Are we almost halfway through the summer already? Fall will be here before you know it! I’m really looking forward to that special, cozy feeling that comes with fall-time. Comfy sweaters, colorful leaves, pumpkin spice, bonfires and crisp mornings. And let’s not forget about those favorite fall food & drinks like apple cider and hearty soups. Today we’re cooking up some of my favorite quick and easy fall-inspired lunch ideas, all enhanced with Cracker Barrel’s flavorful, award-winning cheese! Cheese just makes everything better and it’s one of my go-to comfort ingredients. First up….
Grilled Cheese, Roasted Turkey and Pear Sandwich
Got a few seconds for a quick cheese survey?
Mini Sausage & Kale Pizza
Cheddar Butternut Squash Soup
Butternut squash just says Autumn to me! In the fall-time there is nothing like the smell of roasted butternut squash drifting through the house. This cheddar butternut squash soup freezes and reheats well, so I usually make a big batch and freeze the leftovers. I decided to go with Cracker Barrel’s award-winning Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese for this soup. The cheese lends a nice tangy flavor and a perfect creamy texture.
3 Cheesy Lunched
Ingredients
- GRILLED CHEESE TURKEY & PEAR SANDWICH
- 2 slices white bread
- 1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 2 slices roasted turkey lunch meat
- 4 slices of pear thinly sliced
- Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheddar Cheese thinly sliced or shredded
- MINI SAUSAGE & KALE PIZZA
- 1 can refrigerated pizza crust
- Pizza sauce
- Cracker Barrel Age Reserved Extra Sharp White Cheddar Cheese or Cracker Barrel Mediterranean Herb Cheddar Cheese
- Kielbasa sausage diced
- Kaled chopped
- CHEDDAR BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
- 1.5 lb butternut squash roasted (2 cups flesh)
- 1 cup chicken broth plus more if needed
- 1/2 cup white onions diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 3 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon sage
- 1/4 cup Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Instructions
- GRILLED CHEESE< TURKEY & PEAR SANDWICH
- Heat a lightly greased non-stick skillet over medium heat.
- Spread mayonnaise evenly on one side of both slices of bread.
- Lay a slice of bread on the skillet, mayonnaise side down.
- Top with pear slices, roasted turkey lunchmeat and cheese.
- Top with the final slice of bread, mayonnaise side up.
- Cook until golden and cheese has melted.
- Flip until the other side is golden.
- Plate and enjoy!
- MINI CHEDDAR & KALE PIZZA
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Roll out pizza crust.
- Use a cookie cutter to cut out 4-5 inch circles.
- Place on a cookie sheet lined with lightly greased parchment paper.
- Spread on the pizza sauce.
- Top with cheese, sausage and kale.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes or until crust is golden.
- Serve and enjoy.
- CHEDDAR BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
- Place flesh of roasted squash into a blender.
- Add in chicken broth and puree until smooth.
- In a large pot, saute onions and garlic in butter over medium heat.
- Add in the squash mixture, heavy cream, black pepper, and sage.
- Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Place the soup into the blender and puree until smooth.
- Return soup to the pot and heat until warm again.
- Stir in cheese.
- Serve and enjoy.
I almost forgot to mention the BEST part – BlogHer is giving my readers a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card! To enter the sweepstakes, all you have to do is tell me: What are some of your favorite fall foods?
Sweepstakes Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winner will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 8/8/13 – 10/31/13.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE DOUBLE LAYER PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE!!!!
Pumpkin soup and lasagna!
I love Chicken and dumplings with a salad.
When fall is in the air, as it is now in the Northeast, I love making homemade chili and cast iron skillet cornbread. The other day, in one afternoon I made that, plus an apple pie and applesauce. Fall just brings out the “comfort food cravings” in me, and hanging out in the kitchen making delicious food is so much fun!
tweet https://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/396013585748353024
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
I love anything with pumpkin especially pumpkin bread
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
Pomegranates and honeycrisp apples.
fav fall food is ministronie
Warm donuts and apple cider from the cider mill!! Yummy!!
