It’s Fall, y’all! Which means it’s 100% time for warm, comforting meals made from simple ingredients. Even better: when these meals come together in a snap!

Easy Fall Feasts Start at Your Commissary!

The Commissary has all the best ingredients that you need to make simple autumn meals (and desserts) that come together quickly or can be slow cooked all day long.

Use these simple, easy recipes to fuel your fall with wholesome meals!

Slow Cooker Ribs

Nothing sticks to your ribs like, well, ribs! This recipe makes yummy ribs that slow cook all day long.

You’ll need:

• 1-2 racks ribs
• 1 can soda, Coke or Dr. Pepper
• 1-2 onions, sliced into rings
• 1-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 bottles of BBQ, any kind
• salt, pepper, cinnamon, paprika, ground cloves

To make your slow cooker ribs:

1. In your slow cooker, put a layer of sliced onions. Stack a layer of ribs on top.
2. Pour some BBQ sauce on top of the layer of ribs.
3. Repeat the onion/rib/sauce layering until you run out of ribs.
4. Pour the rest of the BBQ sauce over the contents of the slow cooker. Season generously with spices. Add 1/2 to the whole can of soda.
5. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, until the meat is tender and literally falls of the bone.

Serve with roasted potatoes, green beans, salad and cornbread!

Winner-Winner Slow Cooker Chicken Dinner

Come home to a classic Sunday chicken dinner, even on a Thursday! DIY this yummy dinner in your slow cooker!

You’ll need:

• roasting chicken
• russet potatoes, 1-2 lbs,
• whole carrots, 1-1.5 lbs
• 1-2 onions, quartered
• 2-3 garlic cloves, diced
• salt, pepper, bay leaves, paprika, rosemary, thyme, oregano
• small lemon or orange, sliced into quarters

To DIY your own slow cooker chicken dinner:

1. Spray non-stick spray on the inside of your slow cooker. Add your whole chicken. Squirt 1/4 lemon
2. Inside the cavity, stuff all lemon slices, 1 whole clove garlic, 1-2 bay leaves.
3. On the outside of the turkey, season generously with your spices.
4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. When 2 hours remain, add your potatoes and carrots.

Serve with salad, green beans and cornbread.

Easy Peasy Rosemary Cornbread

Cornbread is yummy all on its own, but it’s something extra special when you add in a little spice!

You’ll need:

• your favorite cornbread mix
• ingredients noted on the package
• fresh or dried rosemary
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced very finely

To make your own rosemary cornbread:

1. Mix up the cornbread according to the package.
2. Chop or crumble your rosemary to a fine texture. Add to the batter along with the finely minced garlic.
3. Pour into a greased pan or skillet, bake according to the package directions.

Serve as a side to your slow cooker ribs or chicken dinner!

Comforting Vegan Sweet Squash Soup

All the hearty squash are coming into season right now. Which coincides so nicely with the start of soup season! You know, the time of year when you just want to curl up on the couch with a mug of soup on a chilly day? It’s right now!

You’ll need:

• winter squash, any type, halved and de-seeded
• 4-6 cupsvegetable stock
• 2 onions
• 2 stalks celery
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 whole carrots
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• paprika, salt, pepper
• olive oil

To make your own sweet squash soup:

1. Heat your oven to 350 and bake your squash for 30 min.
2. While squash is cooking, rinse the seeds and chop the carrots, onions, celery. Rough chopping is fine.
3. In a large stockpot, add the onions and cook until slightly clear and soft. Then add the carrots and celery. Cook until softened.
4. Scoop the squash flesh out of the skin and add to the pot. Season lightly with salt, pepper and paprika.
5. Add 4-6 cups vegetable stock to the stockpot, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 15 min.
6. While simmering, roast the cleaned squash seeds at 350 for 25-30 min, watching carefully to prevent burning.
7. After 15 min, use a stick blender to turn the soup into a bisque-type texture. Add maple syrup slowly, tasting often, to sweeten. Taste and then adjust seasoning to your preference.
8. Serve topped with the roasted squash seeds.

Make it a meal with bread, salad or a yummy sandwich!

Microwave Apple Crisp in a Mug

Dessert is the perfect way to end a fall meal, especially when it’s warm and cinnamony! Plus, this easy treat comes together in minutes and is microwave friendly!

You’ll need:

• apple, 1 cup diced OR canned apple pie filling
• 1/4c oatmeal
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• 2 tsp butter or non-dairy substitute
• cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg
• ice cream or whipped cream

To DIY your own microwave apple crisp:

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the apples, 1 tbs of water and spices to taste.
2. Heat for 60-90 seconds or until softened.
3. On top of the softened, seasoned apples, add the oatmeal, sugar and the rest of the spices to taste. Dollop the butter on top of everything.
4. Heat for an additional 45-60 seconds.
5. Top with your favorite ice cream or whipped cream.

