The seasons are changing, the evenings getting cooler, and kids are going back to school.

A great way to celebrate the change of seasons is with great-tasting fall recipes. And by drawing on foods in season, you’ll get peak flavor and save money.

Here are 3 great recipes – delicious and nutrition – for kids’ meals and dessert – your older ones can even join in the fun and help make them.

Fall Minestrone

Featuring fall vegetables like squash, this tasty, filling soup helps warm kids’ bellies on cool autumn evenings. And with beans and pasta, it serves up protein, vitamins and minerals too.

  • 1 tbs vegetable oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 (16-oz) can white beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 cup diced carrot
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 1/2 cups cubed potato
  • 2 1/2 cups cubed peeled butternut squash
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup uncooked orzo pasta
  • 4 cups chopped kale
  • 1 cup cut green beans
  • 1/2 cup (2 oz) Parmesan cheese

Prep

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion; sauté until tender. Add remaining ingredients except final four. Bring to a boil. Lower heat then simmer 3 minutes. Add beans kale and orzo. Cook until orzo and vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Top with parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Spiced Pumpkin Biscuits

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 5 tbs chilled butter, sliced
  • 1/3 cup buttermilk
  • 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
  • 3 tbs honey

Prep

Preheat oven to 400°.

Mix flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is coarse. Chill 10 minutes.

Combine honey and buttermilk, whisking until well blended. Add pumpkin. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, and stir until moist.

Cut dough with 1 3/4-inch biscuit cutter to make 14 dough rounds. Put dough rounds on baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake at 400° until golden, about 14 minutes. Remove from pan; cool 2 minutes, and enjoy!

Caramel Apple Pie

This wonderful pie celebrates the fruit of the season – apples – with an extra taste of autumn sweetness – caramel.

Ingredients

Topping:

  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 tbs chilled butter, sliced

Crust:

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 tbs chilled butter, sliced
  • 2 tbs chilled vegetable shortening, sliced

Filling:

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tbs cornstarch
  • 4 cups thinly sliced Granny Smith apples (about 1 1/4 lbs)
  • 3 cups thinly sliced Fuji apples (about 1 lb)

Caramel sauce:

  • 1/2 cup caramel sundae syrup
  • 1/8 tsp kosher salt

Prep

To prep the topping, combine flour, brown sugar, and 2 tbs butter in food processor. Pulse about 12 times until crumbly. Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill.

To prep crust, combine flour and 1/4 tsp salt in food processor; pulse a couple times until combined. Add 3 tbs butter and shortening, and pulse 4 times or until coarse. With processor on, add 3 tbs water, processing just until combined. Roll dough into an 11-inch circle. Freeze dough 5 minutes.

Heat oven to 375°.

Let dough stand 1 minute, until flexible. Fit dough into 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Press dough into bottom and sides of pan, and fold edges under

To prep filling, whisk granulated sugar and cornstarch in bowl. Add apples and toss. Put apple mixture in crust, mounding sin the center. Bake for 25 minutes at 375°. Remove from oven; evenly sprinkle topping. Bake at 375° for additional 25 minutes until golden. Cool for 20 minutes.

To prep sauce, combine salt and caramel syrup. Cut pie into 12 slices and serve with sauce.

This is a guest post by Mark Lynch. Mark recommends reading more about great culinary recipes on Chefs.edu.

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