Students' Top 3 Favorite Fall Foods

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With over half of the semester underway, the leaves changing colors and the temperature cooling down, it’s fair to say that autumn is in full swing in College Park. There’s no better time to break out our quintessential fall favorites, including some of the best homemade recipes. Take it from three students who cannot spend an entire fall season without indulging in their favorite tasty fall foods.

Butternut Squash Soup

Shelly Chikis, a sophomore biology major, does not particularly enjoy the sharp drop in temperature during the later fall months. However, she has no complaints about staying in and snuggling up with a bowl of her mom’s homemade butternut squash soup.

“There are certain things I associate with fall, and butternut squash soup is definitely one of my staples,” Chikis said. “It’s just like, the ultimate comfort food.”

Butternut squash is a delicious and healthy fall dish, with the perfect balance of satisfying savory and sweet flavors.

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cups chicken stock
Nutmeg, salt and pepper

Total prep + cook time: 1 hour

Check out The Food Network for the full recipe!

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Lindsey Capitelli, a senior accounting and information systems major, loves celebrating Thanksgiving. She values her family’s deep-rooted traditions of watching football, playing board games and most importantly, eating pumpkin cheesecake.

“My aunt’s pumpkin cheesecake is hands down my favorite fall dessert...or just my favorite in general,” Capitelli added. “She even bakes extra for me so I can be sure to have leftovers for the rest of the week.”

Even though it’s a complicated dish with many ingredients and a long preparation time, it’s definitely a worthwhile dessert for your Thanksgiving table.

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons of light brown sugar
½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 stick of melted butter
3 packages of cream cheese
1 can of pureed pumpkin
3 eggs, 1 egg yolk
¼ cup of sour cream
1 ⅓ cups of sugar
2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Total prep + cook time: 5 hours 30 minutes

Check out The Food Network for the full recipe!

Caramel Apples

If you have a sweet tooth like senior communications major Zac Purcell, then candy apples might be the ideal fall-inspired recipe for you.

Purcell recalled making candy apples in school when he was younger, but it’s still his guilty pleasure today.

“If I ever see them for sale during the fall, I just have to buy one,” Purcell said. “Especially one with toppings, those are the best.”

Candy apples are a cheap and easy-to-make fall-time favorite, with sweet toppings, including chopped nuts, crushed graham crackers, candy corn and more!

Ingredients: