The fall season is in full swing, and although we would never suggest putting the ice cream or iced lattes away, we definitely need to recommend a few recipes that will warm your heart.

Start your morning with Carla Hall’s Baked Banana Nut Oatmeal, enjoy your lunch with Braised Short Rib Meatloaf created by Jeff IcInnis and Janine Booth, and delight with some of the pasta dishes made by Yvette Marquez, award-winning food blogger of Muy Bueno Cooking and inspired in Hispanic Heritage Month.

Enjoy!

Carla Hall’s Baked Banana Nut Oatmeal Minis

©Califia

1. Serves 12

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats
• ½ cup baked coconut chips
• Two very ripe bananas
• 2 cups Califia Farms Toasted Coconut Almondmilk (or Vanilla Almondmilk)
• ¼ cup light agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon dried ginger
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup Califia Farms Vanilla Oatmilk Creamer
• 1 cup pecans, chopped and lightly toasted
• 1 cup banana chips, crushed

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a 12-cup muffin pan and set it aside.
2. Mix the rolled oats and coconut chips in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Place the bananas, Toasted Coconut Almondmilk, agave nectar, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in a blender and purée into a creamy custard. (If you don’t have a blender, you can also simply mash the bananas with a fork or potato masher in a large bowl until completely smooth, then mix with the Toasted Coconut Almondmilk, agave nectar, cinnamon, ginger, and salt until smooth, either by whisking by hand or with a hand mixer.)
4. Pour the custard into the bowl with the dry ingredients, mix well, and divide evenly among the 12 muffin cups.
5. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until golden on top and slightly firm.
6. Remove from oven and cool for 10-15 minutes, just to allow the oats to set up.
7. Drizzle with a little Vanilla Oatmilk Creamer and sprinkle with toasted pecans and crushed banana chips to serve.

Root & Bone’s Braised Short Rib Meatloaf created by Jeff IcInnis and Janine Booth

©Grove Bay Hospitality Group

Ingredients

• 4 pounds boneless short ribs (5 pounds bone-in short ribs)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons
• 4 cups julienned onions
• 2 quarts chicken or veal stock
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil and caramelize the onions in a large skillet over low heat until they are entirely golden, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper—heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Sear the ribs in batches on all sides. Add the stock and caramelized onions, cover, and braise in the oven until ribs are very tender, approximately 5 to 6 hours. Remove the pot from the oven and let the ribs cool in the juices.
3. When cool enough to handle, transfer the ribs to a cutting board. Strain the braising liquid, setting the onions aside, and reduce the liquid by half over medium heat.
4. Remove the bones from the ribs (if there are bones), and shred the meat, including any remaining fat. Place the meat in a large bowl. Add 1 cup of the braising liquid and the reserved onions to the meat and toss to blend well. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Pack the mixture into an 8 x 8-inch pan, top with parchment, and press another pan on top bottom-side down. Compress the top pan with 4 or 5 large cans. Set it all on a baking sheet to collect any juices. Refrigerate overnight or for up to 48 hours for best results.
5. Run a knife around the edge of the meatloaf pan and heat the bottom briefly (15 to 20 seconds) over the stove to release the meat. Turn the pan upside-down to remove the loaf. Slice it into 2 x 2-inch squares.
6. For each serving, heat a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Sear each meatloaf square on both sides and transfer them to a 350°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes to heat through.

