Fall comfort foods that won’t disappoint

Pumpkin spice and everything nice

Imagine this: you’re wearing a thick knit sweater; you look out the window and see a mosaic of yellow, orange and red leaves being gently stirred by a soft wind. You look at the table in front of you and see a steaming bowl of soup and beside it is the creamiest plate of mac and cheese. 

No, this isn’t just you watching Gilmore Girls; this is gonna be you when you make the coziest fall recipes. Trust me, when you take a bite of the apple bread pudding, you’ll have no choice but to romanticize this fall.

Pumpkin french toast 

The best thing about fall time is that you can add pumpkin to everything. Pumpkin coffee, pumpkin pie, pumpkin French toast! I couldn’t think of a better way to start my day than with the smell of pumpkin and cinnamon. This pumpkin French toast recipe only needs a couple of ingredients and has only a few steps. 

I guarantee that you’ll be making pumpkin French toast every day for the rest of the season. 

Pumpkin french toast

• 4 eggs 
• ¼ cup canned pumpkin puree 
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• One pinch ground nutmeg 
• 8 slices of bread 
• 2 teaspoons of unsalted butter 

Steps: 

1. In a bowl, mix together eggs, pumpkin puree, cinnamon and nutmeg 
2. Dip the bread slices into the batter
3. Melt some butter on a warm skillet over medium heat 
4. Cook both sides of the bread on the warm skillet

Apple bread pudding

If anyone is craving a sweet treat, this apple bread pudding is going to fulfill your wildest dreams. Forget that McDonald’s ice cream because you deserve to eat something warm, cozy, filling and homemade. The best part is that I bet you have most of the ingredients in your kitchen right now! 

Apple bread pudding

• 4 cups soft bread cubes 
• 2 cups peeled and sliced apples 
• ¼ cup raisins 
• 1 ¾ cup milk 
• 1 cup brown sugar 
• ¼ cup butter 
• 2 eggs 
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 

Vanilla Sauce: 

• ½ cup milk 
• ½ cup butter 
• ¼ cup white sugar 
• ¼ cup brown sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Steps: 

1. In a bowl, mix the bread, apples and raisins. 
2. In a saucepan, mix together the milk, brown sugar and butter. Cook until the butter is melted.
3. In another bowl, mix eggs, cinnamon and vanilla. 
4. Mix the bread and milk mixture together and pour it into an oven-safe dish. 
5. Pour egg mixture on top.
6. Bake for 40 minutes at 175 degrees C (350 degrees F). 
7. To make the vanilla sauce, mix and boil the milk, butter and sugar. Next, add vanilla and pour over the baked pudding.

Mac and Cheese

When have you ever gone wrong with mac and cheese? The answer is never. This food is everyone’s best friend, especially during the chilly fall season. My favourite thing is that you can customize this to your liking. I personally like to add a pinch of paprika and some sriracha. There is a mac and cheese-shaped hole in my heart that only the cheesy creaminess can fix.   

Mac and Cheese

• 1 box elbow macaroni 
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour 
• ½ teaspoon salt 
• Black pepper as desired 
• 2 cups milk 
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 

Steps 

1. Boil the macaroni 
2. In a saucepan, melt butter and mix in flour, salt and pepper 
3. Add milk and stir till thick and smooth 
4. Add cheese and mix till melted 
5. Add in macaroni and enjoy! 

Tomato soup

There is no argument that soup is our saviour during fall. Soup has a sort of magical ability to reset your body. This magic is needed more than ever when there is a slight chill, and we realize there is an 8 a.m. class tomorrow. Tomato soup is perfect for when you want to wind down at the end of a long day. It is also packed with nutrients like vitamin C and antioxidants, which are essential for flu season and powering through the semester.

Tomato Soup

• 9 diced tomatoes 
• 4 whole garlic cloves  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 ½ tablespoon salt 
• 1 tablespoon butter 
• ½ chopped onion 
• 1 teaspoon white sugar 
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano 
• 2 cups vegetable broth 

Steps

1. In an oven-safe dish, bake the tomatoes and garlic with the olive oil and salt at 175 degrees C (350 degrees F) for an hour.
2. Heat the butter in a pot. Then add onions, sugar and oregano. Once the onion is soft, add the baked garlic and tomatoes. 
3. Add in vegetable stock and simmer.
4. Blend to make a puree.
5. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy! 

Soupbar 

Although making cozy meals is a great way to enjoy the fall, it’s not always sustainable for students on-the-go. Lucky for you, comfort food is on us with the Soupbar.

You don’t have to worry about the time, mess or the price. There is a variety of soups that are offered and for completely FREE. 

Drop by the Soupbar on your campus and cozy up between classes or heat up at home.

Locations :

Hot Soup 

North campus – LinX (Room 110)

Monday  – Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Frozen Soup 

Lakeshore campus – L Commons (2nd floor, next to the elevators) 

Downtown campus- 5th floor room 503

Feature photo by Jana Ohajdova on Pexels

Are you interested in customizing your soups? Read 5 ways I make IGNITE’s amazing soups feel like home.