One of my favorite times of the month is doing our monthly spotlights! This month, Jackie Kundinger won our monthly drawing and am I so pleased to be able to spotlight her amazing daughter, Autumn Kundinger.

The Early Years

The love Jackie has for her daughter shines through when she talks about Autumn. Autumn was born on July 6th 2004. The chilliest July in Wisconsin that Jackie can remember. 54º F in JULY! “She is an only child, so obviously our favorite!” Says Jackie.

Although she is a single child, she has 3 cousins that are very special to her; Adison, Gabrielle (Gigi-who is Autumn’s Mini-me), and Kamden. 

Even as a young girl she embodied the spirit of dedication and adventure. “She was an easy child to raise, we had one rule for her…there are no rules till you prove you need them.  I can say, we never had to make any and I think I can count on one hand the number of times I had to wake her for school and that was always cause something malfunctioned on the alarm clock.”

Her mother fondly recalls her daughter’s passion for dance, figure skating, and school sports like volleyball and softball. But it was Autumn’s unwavering dedication to physical fitness, evident in her early morning or late-night workouts, that set her apart.

“She had a strong passion for physical fitness and was always looking for new workouts and made sure she got them in every day, even if it was 0400 or 2300 hours!  She has always showed dedication to everything and everyone important to her.”

A child with wisdom beyond her years, Autumn harbored dreams of becoming a police officer. However, fate had a different path in store for her. Despite initial reluctance from her mother about military service, Autumn’s determination and maturity became apparent as she gravitated towards joining the Military.

Following in Her Father’s Footsteps

“Initially she was looking at joining the National Guard, then one day I got a text from her while I was at work that she was meeting the Marine Corps recruiter this afternoon. I reached out to her Dad and said you have to go too, and he did.  Later that day, she called me up and said she made up her mind…I knew before she said it what her choice would be.  She was going to join the Marines…the journey began” Following in her father’s footsteps, a Marine stationed in Okinawa 30 years prior, Autumn embarked on her own journey of service.

“She was young in her class so for her 17th birthday we went with her to sign the papers for her to begin enlistment. She did a lot of weekend events with the recruiters and poolees before she went to MEPS her senior year.”

Official enlistment date: 8/11/21. 

Left for Boot Camp at Parris Island on June 21, 2022

Graduated as PFC Kundinger, September 16, 2022

She went to San Diego, CA for her MCT and graduated on 10/21/22

Fort Lee, Virginia for her school house; she graduated as an Ammo Technician. 

“She was able to come home for a quick visit after that and then shipped to Okinawa Japan.  We last saw her December 28, 2022 when we took her to the airport.  She has been there since and we are looking forward to her visit any day!” As this blog post is being written and posted, Autumn is leaving Okinawa to go home and see her parents!

Adventures in Traveling

While stationed abroad, Autumn has immersed herself in the local community, volunteering in local schools and exploring the island in her car she named Vivienne! “She tells me that your meals [from Semper Pot Pie] bring her a great sense of home, as does seeing you and Mini Me each week.  She has always loved hugs and cherished those from you as well!”

Her passion for travel, evident since childhood, led her to collect stamps on her passport and explore destinations worldwide. “She was always a saver and she once paid to go with her aunt and uncle and cousin Adi on a tropical vacation without us and the summer between 8th grade and Freshman year, she decided she was going on a trip to Europe that one of the teachers was putting together.  She toured Europe with a group from all over the world for two weeks!  She has never been afraid to leave home and spread her wings!  We are very proud of her and her accomplishments.”

Apparently Autumn is also an amazing cook! She created an award winning chili recipe which we are including here! I have not made it yet, but I am very excited to try!

**Bonus Recipe: Autumn’s Award-Winning Chili**

5 strips uncooked bacon chopped

1 large yellow onion diced (about 1 cup)

1 red pepper diced

3 cloves garlic minced (about 1 Tablespoon)

1 lb ground beef (455g) (I use 90% but any will work)

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon onion powder

¾ teaspoons ground black pepper

½ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper³

1 ¼ cup beef broth (295ml)

15 oz can dark red kidney beans lightly rinsed and drained (425g)

15 oz can black beans lightly rinsed and drained (425)

14.5 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes undrained (411g)

7- oz can fire roasted green chilis (198g)

¼ cup tomato paste (66g)

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Preferred toppings particularly sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and corn chips

Place chopped (uncooked) bacon in a large pot or Dutch oven and cook over medium heat until crisp and cooked through. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate and drain all but 1 ½ Tablespoons of grease.

