I will buy a packaged pie crust when there is no time to make one, and fall recipes are exactly when that happens. So this is a proper fall recipe collection for the part of the year when everyone is suddenly hungrier and busier at the same time: butternut squash roasted, stuffed and blended, pumpkin turned into soup, chili and dal instead of only pie, apples in a pressure cooker and under a streusel, and a freezer chicken soup you bag up in five minutes and thank yourself for in November. Some are twenty minute weeknight dinners, some are a one pot casserole you carry to the table in the pan, and the desserts go from a caramel corn that takes fifteen minutes to a Dutch apple pie!
1. Twice Baked Butternut Squash
Twice baked, like a potato, and the second bake is what earns it. The halves roast cut side down under foil at 450 for forty to fifty minutes, then you scoop the flesh out leaving a quarter inch border so the shells still hold their shape. Goat cheese, Greek yogurt, fresh sage and panko go back in with it. Four servings and sixty five minutes, and the panko on top is the only reason it does not read as baby food, so do not skip it.
Get the full tutorial at Recipe Runner.
2. Pumpkin Chipotle Soup
A tablespoon of chipotles in adobo is the whole idea, and it turns pumpkin from sweet into savory in one move. Onions and garlic soften first, then coriander, cumin and an eighth of a teaspoon of allspice go in for two minutes before two cups of pumpkin puree and thirty two ounces of chicken broth. Blend it smooth, then finish with half a cup of heavy cream and two teaspoons of red wine vinegar. That vinegar at the end is the part people leave out and then wonder why theirs tastes flat.
Get the full tutorial at I Breathe I'm Hungry.
3. Spicy Thai Style Pumpkin Butternut Ramen
Coconut oil, onion, ginger and garlic first, then shiitakes and a sliced serrano, then two tablespoons of red curry paste cooked for a full minute before any liquid goes near it. Blooming the paste in fat like that is the difference between a curry broth and a curry flavored one. Three cups of chicken broth, fourteen ounces of light coconut milk and half a cup of pumpkin puree make the base, with cubed butternut and chicken simmering seven or eight minutes. Ramen noodles last. Four servings, forty five minutes.
Get the full tutorial at Cooking for Keeps.
4. Instant Pot Apple Crisp
The first cold snap of the year and I am reaching for apple crisp, but the oven version takes forever. This Instant Pot one gives you warm, cinnamon-spiced apples under a buttery streusel in under thirty minutes. A little crystallized ginger in the mix is the secret that makes people ask what is in it. Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream and nobody misses the wait.
Get the full tutorial at This Old Gal.
5. Beef Stuffed Butternut Squash
Squash halves roast at 425 for forty to forty five minutes while ground beef, bacon, mushrooms, carrots, celery and onion cook down in a skillet with half a tablespoon of cinnamon. Cinnamon in a beef dish sounds wrong and is the thing that makes it taste like autumn instead of like Tuesday. It serves two generously, which makes it a good dinner for a small household, and the squash shell means there is one pan and no serving dish. Seventy five minutes total, and the bacon goes in crumbled at the end.
Get the full tutorial at Paleo Leap.
6. Instant Pot Pumpkin Soup
Soup weather sneaks up fast around here, and pumpkin soup is my quickest fix. This one goes from a can of pumpkin to a creamy, spiced bowl in about twenty minutes in the Instant Pot. I like it as a light starter before a big family dinner, or a full meal with crusty bread on a lazy night. A swirl of cream on top makes it feel fancy for zero extra effort.
Get the full tutorial at One Happy Housewife.
7. Cheesy Bacon Butternut Squash Gnocchi
This is the kind of skillet dinner I make when I want to feel like I really cooked. Butternut squash and onion caramelize in bacon drippings, the gnocchi crisps up in the same pan, and it all disappears under gruyere and parmesan. It is rich, it is a little indulgent, and it is completely worth the one pan of dishes. Crisp the gnocchi separately so they stay pillowy inside and golden outside.
Get the full tutorial at Iowa Girl Eats.
8. One Pot Chicken And Mushroom Casserole
One pot, four chicken legs, and the ingredient that makes it is seven ounces of cooked peeled chestnuts stirred in with the rice. Chestnuts have a sweet mealy texture that nothing else quite does, and they turn up ready cooked and vacuum packed from about September. Chicken browns first, shallots and garlic soften in butter, then a white and wild rice mix, mushrooms, chestnuts and two cups of hot stock go in and the legs sit back on top. Six tablespoons of soy sauce and two of honey make the glaze. Eighty minutes.
