The best fall recipes for cozy dinners from easy mac and cheese to hearty meatloaf and chili

Fall is in the air. Kind of. It may still be a little warm for jackets, but that hasn't stopped home cooks from searching for cozy comfort foods.

The top five searches for fall comfort foods in the US included:

1. Mac n cheese

2. Beef stew

3. Beef stroganoff

4. Butternut squash soup

5. Chili

The top five searched seasonal recipes included:

1. banana bread recipe

2. chili recipe

3. meatloaf recipe

4. chocolate chip cookie recipe

5. apple crisp recipe

It just so happens that Robin Miller, cookbook author and contributor to The Arizona Republic, specializes in making the best possible versions of the classics, and she has a solid recipe for nearly all of the the top searched fare.

Google no more. We have you covered.

Mac n cheese recipe

Makes: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound elbow macaroni or tube-shaped pasta of choice

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

• 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

• 6 tablespoons butter, preferably unsalted

• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour

• 3 cups whole milk, cold or room temperature

• 1 cup heavy cream, cold or room temperature

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the topping:

• 1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs

• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 4 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Coat a 3- or 4-quart baking dish with olive oil or cooking spray (I used a 3-quart baking dish).

2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, stopping 1 minute before al dente. Drain, transfer to a large bowl, add the olive oil and stir to coat. Set aside to cool.

3. Prepare to make the cheese sauce by grating and combing the cheddar and Swiss cheeses. Set aside.

4. Melt the butter in a large saucepan or stock pot over medium heat. When the butter is melted, whisk in flour. Continue whisking until the mixture is smooth, bubbly and golden brown, about 1 minute.

5. Gradually whisk in the milk and cream and continue cooking and whisking until bubbles appear on the surface. Once you see bubbles, continue cooking and whisking for 2 minutes more, until the sauce thickens. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.

6. Fold in 2 cups of the cheddar-Swiss cheese blend. Once the cheese has melted, add another 2 cups of the cheese blend and whisk until smooth, thick and creamy.

7. Fold in the pasta. Transfer half of the pasta-cheese mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 cups of cheese, then top with the remaining pasta mixture.

8. In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and melted butter. Sprinkle the mixture over the macaroni and cheese in the baking dish.

9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Remove from oven and serve.

More tips and tricks: Once you try this easy homemade mac and cheese, you'll never make boxed again

Beef stew recipe

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1 ½-inch pieces and larger pieces of fat trimmed and discarded (don’t remove too much of the fat; it keeps the beef tender and moist)

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1 yellow onion, chopped

• 4 stalks celery, chopped

• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced, or 1 teaspoon pre-minced garlic

• ½ cup red wine or  beef broth

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour

• 4 cups beef broth

• 3 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning

• 1 pound small gold or white potatoes, cleaned and halved

• 4 carrots, cut on a bias into bite-size pieces

• ¾ cup frozen peas, kept frozen until ready to use

• Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Preparation:

1. Set an oven rack in the lower middle position and preheat the oven to 325 F.

2. Pat the cut, trimmed beef dry and season generously with salt and black pepper.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or ovenproof stock pot (with lid) over medium-high heat. To prevent crowding the pan, cook the beef in three batches. Add one third of the beef cubes to the hot oil and cook, turning with tongs, until all sides are dark brown and well-seared. Transfer the browned beef to a large plate and repeat 2 more times, using 1 tablespoon of oil for each batch of beef.

4. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the same pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until soft.

5. Add the wine and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the liquid is thick and almost completely reduced. Return the beef to the pot with any accumulated juices from the plate. Add the flour and stir to coat. Stir with a wooden spoon until the flour is dissolved.

6. Add the beef broth, tomato paste and Italian seasoning and bring to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid, transfer to the oven and braise for 2 hours.

7. Remove the pot from the oven and stir in the potatoes and carrots. Cover and return the pot to the oven for another hour or until the vegetables and meat are tender and the broth is thickened.

