As the leaves change colors and the nights get cooler, it is the perfect time to put away the grill for the season and head back into the kitchen.

Red Hen Bakery shares some of their favorite fall recipes to help spark your own culinary creativity. Need some new inspiration for your family’s Thanksgiving feast? Try out Red Hen’s simple Stuffing recipe. Tired of pumpkin pie? Try Bread Pudding, made with Red Hen’s very own locally sourced breads. For an easy family dinner, pick up Red Hen’s premade Pizzaz crust and create an apple and blue cheese pizza worthy of any fall feast, or have fun creating your own toppings.

Red Hen Stuffing

• 1 bag Red Hen stuffing mix
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 3 T butter
• 1 cup diced onions        
• 2 cups diced celery
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 1 tsp. rubbed sage
• 1 cup white wine or apple cider
• Optional:  Chopped chestnuts, walnuts, or apples.
• Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté the onions and celery in the butter until soft.  Add wine or cider, chicken stock, and garlic until softly boiling. Remove from heat and pour over the croutons.  Mix thoroughly and serve.

Red Hen Bread Pudding (with a local flair)

Serves 6

• 3 eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 3/4 cups maple syrup
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 lb of day old hearty bread (Crossett Hill or Miche works great)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease six 3 inch cupcake tins. Whisk together eggs and egg yolks. Add maple syrup, cream, milk, and vanilla. Cut bread into 1 inch cubes. Fill tins with bread. Pour egg mixture over bread. Push bread down into egg mixture to moisten it. (It will float back up – this is okay.) Place cupcake tins into a 2 inch deep pan. Fill pan with 1 1/2 inch of water. Bake for 45 minutes or until lightly browned. Flip out individual servings and pour caramel sauce over inverted pudding.

Caramel Sauce for Bread Pudding

• 2/3 cup maple syrup
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 T butter
• Pinch of salt

Warm the syrup over medium heat. Whisk in cream. Reduce this mixture over medium-high heat until it begins to thicken (15-20 minutes). Add salt and butter. Keep at low heat until pouring over pudding.

Final Tip: Are strawberries in season? This recipe would also be great with local strawberries added as a topping!

Red Hen’s Apple Blue Pizzaz

• 1 Red Hen Pizzaz (premade)
• 2 oz fig preserves
• 4 oz Bayley Hazen blue cheese
• 1 large Vermont apple thinly sliced
• 3 T balsamic vinegar

Oil the bottom of the pizzaz and place it on a cookie sheet or pizza stone.  Lightly spread the fig preserves as a base, spread apple slices over all and crumble blue cheese on top. Bake in a 400˚ oven for 6-8 minutes or until the toppings are thoroughly warmed. Handle carefully because the hot preserves will burn. Very lightly sprinkle balsamic vinegar over top of the pizzaz and enjoy!