All Things Bright

While the temperature and humidity suggest otherwise here in Southern Maryland, it's almost fall, and I'm ready for cozy clothes, pumpkin spice lattes, and comfort food. (Although, if I'm honest, I wouldn't be mad about any of those things at other times of the year.) Here are a few things that have come out of my kitchen lately:

Simple Turkey Reuben Pot Pie

I came up with this recipe way back when I lived in Austin and didn't want to decide between a turkey Reuben sandwich and a chicken pot pie. I tend to improvise even when there's a recipe in front of me, but I can share some hints for recreating it yourself:

Season and cook a pound of ground turkey through over medium heat. Add enough Thousand Island salad dressing to coat the turkey, sprinkle caraway seeds over the top, and mix. Cut off the heat--you don't want the vinegar in the dressing to start evaporating. What really streamlines this recipe for a weeknight is that I only do a crust on top, and I use a pre-made crust from the store. It's a similar concept to those cute little pot pies that you do in individual ramekins and give a puff pastry topping instead of traditional crust... but faster, and it only requires one dish. To assemble, pour your turkey mixture into a pie plate, and then top with a generous amount of shredded Swiss cheese. Before putting your crust on top, sprinkle on some more caraway seeds and lightly press them into the dough. Put your crust over the pie filling, and don't forget to cut some steam vents. I bake the pie according to the directions for the pie crust, and then add some sauerkraut on top before serving.

Broccoli-Ham Hot Dish

I blame Molly Yeh for my obsession with hot dish. I've been somewhat aware of her blog My Name is Yeh for awhile, but what I really like is her Food Network show Girl Meets Farm. She has such a fun, bubbly personality that watching her, say, making Pop-Tarts from scratch makes me feel like I can do it, too. I have made easily half a dozen versions of hot dish in the last 6 months, and this one gets top marks from my non-foodie boyfriend. You can find the recipe at Taste of Home.

Black-and-Blueberry Cobbler

Does is even count as comfort food if you don't finish the meal with dessert? This recipe from the Pioneer Woman comes together quickly and is so good. T, who described the cuisine of James Beard award winner Tyson Cole simply as, "sushi," described this cobbler as, "too good." The use of an actual adjective is a pretty big deal, friends. I made a couple modifications to the original recipe by mixing blueberries and blackberries (it's a little more cost-effective) and sprinkling a little pumpkin pie spice over the top, because it's fall, y'all.

What's cooking in your world? Which dishes are autumnal necessities in your home?