Fall Comfort Foods

Here are a few of my favorite weeknight meals inspired by brussels sprouts, the fall season, cranberries, maple syrup, local bloggers, sage and pumpkin.

Sometimes the most satisfying dinnertime meal is a plate of roasted vegetables. Easy prep, easy bake, easy clean.Besides the ease of all steps involved, I feel super healthy after eating a big ol' plate of them! And as the central focus of the meal, rather than a typical side, I seem to appreciate them that much more.

No vegetable makes me happier than roasted brussels sprouts. I toss them in a generous amount of olive oil, salt and pepper and spread them on a foil lined baking sheet. Into a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes until a golden caramelized exterior begins to form.

The baked sweet potato needs 45 minutes to an hour in the oven. Once cooled, I topped the halves with a light, creamy Maple Sage Yogurt.

The simple preparation courtesy of We Are Not Martha mixes 6 oz of Greek yogurt with 1.5 tablespoons of pure maple syrup and a tablespoon of finely chopped sage. It's a delicious component that livens up and lightens up a meal of hearty roasted vegetables.

The ultimate seasonal comfort food proves to be a Pumpkin Macaroni & Cheese. I borrowed this recipe from The Small Boston Kitchen.Coarse breadcrumbs incorporated with sage top a creamy cheddar, gouda and goat cheese blend using whole milk and lots of butter, a can of pumpkin puree (the original recipe used fresh), onions, spices and a tablespoon of grainy mustard. All of it gets baked until golden brown and yields plenty of velvety pumpkin meets gooey cheese goodness; with lots of leftovers to boot. Back to brussels sprouts real quick, this time they get sautéed and coated in a Maple Dijon Dressing and studded with a few extra components! I spotted this dish last season on Delicious Dishings and have made it once before. The sweet and savory dressing is really tasty. I put my own twist on the coveted green veggie: buttery egg noodles, toasted pecans for a textural crunch and dried cranberries which lend a tart sweetness. The second installment of fall cooking here on III is nothing without dessert! I made Butterscotch & Cranberry Blondies after I spotted the recipe on A Cambridge Story, originally adapted from Cooks Illustrated, Fall Entertaining. The mix calls for a truckload of butter, as in 12 tablespoons of it - which I took the liberty of reducing to 10! These are ridiculously buttery and indulgent even so. The dried cranberries make another appearance, giving a tart and juicy complex to the blondies, while the real start is the sweet butterscotch chips. True comfort is evoked in each and every bite. I absolutely love fall foods!!