Fall Recipe Substitutions - Turn Almost Any Recipe into a Fall Treat!

We are embracing everything fall over here in Georgia - football games, pumpkins, beautiful leaves changing colors, some brisk air for outdoor activities, and the scents and foods that fall brings! I'm all about going into my favorite grocery store and taking in a nice, deep breath of cinnamon brooms and cinnamon pine cones.

I wanted to share my suggestions for making recipes substitutions in your favorite recipes to make them feel a little bit more like fall! Here's my take on turning almost any recipe into a fall treat. Substitute at your own risk, but for most recipes, we highly recommend!

Need some more ideas for recipe swaps and substitutions? Check these out:

• Calorie Saving Holiday Recipe Ingredient Swaps
• Calorie Saving, Clean Eating Food Swaps

Chili Smothered Baked Sweet Potatoes

So you made a pot of chili, but now the family isn't sure if they can eat chili more than one night this week, right? Well no problem! They (and you) don't have to feel like left-overs are drab! Make these Chili Smothered Baked Sweet Potatoes and they will be asking you to make chili just so they can have these babies!

Here's how you make them:

1. Grab your favorite chili recipes, or one of ours:

   - Chicken Chili

   - Low Carb Chicken Chili

   - Bison Chili

   - Southwest Style Bison Chili with Quinoa

2. Bake sweet potatoes in the oven (they are sweetest this way, but the microwave will work if you are in a pinch!). Here's a tutorial on the Restaurant Style Baked Sweet Potato.

3. Top your sweet potato with warm chili and add your favorite toppings. Some suggestions:

   - Organic Shredded Cheese

   - Chopped Green Onions or Chives

   - Dollop of Greek Yogurt (healthier alternative to Sour Cream)

   - Sliced Jalapenos

4. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Fries with Blue Cheese Crumbles and Scallions

If you haven't heard already we kind of have an obsession with a small town in NC named Boone. We go there A LOT during all seasons for hiking and skiing...and for eating! We already shared our Honey Glazed Banana recipe that we re-created from a restaurant in Boone and we just re-created one of our favorite appetizers from a restaurant in Blowing Rock! These tasted identical to the ones we order without being fried! Give them a try and let us know what you think!

Sweet Potato Fries with Blue Cheese Crumbles and Scallions

Ingredients:

• 3 sweet potatoes
• Olive oil
• Scallions
• Blue cheese crumbles
• Sea salt
• Pepper
• Garlic powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Cut sweet potatoes into fries (we use a gadget similar to this one).

3. Using an olive oil spritzer, spray the sweet potato fries until coated. Sprinkle with sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Bake for 18 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and shake/flip the sweet potatoes and bake for another 18 minutes.

5. Once removed from oven, while potatoes are still hot, add blue cheese crumbles and scallions. This will allow for the blue cheese crumbles to partially melt.

Enjoy!

- Scott and Whitney