The weather is getting cooler, and the leaves are changing into gorgeous hues of red, orange and yellow, so fall must be here! It’s a great time for football and friends. It’s also a great time to embrace seasonal foods and the latest fall food trends. Here’s a look at some of our favorite (and yummiest) things to bring to your table this season.
Comfort Food
Think of warm and hearty dishes that stick to the bones and bring a sense of home into your heart. We love chicken pot pie, creamy mac and cheese, and soups and stews. We also love that many comfort foods can be prepared in a slow cooker for easy prep and less mess. Some of our favorite slow cooker options for fall are chili recipes. Chili is comforting and a crowd-pleaser for watching football or relaxing outside by a fire pit. It’s also super versatile and is just begging for toppings like OMG!’s crunchy sourdough gourmet pretzels.
- Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili pairs amazingly well with OMG! Lemon Pepper Pretzels
- Slow Cooker Chili with Beef and Beans is even better with OMG! Cheddar Jalapeno Pretzels
- This all-veggie chili is super satisfying, especially with some OMG! Garlic Pretzels on top.
Plant-Based Eating
This trend has been going strong all year. Fall is a great time to embrace it and the stars of fall produce: apples and pumpkins. Apples add a touch of sweetness to savory dishes and pumpkins can be used for much more than just sitting on your porch looking pretty. While we already know that apples and pumpkins are delicious in desserts, we thought we’d share a few savory applications we love. Enjoy!
- Pumpkin Hummus has a great flavor and is super smooth. To complement its natural sweetness, we like to use OMG! Sweet & Spicy Pretzels or Sweet Chili Pretzels for dipping.
- Pureed pumpkin makes a delicious pasta sauce. You can thin it out with veggie or vegetarian chicken stock then choose your favorite pasta shape and add a little parmesan cheese on top. It’s super simple! For some added crunch, crush in a few OMG! Garlic Pretzels for the final touch.
- Apples are a great addition to any salad. Spinach, apples, goat cheese and walnuts are a yummy combo. HINT: Add some OMG! Lemon Pepper Pretzels for a little zing.
- This side dish hash brings together pumpkin and apple for some holiday-worthy scrumptiousness! Add some texture by sprinkling crushed OMG! Salty Butterscotch Pretzels on top just before serving.
Pickling and Fermenting
We are kicking it old school with mason jars! In 2021, you’re not limited to simply making jams or picking traditional foods like grandma did. Now, you can take it to the next level and ferment your own drinks like kombucha and create innovative new pickle combinations.
- We love this video about how to ferment kombucha at home. You can take the basic method and then change up the flavors to satisfy your tastebuds.
- You can pickle lots of things. Cucumbers are probably the most well-known, but you can also use carrots, onions, mushrooms, beets, squash, cauliflower, and peppers. Then, you can snack on the delicious eats and use them in salads. They are also great additions to charcuterie boards, along with cheeses and your favorite flavors of OMG! gourmet pretzels.
Boards of All Kinds
Speaking of charcuterie boards, these long-standing entertaining staples have taken on a new life in 2021. Now, people are making boards of all kinds and we think you should try it out this fall! Your imagination is the limit! Here are a few of our favorite ideas to get you started.
- What could be more decadent than a dessert board? You can opt for a theme like all chocolate or base it around a holiday. You can also center it on color or make it super fun with a rainbow-colored board. We like to base ours on flavors that go well together and mimic a savory board. For instance, we like to have some dipping options. Melted chocolate and thick caramel sauce in little bowls surrounded by OMG! Sweet & Salty Pretzels and Salty Butterscotch Pretzels are always a winner. Add some fresh fruit and bite-size candies to round things out.
- Staying sweet, there’s also the hot chocolate board. Here you place a pot or several mugs of warm, chocolatey liquid out with a variety of marshmallows and other toppings, so your family and friends can create their own over-the-top drink. If it’s an all-adult occasion, you can add a boozy twist with Irish cream or amaretto.
- There are also breakfast boards – think pancakes, waffles or French toast laid out with fresh fruit toppers, various syrups, some breakfast meat and maybe even a baby skillet of scrambled eggs. Or, if you want something a little lighter, smoked salmon can take center stage surrounded by cucumbers, tomatoes and onions, flavored cream cheeses, and bagels. It’s an at-home brunch must!
Regardless of which fall food trend you try (or maybe you’ll try all of them), we wish you a fall full of fun and ridiculously delicious eating!