Get the full tutorial at Supergolden Bakes.
9. Rosemary And Garlic Roasted Acorn Squash
Thirty minutes, seven ingredients, and a 475 degree oven, which is hotter than most roasted vegetable recipes and is deliberate. Six cups of cubed acorn squash, two tablespoons of olive oil, two teaspoons of rosemary and then garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Ten minutes, flip everything, five to ten more until fork tender. Acorn squash skin is thin enough to eat once roasted, which saves you the worst job in the kitchen. Serves six as a side and holds fine on a buffet.
Get the full tutorial at Premeditated Leftovers.
10. Red Lentil Pumpkin Dal
Two cups of split red lentils and two cups of diced winter squash in one pot, and red lentils are the ones that collapse into creaminess rather than holding their shape, which is the entire point of a dal. The spices go in dry for one minute before the liquid, until the kitchen smells like it, and that minute is not optional. Cumin twice, seeds and ground, plus coriander, turmeric and a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon. Half a cup of full fat coconut milk at the end. Fifty minutes, eight servings, and it is cheap.
Get the full tutorial at Connoisseurus Veg.
11. Paleo Pumpkin Chili
Thirty minutes from start to bowl, which is unusual for chili and is because there are no beans to simmer. A pound and a half of ground beef, two cans of fire roasted tomatoes, a tablespoon each of paprika and chili powder, and then a teaspoon of cinnamon and a fifteen ounce can of pumpkin puree that go in near the end. The pumpkin thickens it without announcing itself. Fire roasted tomatoes rather than plain is the small upgrade that buys you the flavor a long simmer would have given you.
Get the full tutorial at Wicked Spatula.
12. Chicken Pumpkin Soup
When I am tired of the same old soup, this curried chicken and pumpkin version wakes everything up. Canned pumpkin and warm curry spices make it genuinely different, and a can of beans plus shredded chicken turns it into real dinner. It is dairy-free, which is handy when the table has a mix of eaters. This is my favorite way to use up leftover roast chicken.
Get the full tutorial at Skinny Spatula.
13. Crispy Kale Grilled Cheese With Fried Eggs
The kale gets roasted at 350 for ten minutes, tossed, then ten minutes more until crisp, and that is what stops a greens grilled cheese going slimy in the middle. Havarti is the cheese, six ounces of it, and grating it works far better if it is cold straight from the fridge. The spread is three tablespoons of mayonnaise with a tablespoon of Dijon and a quarter teaspoon of smoked paprika. Fried eggs go on last. Thirty minutes, two sandwiches, and it is dinner as much as lunch.
Get the full tutorial at How Sweet Eats.
14. Roasted Harvest Vegetables With Quinoa
I’m an improv cook, but my rule is that you follow a recipe as written before you start rewriting it, and this one is worth following first. You roast butternut squash, fingerling potatoes, cauliflower, red onion and smashed garlic with fresh rosemary at 400 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, spread over two sheet pans so everything browns instead of steaming, then fold it all into cooked quinoa with chickpeas and a splash of balsamic. Sonja and Alex Overhiser at A Couple Cooks serve it as a main dish salad, and with the chickpeas in there it really is dinner and not a side, vegan and gluten free without making a fuss about it.
Get the full tutorial at A Couple Cooks.
15. Butternut Squash Kale And Chickpea Massaman Curry
Three pounds of diced butternut squash, about one medium squash, simmered in two cans of light coconut milk with a quarter cup of massaman curry paste. If you cannot find massaman, red or yellow paste is the listed substitute and nobody will file a complaint. Kale goes in near the end so it keeps some bite, chickpeas go in to make it filling, and chopped peanuts over the top are the texture the whole bowl needs. Forty minutes, six servings, vegan without trying to be.
Get the full tutorial at Connoisseurus Veg.
16. Old-Fashioned Corn Casserole
A corn casserole earns its place on a holiday table, and this old-fashioned version is exactly why. It lands right between cornbread and creamed corn, soft and custardy with just enough structure to scoop. Six ingredients and one bowl, which makes it the side I can throw together while everything else is going. Do not overbake it, a gentle wobble in the center is what you want.