8. Remove pot from oven and stir in the peas. Set aside until peas are heated through.

9. Ladle the stew into bowls, top with parsley and serve.

More tricks and tips: Simple, comforting and cheap to make, this is the only beef stew recipe you'll ever need

Chili recipe

Makes: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients: 

• 2 pounds ground beef, preferably 85% lean

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ¾ teaspoon baking soda

• 1 white onion, chopped

• 1 bell pepper, any color, seeded and chopped

• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced, or 2 teaspoons pre-chopped garlic

• 2 tablespoons chili powder

• 1 tablespoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/2 teaspoon paprika, sweet or smoked (note that smoked paprika will change the flavor to a bold, smoky chili), I used smoked

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

• 2 cups beef broth

• 6-ounce can tomato paste

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, granulated sugar or molasses

• 2 (15-ounce) cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (optional)

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

For serving (suggestions):

• Fresh cilantro

• Lime wedges

• Cheddar cheese

• Chopped green onions

• Tortilla chips

• Hot sauce

• Sour cream

• Mexican cheese

• Hot peppers

• Diced avocado

Preparation:

1. On a large plate (or in a large bowl) combine the beef, salt, baking soda and 1 tablespoon of water. Using your hands, mix until blended. Let the beef stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Brown the beef in a large saucepan or stock pot over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Don’t drain the fat. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the vegetables soften.

3. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon black pepper and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute, or until the spices are fragrant.

4. Add the crushed tomatoes, broth, tomato paste and brown sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 90 minutes.

5. Add the beans, if using, cover, and cook for 30 more minutes. If your chili seems thinner than you want at this point, simmer with the lid off until you reach your desired consistency (this won’t take long). If the chili is thicker than you desire, add more broth.

6. Add the fresh lime juice and season to taste with more salt and black pepper. Ladle the chili into bowls and serve with garnishes.

More tips: How to make classic beef chili — the only recipe you'll ever need (with or without beans)

Meatloaf recipe

Makes: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

For the meatloaf:

• 2 pounds 85% lean ground beef

• ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs, regular or gluten-free

• 2 large eggs

• 1 medium onion, grated, about ½ cup grated

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• ¼ cup ketchup

• ¼ cup milk

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

• 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the glaze:

• ⅓ cup ketchup

• 1 tablespoon light or dark brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard or yellow mustard

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. If you’re using aluminum foil, spray the foil with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine all the meatloaf ingredients. Use your hands to mix until completely blended. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet and shape into an 8x4-inch loaf.

3. Bake for 45 minutes.

4. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 400 F.

5. Meanwhile, whisk together the glaze ingredients and then brush it over the top and sides of the meatloaf until well covered. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 10 to 15 more minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the center reaches 160 degrees and a caramelized crust has begun to form.

6. Remove from oven and let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

More pro tips: Meatloaf is an old school classic. This foolproof recipe proves it deserves a comeback

Banana bread reicpe

Makes: 1 loaf (6-8 slices)

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray

• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

• ¾ cup granulated sugar

• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 ¼ cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium bananas)

• ¼ cup applesauce, preferably unsweetened

• ¼ cup vegetable oil

• 1 large egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Butter, for serving (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Coat an 8-inch or 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. If desired, line the pan with parchment paper so you can remove the whole loaf after baking. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix with a fork to combine. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, applesauce, oil, egg and vanilla.

4. Fold in the flour mixture with a spatula and mix until just blended. Ignore any small lumps. If adding ingredients like nuts or chocolate chips, fold them in now.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Tap the pan on the counter to remove any bubbles.

6. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out with little moist bits clinging to it (timing will depend on the size and color of your pan and whether you added any mix-ins).

7. Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes before slicing.

8. Serve warm with butter, if you like.

More hacks: I've been baking banana bread for 25 years. This is the only recipe you'll ever need

Questions or comments? Email the culinary team at cooking@azcentral.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Fall comfort foods: Easy recipes for mac n cheese, beef stew, chili