Fall Inspired Recipes to Start the Holidays! | State Fair of Texas (2024)

Indulge in the flavors of fall with a collection of mouthwatering recopies straight from the winners of our Creative Arts Cooking Competitions. From Mama’s Finest Dinner Rolls that melt in your mouth, the savory delight of Smoked Turkey Hatch Enchiladas, and more!

SMOKED TURKEY HATCH ENCHILADAS

Lynn Wilford
Grand Prairie, TX
2nd Place–Tex-Mex Contest

Ingredients:

3 c. cooked smoked chopped turkey meat
1 lg. onion (sweet preferred)
8 T. olive oil, divided
1 tsp. garlic powder (2 lg. garlic cloves)
3 T. chopped jalapeños
1 c. green salsa, mild
1 ½ c. red salsa
1 ½ c. chopped Hatch green Chiles
8 lg. flour tortillas
4 c. Monterey Jack cheese, divided (1 c. topping)
1 tsp. garlic salt to add to sour cream topping
Salt & pepper to taste
8 oz. sour cream topping

Preheat oven to 375° . Prepared smoked turkey, cut and shred. Sauté large onion in 8 tablespoons of olive oil and garlic powder. Add turkey and let it cook in onions. Add jalapenos, green and red salsa. Let it simmer on stove 10 minutes or more so smoked turkey rehydrates and calms down. Add green chiles and cook on medium heat and set aside while preparing tortillas. Slightly cook tortillas, one at a time, in olive oil. Oil bottom of a large oblong baking dish. Then take each tortilla and stuff them. Place about ½ cup of turkey mixture (slightly drained) and top with 1/3 cup of shredded cheese. Roll and place ends on bottom. Mix garlic salt, salt and pepper in 1 cup sour cream and spread over top. Garnish with a few green chiles and top with 1 ½ cups Monterey Jack cheese. Place in oven and bake until cheese is bubbly and toasty.

MAMA’S FINEST DINNER ROLLS

Kimberly Ritchie
Wylie, TX
1st Place–Bread Contest

Ingredients:

1 c. + 2 T. hot water
¼ c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 lg. egg
4 T. butter
4-5 c. flour
1 T. instant yeast

Put hot water in mixer bowl and add sugar, salt, egg and butter. Add 1 cup of flour and sprinkle yeast over flour. Add another cup of flour to cover yeast. Let stand while you grease or butter a cookie sheet. Mix at low speed until ingredients are combined. Add enough flour to make a workable dough. Mix on medium or high until dough forms a ball and pulls away from sides of bowl. Let dough rest 10 minutes. Pinch off enough dough to form a roll. Roll into a ball between hands. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Let rise about 20 minutes or until doubled. Bake at 350° about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter and serve.

INCREDIBLE CORN DIP

Lynda Sanders
Trophy Club, TX
3rd Place–Blue Ribbon Round-Up Game Day Delights

Ingredients:

6 ears sweet corn, cooked & cut off cob*
10 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
3-5 green onions, minced (tops too)
1 c. sour cream
1 can chopped green chilis, drained
3-5 jalapeño peppers, diced
10 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 c. mayonnaise (Hellmann’s)
Dash garlic powder
Dash fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Dash salt, to taste

Cook corn in shucks in microwave oven 5 minutes. Remove and let cool. Shuck corn and cut off cob and place in large bowl. Add chopped green onions, green chilis (drained), chopped jalapeños (without seeds) and mix well. Stir in grated cheeses. In a separate bowl combine sour cream and mayonnaise well and add to corn mixture. Add seasonings. Stir well. Refrigerate overnight for flavors to mingle. Serve with Fritos “Scoops”. This is a spicy dip. The “bite” may be adjusted by adding more or less jalapeños. *Silver queen corn is best and most flavorful, but it is not available year round. I like to use the white/yellow mix corn which is more readily available.

CANDIED PECANS

Jana Jo Gaines
Sunnyvale, TX
2nd Place–Speedy Dishes Contest

Ingredients:

1 c. light brown sugar, packed
1⁄2 tsp. salt
1 T. + 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg white
2 T. water
2 c. pecans (use a lg. species such as Pawnee)
1 T. white sugar

Preheat oven to 250°. Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil. In a large, sealable baggie, mix brown sugar, salt and cinnamon thoroughly. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, add vanilla, egg white and water. Whisk together until mixture is very foamy. Add pecans, stir and coat thoroughly. Pour coated pecans into cinnamon/sugar mixture baggie. Shake and turn baggie all different directions until pecans are thoroughly covered. Place in a single layer on the baking sheet. Sprinkle white sugar over pecans. Bake 30 minutes, separate pecans gently after 15 minutes. Yields 20 servings of 5 pecans per person.

ORANGE BUTTERMILK SALAD

Judy Spencer-Creed
Euless, TX
3rd Place–Speedy Dishes Contest

Ingredients:

1 (8-oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 (3-oz.) pkg. orange flavored gelatin
1 c. buttermilk
1⁄2 ctn. frozen whipped topping, thawed
1⁄2 c. chopped pecans, toasted

Bring pineapple and liquid to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in gelatin. Stir until gelatin dissolves. Cool. Add buttermilk to pineapple mixture. Cover and chill until mixture is consistency of unbeaten egg whites. Fold in whipped topping and chopped pecans. Chill in a serving bowl or place in a gelatin mold. This recipe can be doubled and placed in a 9 x 13-inch pan and cut into squares and served on lettuce leaves.