Serve with hot mulled cider or sparkling cider for a perfect ending to an autumn day!

What are your fall-themed easy comfort foods? We’d love to check out your recipes!

Skip the same old, same old burgers and hot dogs at your Memorial Day BBQ this year. Instead, go big or go home with incredibly easy recipes with ingredients straight from the local commissary!

Host an Epic Early Summer BBQ

These are some of my own go-to recipes for my own BBQs and cookouts. As a busy mom with two little kids, I default to things that I can make super quickly and easily, even sometimes with a little slow cooker support.

Easy Baked Beans

You’ll need:

• one can each beans: kidney, black, navy
• molasses to taste
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 lb bacon or salt pork
• 1 onion
• 1 red pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• spices: paprika, salt, pepper to taste

How to:

First, brown the bacon, let cool and roughly chop. Dice the onion and red pepper. Quickly saute in a hot pan. In a crock pot set on high, combine the beans, onions, red pepper, bacon, sugar, vinegar, molasses, garlic and spices.

Mix to combine. Cook on high for 1-2 hours, then turn to low or warm until serving.

Simple Juicy Ribs

You’ll need:

• rack of ribs
• brown sugar
• spices: salt, pepper, cinnamon, paprika, chili powder, nutmeg, cloves

How to:

Combine the brown sugar, amounts will vary but start with 3/4 cup, with the spices. Vary the amounts based on what spice to sweetness ratio you prefer. Add more paprika and chili powder for spicier ribs; pump up the cinnamon and sugar for sweetness.

Before you add the rub to the ribs, preheat the oven to 400. Now, spread the sugar mix over the ribs, over both sides, in a foil lined rimmed baking pan.

Pop the ribs in the oven for about 10-15 min to develop a crust. Then drop the heat to 350 for about an hour. At the end of the hour, preheat the grill.

Through the ribs on the grill for about 20 minutes to finish, flipping at least once.

Chop into individual ribs and serve hot.

Berry-licious Salad

You’ll Need:

• blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries
• granny smith apple
• pecans or walnuts
• loose leaf spinach
• lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper

How to:

Rinse and roughly chop the apple. Rinse the berries and spinach, too. Chop the nuts. Toss the spinach, apple, berries and nuts in a large salad bowl.

Mix the lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper in a small container until combined. When ready to serve, add the dressing to the salad.

Yummy Peach-Berry Pie

You’ll need:

• 2 Pilsbury prepared pie crusts
• 1-2 bags frozen peaches
• 1-2 bags frozen berries of choice
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice to taste

How to:

Defrost the peaches and berries. It’s okay if they’re not 100% thawed out. Combine the fruit in a large bowl with the sugar, cinnamon, and spices. Mix well.

In a pie pan, unroll one pie crust and pat down gently. Spoon the fruit mixture into the pie crust. Top with the second crust. Use a fork to poke holes into the upper crust.

Bake for 10-15 minutes at 400. Lower the heat to 350 and keep baking until the top crust is golden brown and crispy, about 45-60 min.

Mix Up the Sides

You don’t need to DIY or homemake every single item at your epic BBQ. Far from it! With yummy pre-made sides and extras from the commissary, it’s simple to host a feast for your friends.

Add rolls baked fresh in the commissary bakery, plus some cold cuts and cheese from the deli, for an easy sandwich station. Spice it up with gourmet mustards, mayo, pickles, olives and sliced veggies for an extra dose of deliciousness.

Make your own chips and dips bar. Grab a ton of chips from the snack aisle. My faves are the Lime Tostitos and Lays Salt & Vinegar. My kids love dipping wavy chips into French onion dip! There are also a ton of options for salsa, guacamole and hummus.

You can also grab a ton of pre-made sides, like pasta and potato salads. It’s easy to add a little extra variety to your buffet with a few containers of these easy sides.

Don’t forget the produce section! Not everything has to be pre-packaged or made from scratch. Grab fresh veggies and fruits to make self-serve platters.

Make a fruit tray with sliced apples, pineapples, grapes and orange slices. You could make it more festive with a sweet fruit dip.

DIY a veggie platter with cucumber and carrot sticks, plus sliced bell peppers and broccoli. You could add some olives and cherry tomatoes, too.

Don’t make everything yourself. Ask your friends and family to pitch in and make it a potluck! You’ll be able to try some of their favorite BBQ dishes while sharing your specialties, too.

What are your go-to BBQ dishes to make, take or share during the summer? We’d love to steal your recipes!