Add onion and pepper and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes.

Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).

Add beef, breaking apart with a spatula as you cook. Once meat is partially (about 50%) browned, add sugar and all spices (chili powders, paprika, cumin, onion powder, black pepper, salt, cayenne pepper) and stir well.

Add all remaining ingredients — beef broth, beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, chilis, and Worcestershire sauce — and your cooked bacon and stir well.

Bring to a boil and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Simmer for 30 minutes to allow flavor to really develop.

Serve with preferred toppings (sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese)

What’s Ahead

Looking ahead, Autumn envisions a future filled with warm weather, ocean views and adventure. Her next adventure is Camp Lejeune, NC. But after that, who knows? Perhaps even an apartment in New York City. Her spirit of adventure, dedication to service, and love for exploration continue to inspire all who know her.

As we celebrate Autumn Kundinger’s journey, we honor her legacy of service, resilience, and boundless curiosity. From chilly Wisconsin to the shores of Okinawa, Autumn’s story reminds us of the transformative power of dedication, dreams, and the pursuit of adventure.

“She loves her Dad’s tatortot hotdish, probably one of her favorites so I am glad you all get to give it a try Chef Alyssa style.  Her Dad is the cook in our family so I don’t have much to input for new recipes.  Semper Pot Pie has been a blessing in our life.”

Tater Tot Hot Dish

Here at Semper Pot Pie we were honored to make her father’s Tater Tot Hot Dish recipe! Knowing how Autumn feels about this dish, I was very nervous about making it just right.

Ingredients

Yellow Onion

While a yellow onion is a very basic ingredient, we miss it when it’s excluded. Sautéing up an onion adds a complexity and umami to a dish. I always like to add onion powder when I use fresh onion and this dish was no exception.

Ground Beef

I prefer to use ground chuck. Ground chuck specifically means that a chuck roast is ground into ground beef. You can use any ground beef or even ground turkey. I was lucky and found this ground chuck marked down in the freezer section of my commissary. Because my commissary is so small, if they don’t sell the meat by the sell by date, they have a nice large chest freezer they put it in at a reduced price.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

In the original recipe I received from Jackie, it calls for a large 22oz can of Cream of Mushroom soup. However, being in Okinawa, I am at the mercy of my commissary and they do not carry the large cans. So I used two small cans. I don’t know what it is about cream of mushroom soup, but it does seem to transform so many recipes doesn’t it?

Frozen Vegetables

Again, I’m at the mercy of my commissary here. This is the only brand that had a one pound bag. Sure, I could have bought a few bags and weighed them out, but you know what…no one has time for that nonsense. The carrots and peas added a tiny bit of sweetness, the corn added a juicy brightness, the green beans add a great texture and earthiness. You can use any vegetables you like, but this is a very basic blend and a great way to add some veggies to your family’s meal.

Colby Cheese

Ok, I must admit I went over the recommended cheese. I put 8oz mixed into the ground beef mixture and 8 oz on top. The Colby Jack is a fairly mild cheese and melts very nicely. Over the week, we ended up having to switch to a mixture of cheddar and jack. Any cheese that melts well will work in this recipe, just use your favorite.

Tater Tots

The star of our show, the Tater Tot! Use any tot you prefer. I bet even the little crowns would work!

The Process

First, chop and sauté the onion in a bit of olive oil.

Next, add your ground beef and brown it.

Next, drain the meat to remove excess fat.

Add the meat to a large bowl. Sprinkle with onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add the Cream of Mushroom Soup and frozen vegetables.

Grate the cheese and add 8 oz of the shredded cheese to the mixture.

Mix the sautéed onion, drained and seasoned ground beef, frozen vegetables, Cream of Mushroom Soup and cheese together until fully mixed.

Spread mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 pan.

Spread the remaining cheese over the ground beef mixture.

Layer the tater tots over the cheese

Bake at 350º F for 45 minutes or until bubbly.

The savory gravy, tender ground beef, sweet morsels of vegetables, the creamy melted cheese and crunchy tater tots all come together to make a hearty and comforting dinner.

The worst part of this dish is having to wait until it is cool enough to eat!

As I said above, I was very nervous about this recipe. But about 30 minutes after I delivered this dish to Autumn, I got this text:

”You did AMAZING. Wow. You always seem to impress me, but this tops it off! Thank you so much.”

So I guess we did ok!