I love to have chili in the fall. Another fall favorite is chicken pot pie.
I really love chili and soups.
I love Caramel Corn and Pumpkin Pie.
lisalmg25 at gmail dot com
https://twitter.com/klp1965/status/395896166270775297
I love apple crisp,pumkin pie and pecan pie 🙂
My favorite foods are cheesy potato soup and chilli, I serve my chilli with nacho chips and cheese sprinkled on top.
Tweet
https://twitter.com/itzmenmc/status/395875241982824448
raventally30@aol.com
I love chili and homemade soups on the fall.
raventally30@aol.com
My favorite is Macaroni and Cheese casserole. I also like carrot cake and apple pie.
I am intolerant to dairy. So I don’t eat cheese. 🙁
https://twitter.com/iiiyadirf/status/395758894254784512
michelletucker at baconnation dot net
I love stuffing and anything pumpkin flavored.
I like to eat anything in a crock pot during fall, like broccoli cheese soup !
https://twitter.com/scg00387/status/395714055706382336
I love chilis and soups!
I love chili
I love anything with pumpkin! Fall is my favorite season because it’s the season of everything pumpkin!
Baked mac and cheese, chili, beans and ham… fall food is the best food!
I like squash lasagna
My favorite fall foods include pumpkin pie, turkey, and pot roast.
baked mac n cheese
bacon cheese potato soup
In the fall I look forward to pumpkin pie!!! ky_grandma40@yahoo.com
soups, stews and chilli
My favorite cheesy summer dish is a classic grilled cheese sandwich!
I like pumkin pie and hot apple cider in the fall.
My favorite fall foods are apple dumplings, cider, soups, stews and chili.
I love Fall- mostly because I get to eat a lot of my favorite foods- Apple crisp, pumpkin pie (or anything pumpkin lol) Wisconsin beer cheese soup, and lots of chili 🙂
cheesy savory strata!
We like scalloped potatoes and ham casserole, beef and noodles and beer cheese soup.
I love pumpkin pies!
https://mobile.twitter.com/electricstar/status/395339585506385920?p=v
I always love pot roasts in the fall!
english muffin pizzas
I love to make some pumpkin dip in the fall, and a nice hearty beef stew for dinners!
https://twitter.com/ky2here1/status/395157355081392128
Apple cider, stews, gumbo, breads…..
ky2here at msn dot com
Tweet – https://twitter.com/willitara/status/395101884022661121
I love making a huge pot of vegetable beef soup. It always seems to get better the next day so I make enough to last two or three days.
tweeted for entry
https://twitter.com/mhohertz/status/394976211530575872
Some of my favorite fall foods are soups and chillis, with cheese on top, of course 🙂
My favorite fall foods are acorn squash and pumpkin bread.
I really love the recipes…makes me want to play in the kitchen
I love pumpkin chili. YUM
https://twitter.com/eaglesforjack/status/394624300529233920
homemade cheddar cheese curds
We love cheesy tuna casserole
We love a cheesy chili or acorn squash soup. Great fall flavors!
My fave is cheese blintz souffle4
tweet https://twitter.com/prizepuzzle/status/392779596401098752
apple cider and pumpkin pie
I love mac and cheese and caramel apple pie!
tweeted:
https://twitter.com/uTry_it/status/392152721836351488
amy [at] utry [dot] it
My favorite fall food is my creamy meatball pasta bake. so comforting and the melt-y cheese on top is just so good
amy [at] utry [dot] it
Greek Macaroni and Cheese
SOUPS! I just love to make soups of any kind, and fall is perfect for enjoying the last of the garden produce that I can put in them.
Yummmm!!! Anything squash related !!!! Autumn Squash Soup (Panera Bread) is my favorite !!! I haven’t quite mastered it yet. But I will !!!
Tried the Butternut Squash soup and added some broccoli…Can we say delish !!!!
i posted a tweet https://twitter.com/bellows22/status/389953840591536129
i like soups and chili
tweet
https://twitter.com/raggammuffin/status/389738735576707072
apple crisp is my favorite fall food
Definitely tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.
