I'll be honest. Fall is not my favorite season. It's the "Sunday of seasons", because you know what comes after Sunday. Fall can be cold, gloomy, foggy and it gets dark before you're barely finished with the dishes. The fall colors are beautiful, provided you don't have to do the work yourself of maintaining their beauty by way of raking, bagging, leaf blowing, mowing and trimming. It does have its highlights. Football on the tube five days a week certainly helps. One thing you definitely can't go wrong with this time of year is the FOOD. I've compiled a pictorial guide to my five favorite fall comfort foods below. Enjoy!

Baked Macaroni and Cheese: Sure, the boxed version has its place but a good baked mac & cheese is hard to beat.

Tater Tot Casserole: I'm not much of a cook, unless it's from a box or a can, but when I attempt it, this is my specialty. Just  brown some ground beef, mix it with cream of mushroom soup and a can of peas, spread it all out in a casserole dish, put the tater tots and some shredded cheese on top and cook it for 45 minutes to an hour or so. My secret ingredient is onion powder. No, that's not a euphemism.

Lasagna: This is a rather time consuming project, so when I crave it, I usually rely on my friends at Zio Johno's. They always deliver. Literally and figuratively. They are the best.

Green bean casserole: It usually doesn't appear until Thanksgiving, but when it does, it's always amazing.

Last but not least, chili. It needs no explanation and if you don't eat it at least once a week from September through February, you're doing it wrong.

My boss, Mike Ferris is a chili connoisseur, and provides his recipe as follows. It sounds easy, and delicious. I may have to give it a shot. Happy eating!

EASY VEGGIE CHILI 

2 cans red kidney beans

2 cans diced tomatoes

1-2 cups water
1 medium onion chopped
1 16 bag of frozen Boca brand ground "Crumbles" (instead of beef or chicken)

2 to 4 tablespoons of chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon of red pepper
Throw it all in the pot,  bring to a boil, and then cover with lid, and lower heat to simmer for 1 hour.
Afterward, season to taste (salt or pepper)

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