Mason Recipe Box: Favorite Fall Recipes

Try out these favorite fall recipes, submitted by George Mason University faculty and staff. Thank you to all those who shared their recipes.

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Tex Mex Chicken Soup 

Submitter: Alecia Bryan, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit and instructions: All Recipes

“This is our go-to soup when the weather changes. I made this soup to mark the first day of the season, when we finally had to turn on the heat (we try to see how long we can last each year!). This recipe is a crowd pleaser and also great to share with neighbors or reheat for leftovers,” said Bryan.

Tips: The recipe is intended to make with turkey, but Bryan uses chicken. To make this easier, you can shred rotisserie chicken. You could also cook chicken ahead of time and shred it, and keep it on hand in the freezer. Bryan uses chicken broth instead of water and bouillon. She also encourages you to consider tripling the amount of garlic used in the recipe. Toppings can include sour cream, cilantro, microgreens, or green onions.

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Pumpkin Waffles

Submitter: Beth Olchowski, Schar School of Policy and Government
Credit and instructions: epicurious

“This is one of my daughter's favorite recipes, and we often make them together after visiting a pumpkin patch to choose our Halloween pumpkin. They smell like fall!” said Olchowski.

Equipment needed: Waffle iron (preferably nonstick)
Tip: If serving these waffles with maple syrup, you can reduce the amount of brown sugar in the recipe.

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Lentil Soup

Submitter: Tasneem Amrou, Admissions

“This soup reminds me of rainy days at my grandmother's house. It is a tradition to cook lentil soup when it rains. Lentil soup was a staple at her kitchen, and we loved it with a squeeze of lemon juice. It's warm, delicious and comforting,” said Amrou.

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups red lentil
1 medium onion
1 medium potato
1 cup baby carrots
1 bouillon cube (can be replaced with vegetable or chicken stock)
½ tablespoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon neutral oil
5 cups water, or as desired

Directions:

1. Sauté all vegetables in oil for a few minutes.
2. Add the water and bring to a boil.
3. Add the spices. Cover and let it simmer until all veggies are tender.
4. Blend using a hand blender or a regular blender. Adjust consistency as desired by adding more water.
5. Serve warm with lemon juice, crushed red pepper, or fried pita bread.

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Cornish Pasties

Submitter: Lizzie Barnfield, College of Engineering and Computing

“This recipe is a taste of home for my husband, Rob, who is originally from Bristol, England. It also reminds me of the Greggs pasties that got me through my undergrad at Durham University, though it's a little fancier than those! This is the first recipe we break out in my household whenever the weather gets cold and rainy—it's the ultimate comfort food,” said Barnfield.

Ingredients:

Pastry crust:
500g all-purpose flour
200g lard
100g cold butter
1 teaspoon salt
About ½ cup cold water
1 egg (optional)

Filling:

1 lb skirt steak, uncooked
1 large onion
3 cups potato
½ cup rutabaga
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper

Directions:

1. Prepare the pastry by mixing the lard, butter, and salt into the flour until the mixture has a sandy consistency. Mixing by hand is fine, but a food processor can speed up this step.
2. Add cold water slowly to make a firm but not too sticky dough.
3. Roll into six balls and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 375° F.
5. For the filling, chop the beef and potato into ¼ inch pieces and mince the onion and rutabaga.
6. Combine the beef, potatoes, onion, and rutabaga in a large bowl, adding salt, pepper, and parsley.
7. Melt the butter and add it to the filling, stirring to mix well.
8. Roll out the chilled pastry dough, then mound about 1 cup of the filling along the upper half of each round, leaving a 1 inch margin at the top.
9. Brush the pastry all the way round the edge with beaten egg or water, then carefully draw up the pastry to cover the filling. Crimp or pinch the pastry together to seal.
10. Lift each pasty onto a non-stick baking tray (or tray lined with parchment paper) and brush with the remaining egg to glaze.
11. Bake the pasties for 1 hour, then remove from oven and rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Tips: Cornish pasties are best served with a side of English Heinz baked beans, if you can find them. Skirt steak and Yukon gold potatoes are great for this recipe, but any marbled beef and any type of potato works.

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Prof. Foxwell's Award-Winning Chili

Submitter: Harry J. Foxwell, School of Computing

“I won a chili cook-off in one of my prior industry jobs. You can add various other flavorings that you might like to try: a bit more cumin, some barbeque sauce, even some leftover rice to add a bit of substance to the chili. Be creative and flexible! I add some salt and some ground pepper for spiciness; your choice for how spicy to make it," said Foxwell.

Ingredients
1 medium sweet onion, cut into medium pieces
1 medium bell pepper (red, yellow, or green), cut into medium pieces
1 pound of meat (ground beef, chicken, or turkey)
¼ cup of chili powder
¼ cup of rice vinegar
2 cans of kidney beans (rinsed)
2 cans of Campbell’s Tomato Soup

Directions:

1. In a large/deep frying pan, sauté the onion and pepper in oil (butter, olive oil, or sesame oil).
2. Add 1 pound of meat (ground beef, chicken or turkey).
3. Mix in the meat, stir with the pepper and onion until cooked.
4. Add chili powder and rice vinegar.
5. Add kidney beans (rinsed).
6. Add Campbells’ Tomato Soup.
7. Cook on low heat for an additional 30 minutes.
8. Serve on top of some cornbread; top with cheddar cheese.

Tips: Use diced or cubed hash brown potato instead of meat for vegetarian chili. Don’t use a strong flavored vinegar, like apple.

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Coconut Curry Lentil Soup

Submitter: Jennifer Nassetta Lawler, College of Science
Credit and instructions: Vegangela

“The first time that we had our son's girlfriend over for dinner, I wanted to make something simple and delicious—as well as failproof. When cooking for others, I tend to be overly worried that I'm going to dry out the meat or overcook the veggies, etc. It was a lovely meal with great conversation. Though it isn't the reason that they are now happily married, this flavorsome soup sure didn't hurt!” said Lawler.

Note: This is written as a vegan recipe. It can be modified with different broths, depending on your dietary preference. Lawler says it is great as a soup or served over rice or potatoes. Try adding a can of chickpeas, too.

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Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup 

Submitter: Valerie Dunn, Office of University Advancement and Alumni Relations

“I've been making this for years. My kids are always so excited when it's black bean soup night. I use cheddar, sour cream and avocado for garnish. Also serve with homemade cornbread or biscuits. Tortilla chips are fun too,” said Dunn.

Ingredients:

1 pound dry black beans, soaked overnight
4 teaspoons diced jalapeno peppers
6 cups chicken broth
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼  teaspoon cayenne pepper
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Directions:

1. The night before: Sort and soak the beans.
2. The day of: Drain black beans, and rinse.
3. Combine beans, jalapenos, and chicken broth in a slow cooker.
4. Add garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, pepper, and hot pepper sauce.
5. Cook on high for 4 hours. Reduce heat to low, and continue cooking for 2 hours, or until you are ready to eat.

Tips: Adjust the spice with the cayenne. Add more for more spice, or add hot sauce to your serving if you want more heat. Blend to your preferred consistency.