Fall is finally here!

I so look forward to fall after all the hotness of summer.  Now I think it's my favorite time of the year.  What's not to love about fall...cooler weather, apple picking, pumpkin anything, and all the comfort foods!  Since we had the parents over for dinner tonight, here's what was on the menu tonight for the family:
Glazed Pork Loin
Noodles
Mashed potatoes
Squash Gratin
Blackberry turnovers

The pork roast was so incredibly easy and the glaze really was tasty.  Here's what I did:

Glazed Pork Roast

Ingredients:

1 pork loin roast (3 lbs or so)

1 tsp dried sage

2 TB all purpose rub (recipe below)

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1/2 cup chicken stock

Directions:

Sprinkle rub and sage onto the pork on both sides.  Put in crock pot on low along with the garlic and chicken stock.  Cook for 8 hours.  It literally will fall apart when you take it out.  You will not need a knife, just a fork!  About 1/2 hour from serving time, remove the liquid from the crock pot and add 1/2 of the glaze and continue to cook on low.  Reserve the other half of the glaze for basting just before serving.  The glaze is what makes this dish!!!!

Glaze:

1/2 heaping cup brown sugar

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup red wine

2 TB soy sauce

1 TB cornstarch

2 TB honey mustard (or Dijon mustard)

Whisk ingredients in a saucepan and heat till thick.  Baste pork just at the end of cooking.   

1-2-3-4-5 ALL PURPOSE RUB:

Mix equal parts of the following:

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

paprika

granulated garlic

brown sugar

This is good on any kind of meat, home fries, grilled veggies, just about anything!

Squash Gratin Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb total, peeled, sliced butternut and acorn squash

1/2 cup half-n-half

sprinkle of nutmeg

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup crushed honey graham crackers

8 oz shredded white cheddar cheese

2 TB butter

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a 2 QT dish with non stick spray.  Peel and slice squash. In a mixing bowl, toss squash with a light sprinkle of nutmeg.  Layer the squash and the cheese in the baking dish and add half-n-half.  Top with breadcrumbs and graham crackers.  Dot butter over breadcrumbs.  Bake at 375 until golden brown, about 45 minutes.  

**variation** I'm dying to try this with sautéed, sliced onions and apples mixed in with the squash!  

I think apples, onions and white cheddar is such a nice combination!  Let me know what you think!