Get the full tutorial at Granny's in the Kitchen.
17. Classic Apple Pie
There is a reason apple pie shows up every single Thanksgiving, and this classic version does the basics beautifully. A buttery homemade crust, Granny Smith apples, and a warm cinnamon-nutmeg-ginger filling, nothing fancy, just done right. Vent the top crust well so it does not bubble over. Let it cool longer than you think so the filling sets.
Get the full tutorial at Six Sisters' Stuff.
18. Ravioli Pumpkin Alfredo Recipe
Store bought frozen cheese ravioli and a pumpkin sauce you build in the time the water boils, which is the entire appeal. Flour, two cups of chicken broth and a cup of milk get whisked together cold so there are no lumps, then poured into butter and garlic with parmesan, half a cup of pumpkin puree, parsley, sage and a grating of nutmeg. Ten to fifteen minutes uncovered to thicken. Toasted pine nuts and walnuts on top. Thirty minutes, four servings, and it does not taste like a shortcut.
Get the full tutorial at Taste and Tell.
19. 5-Minute Freezer Chicken Soup
Fall is when our schedule goes sideways, so freezer meals save dinner more nights than I will admit. This freezer chicken soup takes about five minutes to bag up, then goes straight from the freezer into the pot, hands-off and hearty. I stash a few bags at the start of the season and thank myself for weeks. Write the reheat notes right on the bag so anyone can start it.
Get the full tutorial at The Soccer Mom Blog.
20. Pumpkin Spice Truffles
No bake, thirty five truffles from one batch, and the chilling is mandatory rather than suggested: one hour minimum, up to twenty four. The mixture is supposed to look soft and thick, so do not add more crumbs trying to firm it up. Only two ounces of cream cheese in the whole thing, plus a third of a cup of pumpkin puree and a hundred and seventy five grams of graham cracker crumbs. Worth knowing: they taste noticeably more of pumpkin after a day or two in the fridge, so make them ahead on purpose.
Get the full tutorial at Sally's Baking Addiction.
21. Pumpkin Pie Cookies
Forty cookies from one batch, each one a little sealed pie. The crust is a proper pastry with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in it, which relaxes the gluten so the dough rolls out without fighting back. The filling is half a fifteen ounce can of pumpkin puree with brown sugar, two tablespoons of maple syrup, cinnamon and pumpkin spice. Egg yolk wash and a sprinkle of light brown sugar on top. They travel far better than pie does, which makes them the ones to send to a party in a tin.
Get the full tutorial at Savory Nothings.
22. Harvest Caramel Corn
Ten cups of popped popcorn, salted well before anything sweet touches it, which is the step that makes the whole bowl work. Then a cup of butter, a cup of light brown sugar, two teaspoons of vanilla and half a teaspoon of baking soda, and that baking soda is what makes the caramel foam up pale and coat everything instead of sitting in a hard puddle. Rolos and fall colored M&Ms go on after. Fifteen minutes, and pick out the unpopped kernels first unless you enjoy dental bills.
Get the full tutorial at Two Sisters Crafting.
23. Pumpkin Chili
Chili is my cold-weather love language, and this pumpkin version quietly makes it better. Canned pumpkin blends right in for a thicker, richer pot without tasting like pumpkin at all, and sweet potato plus warm spices round it out. It is a genuine crowd-pleaser for a chilly game day. Make it a day ahead, chili is always better after a night in the fridge.
Get the full tutorial at Well Plated.
24. Roasted Fall Vegetable Soup
When the vegetable drawer needs clearing before the weekend shop, this roasted soup is where everything ends up. Butternut squash, sweet potato and carrot roast until sweet and caramelized, then blend into a silky, naturally sweet puree. Roasting first is the whole trick, do not skip it. It freezes beautifully, so I always make a double batch for busy fall weeks.
Get the full tutorial at Salt and Lavender.
25. Pumpkin Pancake Bites
Pancakes made in a donut hole pan, which means no standing at the stove flipping in batches while the first ones go cold. One cup of flour, three tablespoons of pumpkin puree, half a cup of milk, two tablespoons of melted butter and a third of a cup of chocolate chips. Fill each hole three quarters full, bake at 375 for twelve minutes, then flip each one and give it three more. That flip is what browns both sides. Serve with syrup or dusted in powdered sugar.
