Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

This mac and cheese is veggie packed while still delightfully cheesey. Plus, the squash adds that iconic orange pop of color! This would be the perfect fuel before trick or treating!

The Three Bite Rule - Butternut Mac & Cheese

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

1/2 pound pasta
1 1/2 cup butternut squash puree (10 oz frozen, or 1/2 butternut squash, roasted)
2 tablespoons cream cheese
4 oz Velveeta mini-block
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt & pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar

Directions:

Bring salted water to a boil for the pasta. Add the pasta in and cook until al dente.
In a large pot over medium heat, mix together the squash puree, velveeta, cream cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
The Three Bite Rule - Butternut Mac & Cheese
Stir until smooth and all combined. Spoon 1/2 – 3/4 of the sauce onto the drained al dente pasta.
The Three Bite Rule - Butternut Mac & Cheese
Mix well and add in more sauce, as desired.
Add in the shredded cheddar.
The Three Bite Rule - Butternut Mac & Cheese
Serve hot, or bake with cheese or breadcrumbs on top.

This was a good meal to feel like a treat, like true comfort food, without guilt. The little one loved it. I had some extra sauce so I froze it for a quick dinner another time to throw over some pasta.

Maple Sausage & Apple Fall Breakfast Sandwich

My palate for fall is endless. Apples, maple, cheddar, and a hint of mustard made this the best breakfast sandwich ever. Ever. I could liiiive on breakfast sandwiches and definitely have my favorites. The apple provides the crunch and freshness with a little kick from the mustard in the sauce.
The Three Bite Rule - Maple Sausage & Apple Breakfast Sandwich

Maple Sausage, Egg, Cheddar, and Apple Breakfast Sandwich

Ingredients: (serves 1)

1 everything bagel
3 maple sausage links, casing removed and formed into a patty
1 egg
1 slice white cheddar
1/2 macintosh apple, sliced thin
1 teaspoon mayo
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon maple

Directions:

Pan fry the sausage patty until cooked through.
Toast the bagel.
Mix together the mayo, mustard, and maple spread.
The Three Bite Rule - Maple Sausage & Apple Breakfast Sandwich
Fry the egg in the pan from the sausage. Flip and add the cheese. Cover to melt the cheese.
Assemble the bagel with some mayo/mustard/maple spread, then apple slices, then sausage, then egg and cheese.
The Three Bite Rule - Maple Sausage & Apple Breakfast Sandwich
Enjoy!

This was a treat for a day off. I really loved the sweetness of the sausage, and the sharp white cheddar. The sauce was subtle and a nice touch. Everything bagels from my town bagel place are even better when they’re day-old and less than half off!
The Three Bite Rule - Maple Sausage & Apple Breakfast Sandwich

Caramel Apple Smoothie

Fall to a T! Apple, caramel, cider, yogurt, and ginger all come together for a breakfast treat, or dessert! This one is a bit sweeter than I usually make for breakfast, but it was so fall, and so delicious.

The Three Bite Rule - Caramel Apple Smoothie

Caramel Apple Smoothie

Ingredients: (1- 16oz serving breakfast, or 2- 8oz snack or dessert servings)

1 apple, chopped & frozen (optional: peal it for a perfectly smooth smoothie)
1 cup vanilla greek yogurt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 cup apple cider
1-2 tablespoons salted caramel sauce
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 cup ice

Directions:

Add apple, yogurt, cinnamon, and ginger to a blender.
The Three Bite Rule - Caramel Apple Smoothie

Add cider, caramel sauce, flaxseed, and ice.
Blend well and serve with a drizzle of caramel. Enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Caramel Apple Smoothie

I loved this! The cider and the caramel made it super sweet but the frozen cool-factor made this so perfect for this surprisingly warm fall. This would make a great dessert too.

The Three Bite Rule - Caramel Apple Smoothie

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Salted Caramel

October means it is time for all the pumpkin foods! These were so good and easy since I used frozen puff pastry sheets and jarred salted caramel topping. My baking in-experience would not have me making my own puff pastry dough! They are great for a breakfast treat or as an afternoon coffee break. Make them bigger as a turnover and voila! Dessert!

The Three Bite Rule - Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Salted Caramel

Ingredients:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted to room temperature
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 can pure pumpkin
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons salted caramel ice cream topping
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

Sprinkle some flour onto your surface and roll out the puff pastry to 1/8 of an inch thick – a little more thin than the sheets come. Spread the butter onto the puff pastry and sprinkle on a mixture of sugar and half the pumpkin pie spice.
The Three Bite Rule - Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Mix together the pumpkin, remaining pumpkin pie spice, and maple syrup.
The Three Bite Rule - Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Spoon dollops of the pumpkin mixture onto the puff pastry on top of the cinnamon sugar. Then spread it out using a spatula or spoon – getting it all the way to the edges.
The Three Bite Rule - Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Roll it into a big roll, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 15-minutes or until ready to serve these.
Preheat the oven to 375-degrees.
The Three Bite Rule - Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Slice into 1 inch wide cuts and place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment, on the sides.
The Three Bite Rule - Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Bake 18 minutes, (checking at 15 minutes and watch it cooks through, but doesn’t burn). Ensure the middle puff pastry cooks through.
Spoon the salted caramel over the top and sprinkle some kosher salt onto the top. Enjoy! The Three Bite Rule - Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
The big roll would be fine hanging out in the fridge for a day or over night.

Crispy Herbed Rice Patties

The little one munched these and then asked “what is it”? Crispy rice patties were such a fun side dish, and became a perfect dish to prep in advance! I saw Catherine McCord make a really plain crispy rice cakes on an Instagram story but I see her website has some fun flavors in these rice cakes.  I wanted mine to really highlight some herbs and cheese. The herbs are going bananas out back so I put ’em to work!
The Three Bite Rule - Crispy Rice Patties

Crispy Herbed Rice Patties with Cheese

Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice, cooked
2 eggs
3/4 cup smoked gouda
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon rosemary

Directions:

Add together the rice, eggs, cheeses, and herbs, with salt and pepper.
The Three Bite Rule - Crispy Rice Patties
Mix well until well incorporated.
The Three Bite Rule - Crispy Rice Patties
Form into patties and fry in a shallow pan of oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side OR heavily spray a pan and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
The Three Bite Rule - Crispy Rice Patties
Serve and enjoy!

These would be great in lots of flavors. Maybe next time I’ll have to include some bacon and top them with an egg!

I loved these! I was prepping them in advance so I undercooked most of them and popped them into the toaster oven to warm and toast for dinner. They were a hit! Of course I cooked the  rice in my pressure cooker- hello 15 minute brown rice! I pan fried a few and they stayed together! Woohoo! I also put some into a whoopie pie pan and baked them. Both methods worked so well! I’d skip frying them next time