Pasta con Pollo created by Yvette Marquez, award-winning food blogger of Muy Bueno Cooking

©Barilla

1. Serves: 8
2. Prep Time: 20 minutes
3. Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 box Barilla Classic Blue Box Linguine
• 2 pounds skin-on bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided into two ¼ teaspoons each
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 6 (2-ounce) sun-dried tomatoes, diced
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 to 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 6 ounces chicken broth
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1-ounce parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
• Cilantro (optional)

Preparation

1. Season the chicken with ¼ teaspoon salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and chipotle chili powder. Over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil in a large skillet.
2. Add the chicken to the skillet, skin-side down, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes on each side. The chicken should be golden brown when done. Each side of the chicken should be cooked evenly. When done, place the chicken on a plate and set it aside.
3. Meanwhile, place bell peppers on an open fire or a baking sheet in the broiler and roast until skins are charred. Set aside, let them cool, and chop.
4. Add butter to the pan and sauté the onions, roasted bell peppers, and sundried tomatoes. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Sauté the veggies for 6 to 8 minutes over medium heat. Stir frequently until the vegetables soften.
5. Add the garlic, diced chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, and tomato paste to the pan and stir to combine. Cook until fragrant for 15 to 30 seconds.
6. Pour in dry white wine. Allow the wine to completely reduce and burn off the alcohol for about 1 minute.
7. Place the chicken over the mixture and pour in chicken broth. Bring liquid to a high simmer and cover with a lid. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked through.
8. Meanwhile, add pasta to salted boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve a cup of starchy pasta water towards the end of cooking.
9. Pour in heavy cream to skillet and season to taste with salt and pepper.
10. Use pasta tongs to add the pasta in and toss to combine.
11. Add freshly grated parmesan and toss to coat, using your starchy pasta water to thin out if needed.
12. Garnish with chili flakes, chopped cilantro, and serve!

Chicken en Salsa Verde Lasagna created by Barilla

©Barilla

1. Serves: 8
2. Prep Time: 30 minutes
3. Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 box Barilla Oven-Ready Lasagna
• 16 green tomatillos
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 small cilantro fist, chopped
• 2 serrano chiles
• 12 ounces Manchego cheese
• 2 pounds boneless chicken breast, shredded
• 6 large spoons of sour cream
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Once the boil starts, add the tomatillo, onion, garlic cloves, cilantro, and the serrano chiles. Boil in max heat for 15 minutes or until the ingredients are soft and they are less bright.
2. Drain the water, put the ingredients in the blender, and make a light puree, which will be the Salsa Verde.
3. In another pot, boil water, and add the chicken. Cook until it´s tender, take out, and reserve. Let the chicken breast cool until easy to handle, shred and reserve.
4. Return the salsa verde to the pot and add the shredded chicken, bring them to a boil, and reserve.
5. In a large, 15x10 rectangular glass baking dish, first put a spoon of salsa verde to cover the bottom, then add a layer of pasta until it covers the salsa, add a thin layer of chicken en salsa verde, 3 ounces of Manchego cheese, and cover again with a layer of pasta, repeat the procedure and finish with sour cream and a layer of cheese.
6. Once finished, cover with aluminum foil and put into the oven at 375º F for 20 minutes. Once the 20 minutes are over, take off the aluminum foil and put it back in for ten more minutes at the same temperature or until the cheese gets golden brown. Serve and enjoy!

Chicken and Penne Puerto Rican Style created by Barilla

©Barilla

1. Serves: 8
2. Prep Time: 10 minutes
3. Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 box Classic Blue-Box Barilla Penne
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 chicken breasts, halved
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose seasoning with annatto (adobo con achiote)
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ½ cup green olives pitted and drained
• ½ cup frozen peas and carrots
• 4 tablespoons cilantro
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat
2. Rub chicken with 1 tablespoon seasoning
3. Brown chicken for about 3 minutes on each side
4. Remove chicken, cut into 1-inch chunks, and set aside
5. In the same pan, add onion, garlic, peppers, and the remaining seasoning. Sauté until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes
6. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, olives, peas and carrots, 3 tablespoons cilantro, salt and pepper, and the chicken
7. Lower heat to medium and cover. Cook for 20 minutes
8. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat, add the pasta to the boiling salted water, and cook uncovered, occasionally stirring for 11 minutes. For more tender pasta, boil an additional 1 minute. Remove from heat and drain well.
9. Toss the pasta with the sauce and the remaining cilantro
10. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and dig in!