Get the full tutorial at Passion for Savings.
26. Fall Leaves Rice Krispie Treats
Four separate batches, one for each color, which is the part the photo does not tell you. Orange, gold, green and brown, twelve cups of cereal and twelve cups of mini marshmallows across the lot, then a leaf cookie cutter through each pan. Press the mixture in lightly rather than packing it down, because a squashed rice krispie treat cuts cleanly and eats like a brick. Ten minutes of cooking and about forty minutes all in. Kids can do the cutting and will want to.
Get the full tutorial at Two Sisters Crafting.
27. Homemade Banana Pumpkin Bread
Both, at once, which sounds like a compromise and is not. A cup of canned pumpkin and a cup of mashed banana go in together with a cup of dark brown sugar, half a cup of oil, a quarter cup of whole milk and half a cup of diced pecans. Two teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice on top of the cinnamon. It bakes at 350 for eighty five minutes, which is a long time for a loaf, so tent it with foil if the top browns early and test the middle with a toothpick.
Get the full tutorial at Passion for Savings.
28. Slow Cooker Pumpkin Spice Lava Cake
A box of spice cake mix, a package of instant pumpkin spice pudding and a bag of pumpkin spice morsels, and it cooks itself on high for three to four hours. The cake batter goes in the crock first, then the whisked pudding gets spooned over the top and the morsels scattered on, and as it cooks the layers change places, which is where the lava comes from. Test the cake portion for moist crumbs, not a clean toothpick. Twelve servings out of one pot and no oven.
Get the full tutorial at Love Bakes Good Cakes.
29. Best Pumpkin Spice Buttercream Frosting
Not a dessert on its own, which is exactly why it belongs here: half a cup of pureed pumpkin goes into a cup of butter and four and a half cups of powdered sugar, and a tablespoon of cornstarch goes in to absorb the extra moisture the pumpkin brings. Without that cornstarch this slumps off a cupcake in an hour. The butter should be cold but out of the fridge thirty to sixty minutes, which is a narrower window than “softened” and is the reason most buttercream splits. Ten minutes.
Get the full tutorial at Two Sisters Crafting.
30. Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip
Ten minutes, no oven, sixteen servings, and it goes in a bowl rather than a pan, which removes the only difficult part of cheesecake. Eleven ounces of caramels melt into a third of a cup of pumpkin spice creamer and cool fifteen minutes before anything else happens. Then cream cheese beaten light with three quarters of a cup of pure pumpkin, brown sugar, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice, with Cool Whip folded in. Layer it with the caramel rather than stirring it through, so the sauce stays visible against the side of the bowl.
Get the full tutorial at Mom On Timeout.
31. Pumpkin Streusel Donuts
Baked, not fried, and done in twenty five minutes, which is the only reason anyone makes donuts on a weekday. The batter is very thick on purpose, so spoon it into a large zip bag, snip the corner and pipe it into the pan, filling each ring only about half full. Half a cup of pumpkin puree, two teaspoons of cinnamon plus cloves, nutmeg and ginger, then a brown sugar streusel over the top and a cinnamon glaze after. Six donuts, and they are best the day they are made.
Get the full tutorial at Shugary Sweets.
32. Apple Crumble Pie
If a lattice top intimidates you, this Dutch apple pie is the answer, and honestly I think it is better anyway. Instead of a fussy top crust, you get a buttery cinnamon streusel that goes crisp and golden. A scoop of vanilla ice cream melting into those crumbs is a genuine fall moment. Chill your dough well so the bottom crust holds its shape while it bakes.
Get the full tutorial at Plated Cravings.
33. Perfect Pumpkin Crepes
Eight crepes, twenty five minutes, and only four to six tablespoons of pumpkin puree in the whole batter, which is the right restraint because too much pumpkin makes a crepe heavy and it tears when you roll it. The filling is where the flavor lives: eight ounces of cream cheese whipped with two cups of heavy cream, half a cup of powdered sugar and a teaspoon or two of pumpkin pie spice. Let the batter rest before you cook if you have the patience, and the first crepe is always the sacrifice.
Get the full tutorial at Six Dollar Family.
