisins or dates
• 3 ½ C. flour
• ½ tsp. nutmeg 
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. Baking soda 
• 1 ½ tsp. salt 
• 1 tsp. cinnamon 
• ½ tsp. cloves 

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs, water, and vanilla; beat well. Alternate shifted dry ingredients and pumpkin. Add nuts and raisins. Bake at 350 for one hour. Makes three loaves.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

“Buffalo Chicken Dip is my favorite thing to bring to gatherings!” -Mrs. Arimani Davy

To make this you need:

• 2 small cans shredded chicken
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing
• 1/2 cup hot sauce
• 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
• 1, 8 oz block cream cheese

Combine all ingredients until evenly mixed, spread out in baking pan, bake at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until dip is bubbling. Serve with tortilla chips! 

Creamy sausage and spinach tortellini soup

“One thing I usually make in the fall is creamy sausage and spinach tortellini soup. This is one of my favorites for crisp fall days.” -Miss Kaysey Buery

The items you need to make it are:

• 1 can of Rotel tomatoes (italian style with the seasoning or the plain is fine)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 large container of chicken broth
• Italian seasoning to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 to 1 lbs of cooked ground sausage (I like mild or hot)
• 1/2 of a bell pepper, diced
• a handful of fresh spinach (more if you wish), can substitute Kale if you prefer
• 1 large container or Buitoni tortellini of choice (I prefer the mixed cheese flavor)

First begin by browning the ground sausage in a large dutch oven or other large pot. Once cooked, drain if necessary and then add the Rotel tomatoes and chicken broth to your pot. Bring to a boil, then add pasta, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to the broth to your taste preferences. Boil until the pasta is done according to the package directions. Once pasta is cooked, add in the spinach and stir in the heavy cream. Let simmer for 5 minutes.

Skillet Chicken recipe with Apples

Mr. Edward Fitzgerald enjoys eating skillet chicken with apples. He obtained this recipe from https://www.theseasonedmom.com/skillet-chicken-recipe/.

Items needed to make this dish are: 

• boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• Apples
• olive oil and butter
• Onion
• Rosemary
• brown sugar
• apple cider vinegar
• Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper

First, brown the chicken in a hot skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through (about 15 minutes total for chicken breasts). Remove the chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.Next, sauté onion and rosemary in butter for about 1 minute, scraping up the bits from the bottom of the pan (those bits add great flavor to your sauce).Finally, add the brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, salt and apples. Cook for about 12 minutes, or until the apples are tender. Add the chicken back to the skillet, spoon the apples and onions over top, and garnish with additional rosemary, if desired.

Apple Dumplings 

“I secretly love the Pioneer Woman!  Anything she makes – I’m in.  Here’s a recipe that I got from her blog a long time ago for Apple Dumplings.  The ingredients may sound questionable but they are seriously delicious!” – Mrs. Ally Durney

Ingredients:

• 2 whole Granny Smith apples
• 2 8-ounce cans of crescent rolls
• 2 sticks of butter (yep…two whole sticks!)
• 1 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• cinnamon, to taste
• 1 12-ounce can of Mountain Dew

Directions:

1. Peel and core apples.  Cut each apple into 8 slices each.  Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll.  Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan.
2. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir.  Add vanilla, stir, and pour the entire mixture over the apples.  Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan.  Sprinkle it with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  Serve with ice cream, and spoon some sweet sauces from the pan over the top.   

Mom Mom’s Ginger snaps

“Making these brings back many fun memories with my grandmother.” – Heidi Martin

Sift together:

• 3 cups of flour 
• 2 tsp. of baking soda 
• 2 tsp. of cinnamon
• 1 tsp. of cloves 
• 2 tsp. of ginger 

Set that bowl aside then cream together: 

• 1 ½ cups of shortening 
• 2 cups of sugar
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup of molasses

After you cream all the ingredients together then add the dry ingredients. Bake at 350 – 370 degrees for 10 minutes.