I would love to win this prize.
tweet https://twitter.com/hburmeister/status/388929603466579968
Love soups and stews in the fall
tweeted https://twitter.com/pittsy82/status/388809159883235328
Chili and beef stew!! YUMM!!
tweet
https://twitter.com/eswright18/status/386965814244425728
I love broccoli cheese soup, chili, and mac n cheese.
Mozzerella sticks with ranch dressing, yum!
https://twitter.com/susan1215/status/386549762503090177
I love chili and beef stew when it’s cold outside.
apples, apples, pecans
tweeted. https://twitter.com/mmweaver2513/status/385429851676487680
My favorite is tortilla chips with melted shredded cheese on top.
i like sweet potato casserole
https://twitter.com/smilekisses/status/385284102380736512
Love roasted chestnuts and pumpkin seeds.
Pies, cookies, and casseroles. That soup looks amazing!
I love chowder, chili, soups, and casseroles for fall!
I love Halloween candy!
Pumpkin Pie!
I like mozzarella sticks as a snack.
I love vegetarian taco casserole – very cheesy!
I like squash casserole
Tweeted
https://twitter.com/JalapenoMama/status/383777841378111488
I love soup with roasted squash sweet potatoes.
Also pumpkin spice bars.
Thank you.
I love my mom’s homemade cheesy potato soup.
I love lamb stew, chicken fricasse, southern cornbread, cranberry sauce, potato soup, baked lasagna, and spaghetti pie! Oh and I also love pumpkin spice coffee or tea.
A roast turkey with a thick gravy is always fantastic
my favorite is tomato soup in a bread bowl
I love cheesy hashbrown casserole any time of the year.
Tweeted 🙂 – https://twitter.com/Enter_Now/status/382729477274353664
Some of my favorite Fall foods are… well… everything Thanksgiving and Christmas related! lol Turkey, pumpkin pie, pot roast, mashed potatoes and all things warm and hardy 🙂
I love pumpkin pie!
my grandma’s recipe capirotada — so good!
tvollowitz at aol dot com
My favorite dish is enchiladas. Cannot get enough of it 🙂
I like making squash of all kinds!
tweet
https://twitter.com/clc408/status/382557433735819264
I like to make beef stew in the fall.
https://twitter.com/sohamolina/status/382341697763418112
pumpkin pie
My favorite fall food is sweet potato and apple soup! Well, and anything pumpkin!
I love me some pumpkin pies. A good roasted turkey later in the year is always nice
I LOVE macaroni and cheese with broccoli!
I like to make chili in the fall.
I love cheesy omelets. Apple pie with cheddar cheese is also delicious.
Chili, cheese dip, and Mac and cheese.
austma7@aol.com
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/peg42/status/382237626238914561
Thanks so much.
Macaroni and cheese. Pumpkin Soup. Yams. Apples, pears and squash.
My favorite fall dish is apple pie made from scratch and not with canned pie filling.
My favorite fall foods are potato soup,white chicken chili, potato pies, tortilla soup, frito pie, caramel apple spice drinks, apple cider, sauteed potatoes, beans, greens and cornbread:) I’m a southern girl and of course mac and cheese!
Tweeted
https://twitter.com/mummytotwoboys1/status/381051849526099971
My favorite cheesy snack is Buffalo Chicken Cheese Dip, its so simple to make yet feels indulgent and the whole family love it.
I love squash or pumpkin soups in the fall!
Favorite fall foods – Greek Stew with crusty bread, chili without beans and topped with cheddar, sweet potatoes, apple cobbler, bread pudding
I love chili, sweet potato pie, dressing, carrot cake!
My favorite fall food(s) is Chilli with bacon cornbread, potato-bacon soup, and buttery sweet potato cobbler to top it all off! Oh, and don’t forget about good ole homemade chicken noodle soup! Yum!! 🙂
plhuguley@gmail.com
i love cheesy pretzels! Thanks for a chance to win! kmassman gmail
tweet–https://twitter.com/WildOrchid985/status/375798542738026496
I love a big mug of chili topped with cheddar cheese!
Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 at gmail dot com
https://twitter.com/keenonmee/status/374562320527020032
Carrot Cake (even though I could eat it year round) and any sweet spiced desserts (the combination of nutmeg, cinnamon or brown sugar type desserts)
I love carrot cake, apple pie ( or any kind of pie) turkey with gravy, smashed potatoes, cranberry sauce. Basically a Thanksgiving meal is my favorite.
Sweet potato pie, stuffed potatoes.
Tweet link: https://twitter.com/shala_darkstone/status/371296990144909313
I love pumpkin pie and just about anything with yams.
Homemade chili
Beef tips & rice, beef stew, or some homemade chili
My favorite fall food is pumpkin bread and chicken and dumplings.
https://twitter.com/butterflyblunv/statuses/370266261894090752
https://twitter.com/NikitaSmith01/status/370225695860867073
I love the stews, chili, fair foods like turkey legs and of course caramel apples, which are only sold in my grocery stores during the fall season
tweeted as well……
https://twitter.com/holditdwn
Apple anything… beef stew, chilli and cornbread, any and everything pumpkin.
Tweeted:
https://twitter.com/lolaviolets2010/status/369898934170185728
lola_violets_2010{at}yahoo{dot}com
French Onion Soup!
Thank you for the nice giveaway!
lola_violets_2010{at}yahoo{dot}com
tweeted
https://twitter.com/bdiane35/status/369669212299481089
I love when its time for the chili and stews
My favorite fall foods are anything with apples or pumpkin. Love pumpkin cake & pie and apple muffins or apple pies or apple dumplings.
-https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/368576047446384640
I like Caramel Apple Salad and pumpkin wafflfes for autumn.
I posted a tweet too: https://twitter.com/AnnaZed/status/368494302583726080
In fall I like to make big roasts and bubbly cheese casserole things
Hearty soups and Apple Pie.
I love Apple Crisp.
Definitely the hearty, comfort foods like soups and stews but also love the pumpkin treats like bread and cake!
Im so very very proud of you is all I want to say!
I love fall foods! All the squash available — like acorn and butternut — are some of my highlights.
Where I live, Fall gets pretty chilly, pretty quickly. I love to eat Seafood And Adouille Gumbo. Louisiana Style 😉
I LOVE Fall foods! Anything pumpkin and cranberry! My favorites are sweets such as cranberry muffins and pumpkin pie. I can’t wait for Fall!
I love to make the squash, zuchinni, carrot muffins you have on your site. I love potato soup in the fall
We love pot roast and homemade bread when the weather gets cool.
I tweeted
https://twitter.com/MsCarolsueA/status/366086389076459521
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
My favorite fall recipes are Pumpkin Bread and Turkey Noodle Soup
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
https://twitter.com/1amypugmire/status/366079211326279681
I love pumpkin sheet cake
https://twitter.com/Organicall_You/status/366000212239581184
I tweeted!!! 🙂
I LOVE apple crisp! YUM!
Tweet https://twitter.com/um_lil_cutie/status/365999219934375937
Turkey, pies, teas, and hot cocoas
tweet – https://twitter.com/LuLu_Brown24/status/365969370461122563
jslbrown_03 at yahoo dot com
I love making chili in the fall.
jslbrown_03 at yahoo dot com
tweet
https://twitter.com/Kellydpa/status/365887930893479937
I love pumpkin pie, veggie stew and chili in the fall.
tweet
https://twitter.com/MeandBells/status/365859717328809984
i like blts club sandwiches, egg salad- potatoe chips!
https://twitter.com/LizzyAllen123/status/365587222092722176
I love tortilla soup!
I like chicken and dumplings and apple dumplings!
beef stew, pumpkin pie, apple pie, I tend to bake more then so..turkey, muffins, home made breads
https://twitter.com/ElenaIstomina/status/365514370651914240
My favorite fall food is apple pie
tweet–https://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/365512878280818689
I love New England clam chowder in the fall! For dessert, pumpkin bread or carrot cake!