Easy Fall Recipes for Meals, Side Dishes and Appetizers

Fall flavors take center stage in this subtly spicy pasta. With warm, seasonal ingredients like pumpkin and hazelnut, this pasta is ready to become a weeknight staple in your home. To balance the dish, a garnish of mint provides a fresh flavor juxtaposition and a nod to the fleeting flavors of summer.

Once the cool, crisp fall breeze rounds the corner, it's hard to find a table without a succulent side of root vegetables. These thyme-roasted carrots and parsnips are a fantastic option not only for their deep flavor, but the fall aesthetic they add to the table. After all, the best decor is edible decor.

Courtesy of entertaining expert Courtney Whitmore's book, Entertain in Style, this simple but elegant appetizer is sure to impress.

Ingredients:

• (2) 15.5-ounce cans chickpeas
• (1) 15-ounce can of pureed pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 3 cloves garlic, roasted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• pumpkin seeds, for garnish
• paprika, for garnish

Yield: 3 cups

Combine chickpeas, pumpkin, tahini, garlic, salt, lemon juice, cumin, and olive oil in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Serve garnished with pumpkin seed kernels and a dash of paprika.

For many, fall and winter dinners are all about soups and stews. This Hungarian cauliflower soup combines relatively simple ingredients to create an explosion of flavor that will keep you coming back for more.

Whether your perfect fall evening consists of a plate of pumpkin pasta, a bowl of warm soup or the quintessential turkey dinner, we’re willing to bet it would be better alongside these flaky drop biscuits packed with parmesan, cheddar and chive.

Courtesy of entertaining expert Courtney Whitmore's book, Entertain in Style, this tasty appetizer makes a memorable addition to any buffet table.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• cream cheese, for topping
• hot pepper jelly, for topping
• 14-16 basil leaves, for topping

Yield: 14-16 cracker spoons

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add water and olive oil. Stir until combined and a dough is formed. Using a floured surface, roll out the dough until 1/8” thick. Tip: Add 1/2 cup of grated cheese, one tablespoon of poppy seeds, or additional seasonings to the dough for a variety of crackers.

2. Using a spoon-shaped cookie cutter, cut out spoons and carefully place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and bake for 12–15 minutes or until lightly golden.

3. Top each spoon with a dollop of cream cheese, hot pepper jelly and basil leaf.

Wow dinner guests with a perfectly cooked, tender turkey dinner that’s full of fall flavors like apple and sage. Oh, and did we mention it’s grilled?

Nothing warms you up after a long day of apple picking like a bowl of creamy rosemary leek soup. This luxuriously silky soup is a masterful mixture of flavors that will make everyone feel cozy and content.

For those fall days with full schedules, turn to the trusty slow cooker for help. This root beer pulled pork is the perfect way to put a delicious, filling meal on the table without adding yet another task to the end of a busy day.

If you’ve never had pistachio soup, it’s time to change that. Though this recipe may seem a little intimidating, all you need is a food processor to make it an effortless fall dinner option. Serve it alongside a bacon grilled cheese for the ultimate pairing.

Once you make this delectable pumpkin fettuccine with sausage and sage, you’ll finally be able to check “learn how to make homemade pasta” off your bucket list.

This fall favorite is elevated by adding a special ingredient. Lobster macaroni and cheese is the answer to all your problems. Serve it alongside a Thanksgiving dinner for the perfect, out-of-the-box side, as the main course for a weeknight dinner, or just binge eat it on the couch.

Turns out pumpkins aren’t the only gourd you should be eating this fall. Zucchinis are ready for their moment in the seasonal spotlight, and this zucchini walnut soup is the perfect way to let them shine.

If you’ve been too intimated to try your hand at bread baking, this is a wonderful way to start. This walnut-rosemary olive oil bread is super simple to make and full of fall flavors that are sure to impress. Serve it alongside a warm stew for fail-proof fall bliss.

Curried butternut squash soup is one of those dishes that packs an unexpected punch of flavor. The complex depth of flavor in this soup comes from the combination of curry, ginger, sage and orange juice that make it perfect as a sophisticated side dish or a main course.

Let’s be honest. Too many dry, bland turkey dinners are served in the fall and it’s time for that to end. Do your part by serving up this scrumptious roast turkey with lemon and sage. It is sure to check all the boxes for the perfect fall dinner.

Carved pumpkins aren’t just for decoration anymore. This fall-forward dish is full of cheesy-bacon goodness that your family and friends will devour. Leaving the pumpkin whole not only imparts loads of flavor but also provides a fantastic fall centerpiece.

When we think onion soup, we picture adorable crocks overflowing with molten cheese atop a pinnacle of crostini — much like this onion sage soup. It’s a warm, welcome sight on a chilly fall evening.

This braised pork belly served over sweet potato puree from Blackberry Farm is a masterclass in fall flavors and culinary creativity. Unexpected layers of flavor provided by coriander, fennel and even kimchi make this dish more than meets the eye.

Because fall means harvest time for farmers, fall dining should be all about farm-to-table dining. This vegetable soup is the perfect way to highlight fresh fall flavors at the dinner table while supporting your local farmers in the process.

Fall (and especially Thanksgiving) without stuffing is a travesty. Not only is it a basic requirement of the season, but it's also imperative that you make enough for plenty of leftovers to go around. This sourdough stuffing with leeks is a fresh spin on typical stuffing that will leave even the most traditional taste buds feeling satisfied.