Seasonal Recipes That’ll Have You Falling in Love With Autumn

Fall is officially upon Chicago, even if the temperatures have yet to indicate a change of seasons. With autumn comes late night study sessions, busy schedules and exams, but that doesn’t mean cooking has to be a hassle, too. These recipes are easy-to-make, low-budget options for students looking to add some seasonal spice into their everyday lives. 

Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta 

This recipe offers a simple dinner option during the busyness of midterm season, serving four people and taking only around 25 minutes to make. 

This creamy tomato and spinach pasta from BudgetBytes is the ideal dinner for a crisp fall night. Whether sharing this dish over conversation with a roommate or solo meal-prepping for the week, this low-cost dish is a great way to spice up dinner time. 

This recipe is easily amendable to the chef’s tastebuds. Cream cheese can be swapped for a splash of half-and-half or heavy cream. Frozen spinach thawed and squeezed of excess moisture is a budget friendly alternative to fresh spinach and vegetables that can be added into the pasta for additional nutrition. 

½ pound pasta, any shape 

1 ½ cups of diced yellow onion

1 tablespoon of minced garlic cloves

1 tablespoon olive oil

14.5 ounces diced tomatoes 

½ teaspoon dried oregano 

½ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

½ teaspoon salt 

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste

½ cup water 

2 ounces cream cheese

¼ cup grated parmesan 

4 ounces fresh spinach 

To make this pasta, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add in the pasta. Continue to boil for 7 to 10 minutes or until tender and then drain through a colander. Add diced onion, minced garlic and olive oil to a large skillet and sauté over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent. 

Add diced tomatoes — with juices —  oregano, basil, crushed red pepper, salt and freshly cracked pepper to the skillet, stirring to combine before adding in tomato paste and ½ cup of water. Turn the heat down to low and add cream cheese into the skillet, whisk until creamy, then add the parmesan. 

Finally, add spinach into the skillet and gently stir until wilted before adding in the pasta and mixing it all together. 

Healthy Apple Crisp

Craving an apple pie but lacking the time and resources to go all-in on making one while the semester’s in session? Try this healthier and quicker apple crisp recipe that brings the flavors of fall alive. 

It takes an hour and 15 minutes to make, but once done it provides 12 servings, making it a great dessert for roommates to share throughout the week.

10 cups unpeeled, cored and sliced apples

½ cup white sugar

1 tablespoon white whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

½ cup water

1 cup quick cooking oats

1 cup white whole wheat flour

½ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup chopped walnuts 

¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ cup butter melted 

To make this apple crisp, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place sliced apples in a 9×13-inch pan. Mix white sugar, one tablespoon flour and ground cinnamon together before sprinkling them over the apples. Pour water evenly over all. Combine oats, one cup flour, brown sugar, baking power, baking soda, walnuts and melted butter together — crumble evenly over the apple mixture. Bake for 45 minutes until golden and crisp on top. 

Vegetarian Pumpkin Chili 

This recipe serves 10-12 people with a total prep and cooking time of 45 minutes. Once cooked, the chili freezes for up to three months, making it an easy meal prepping option for college students as the winter months draw near. 

The vegetarian pumpkin chili from Sally’s Baking Addiction makes for a cozy evening indoors as the leaves begin to fall and temperatures dip below 70 degrees. 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion 

1 diced green bell pepper

1 diced red bell pepper

1 minced jalapeño with seeds and ribs removed

3 minced garlic cloves

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 ½  teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder 

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 cups vegetable broth

3 cans petite diced tomatoes, not drained

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed 

1 can pumpkin puree 

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced 

To make, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a 5 quart or larger pot. Add onion, bell peppers and jalapeño — stir and cook for five minutes as the onion softens. 

Then add garlic, salt, black pepper, cumin, chili power and onion power — stir and cook for one minute. Add cinnamon, vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, pinto and kidney beans, pumpkin puree and sweet potato before placing the lid on top, reducing heat to  medium low and letting cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Pour the chili into a bowl, top with cilantro, avocado or sour cream and enjoy.