It’s time, guys. Time to roll out the space heaters and the flannel sheets and dust off your vests and warm coats. Fall weather has officially arrived, and after a day of hiking in the foothills or skiing in the mountains, you want to come home to a hot and cozy dinner. Fall is also a great time to take advantage of some in-season vegetables. This is a way to not only make your grocery shopping trip cheaper but also make it healthier. Here are a few ideas for cozy fall recipes.

What’s in season: acorn squash, brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cranberries, garlic, grapes,  mushrooms, pumpkin, sunflower seeds, sweet potatoes and apples.

Here’s an appetizer to get your festive fall meals going: Garlic Lemon and Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts.

What you need:

1 pound brussels sprouts, cut in half lengthwise

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoons sea salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese (or more if you are like me and love parmesan cheese)

Preheat your oven to 400 F. Mix brussels sprouts and garlic in a large mixing bowl; drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss. Spread onto a cookie sheet in an even layer. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, tossing once halfway through and adding parmesan cheese about five minutes before they are done. Serve with lemon juice and parmesan.  Courtesy of Cooking Classy.

To make your splurges feel a little healthier: Butternut Squash Mac ‘N’ Cheese (This mac ‘n’ cheese has squash in it. Squash is a vegetable. Take that, Mom.)

What you need:

½ pound elbow macaroni

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

¼ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)

2 cups milk

½ medium butternut squash, cooked and mashed (or 1 can of butternut squash puree if you’re short on time, but come on, make the sacrifice for mac ‘n’ cheese).

1 tablespoon rosemary (optional)

2 cups shredded cheese of your choice

¼ cup breadcrumbs

Preheat your oven to 400 F. Cook and drain the pasta. Melt your butter in a large skillet. Once it’s melted, stir in your flour and nutmeg. Continue stirring for a few minutes before you add in the milk. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil while constantly stirring until the sauce has thickened. Turn the heat to low and stir in the butternut squash or puree. Add the rosemary and take the sauce off the heat. Stir in the pasta and add salt and pepper. Pour half of the mixture in a greased casserole dish. Sprinkle half the cheese, and repeat. Put the breadcrumbs on top and bake for 25 – 30 minutes. Don’t be ashamed to eat this one right out of the baking dish. Courtesy of Spoon University.

Instead of ordering takeout again this week: Egg Drop Soup with Ginger and Mushrooms

What you need:

3 beaten eggs

4 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon cornstarch

½ teaspoon grated ginger

1 tablespoon soy sauce

3 green onions, chopped

¾ cup shiitake mushrooms (or mushrooms of your choice, but shiitakes just make it seem more authentic, right?)

Mix ½ cup of the chicken stock with the cornstarch until it is dissolved. Mix the remaining chicken stock, ginger, soy sauce, mushrooms and green onions in a pot and bring it to a boil. Add the stock cornstarch mixture and stir. Reduce heat to a simmer. Slowly pour in the beaten eggs while stirring the soup. The egg will spread out into ribbons. Garnish with more green onions and serve immediately. Courtesy of Simply Recipes.

Of course we need a dessert:  Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treats

What you need:

4 cups marshmallows

½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (If you don’t have any, make your own with cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg.)

½ teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons butter

¼ cup canned pumpkin

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Plop your butter into a medium pan on low heat and melt. Add the marshmallows and stir it up. Once the marshmallows are nicely mixed in, add the pumpkin and spices and stir. Keep stirring and add the Rice Krispies. Pour the whole mix into a 9×13 baking pan that has been greased with melted butter. Wait a few minutes for them to cool and dig in. Or you could always make them into balls and add cute jack-o-lantern faces like the picture, courtesy of Love Bug Creations. Courtesy of Essentially Eclectic.