Life tastes better in the fall.
Welcome to October! Fall produce is officially in full swing 🍎 .
We firmly believe that October is one of the best months of the year to eat. Farmers markets are overflowing with autumn's best flavors, from cauliflower to apples and pumpkins. Here are 31 seasonal recipes that take advantage of what's in season. Make one every night this month!
Consider this anything-but-boring chicken recipe a simplified take on chicken Marsala that's easy enough for weeknights. It's cooked in a zesty sauce made of white wine, chicken broth, garlic, butter, and parsley.
The Wheatless Kitchen / Via thewheatlesskitchen.com
Nutty squash, crunchy quinoa, savory sausage, and sweet cranberries are the perfect complements to one another. Make it as a side or a main dish.
Recipe: Stuffed Butternut Squash With Quinoa, Sausage, and Cranberries
4. Maple Glazed Pork With Apples and Onions
The Busy Baker / Via thebusybaker.ca
Pork with apples is one of those timeless combinations we'll never get sick of. So do your fall apple picking and put them to good use in this savory recipe.
5. Grilled Cabbage Steaks With Bacon and Blue Cheese
Dad With a Pan / Via dadwithapan.com
Introducing the new wedge salad. Cabbage forms the base of this crunchy salad and is topped with bacon, crumbled blue cheese, and scallions.
Spices In My DNA / Via spicesinmydna.com
This creamy pasta feels just right on chilly fall nights. It's loaded with lots of veggies and gets a little bit of crunch from crispy fried shallots.
Recipe: Creamy Pappardelle With Prosciutto, Peas, Spinach, and Shallot Crisps
7. Whole Roast Cauliflower With Smoky Tomato Sauce
Rebel Recipes / Via rebelrecipes.com
The smoky tomato-based sauce brings this whole roasted cauliflower to the next level, but if you're trying to cut back on time and ingredients, opt for store-bought romesco sauce. It'll taste very similar and make this meal a breeze.
Spoonful of Flavor / Via spoonfulofflavor.com
Enjoy all the best of fall's flavors in one filling salad. The balsamic honey dressing is easy enough to make at home, but you can always use your favorite store-bought version.
9. Turnip and Carrot Au Gratin With Dijon Béchamel Sauce
Pardon Your French / Via pardonyourfrench.com
Make this creamy au gratin dish throughout the fall leading up to Thanksgiving, but just make sure it has a place on your holiday table.
Recipe: Turnip and Carrot Au Gratin With Dijon Béchamel Sauce
How Sweet Eats / Via howsweeteats.com
Sheet pan suppers mean almost no mess for you to clean up after cooking.
Cookie and Kate / Via cookieandkate.com
Ditch the takeout and whip up this Thai-inspired curry at home. The sauce is made with red curry paste, coconut milk, ginger, and garlic. Load it up with your favorite veggies (sweet potatoes and peppers are our go-tos), and add some protein if you're looking for a more filling meal.
Recipe: Thai Red Curry With Vegetables
12. One-Pot Lentil and Mushroom Bolognese Sauce
Family Style Food / Via familystylefood.com
This vegetarian take on classic Bolognese sauce still tastes chewy and meaty, thanks to lentils and mushrooms cooked in vegetable broth, along with diced tomatoes, carrots, celery, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
Gimme Delicious / Via gimmedelicious.com
This low-carb dinner combines everything you love about cheesesteaks, but instead of bread, the ingredients are stuffed into hollowed-out bell peppers.
14. Pumpkin Soup
Spend With Pennies / Via spendwithpennies.com
When you think of fall, your mind probably goes right to pumpkin-flavored desserts, but we love using pumpkin in savory recipes like this thick and decadent soup.
Recipe: Pumpkin Soup
Bev Cooks / Via bevcooks.com
The broccoli, almonds, mushrooms, and chickpeas get roasted in the oven. Then they're tossed into the orzo and chicken broth and seasoned with lemon. You can always add your favorite protein, like chicken or shrimp.
Recipe: Skillet Orzo With Roasted Broccoli, Mushrooms, and Chickpeas
Gimme Some Oven / Via gimmesomeoven.com
This Chinese-inspired recipe is perfect for meal prepping. To cut back on prep time, opt for your favorite store-bought sesame dressing.
Recipe: Sesame Beef and Cabbage Stir-Fry
Belly Full / Via bellyfull.net
There's really no wrong time of day to enjoy chicken salad. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, the choice is yours.
Recipe: Cranberry Apple Chicken Salad
Chelsea's Messy Apron / Via chelseasmessyapron.com
Taco bowls are such a fun and versatile meal because you can customize them with any of your favorite toppings. Load them up with jalapeño, pico de gallo, guacamole, rice, and more.
Recipe: Sweet Potato Taco Bowl
Meet your new favorite party app. It comes together in about 30 minutes, and it's a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Serve with crusty bread or crackers for sopping up the melted Brie.
Recipe: Baked Brie With Cranberries, Pecans, Fig Jam, and Thyme
20. Roasted Sweet Potato and Fig Kale Salad
The Roasted Root / Via theroastedroot.net
If you're looking for a great meal prep recipe, let this be the one. Roast the sweet potatoes and figs ahead of time and prepare the dressing. Then just combine all of the ingredients into a bowl and call it lunch or dinner.
Rachel Schultz / Via rachelschultz.com
This comforting recipe tastes as if chicken pot pie, loaded baked potatoes, and cauliflower au gratin all got together into one ultimate feel-good food.
Damn Delicious / Via damndelicious.net
Making gnocchi from scratch requires a bit of patience, but it's pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Of course, you can always pick up a bag of store-bought sweet potato gnocchi if you're looking to save time in the kitchen.
23. Grilled Pizza With Figs, Balsamic Onions, and Gorgonzola
Feasting at Home / Via feastingathome.com
If you haven't tried making pizza on the grill, take advantage in these last few weeks before it gets too cold. The crust turns perfectly crisp and charred, but it's still delightfully doughy when you take a bite.
Recipe: Grilled Pizza With Figs, Balsamic Onions, and Gorgonzola
A Spicy Perspective / Via aspicyperspective.com
Oven-fried and coated with a sticky, spicy glaze made with soy sauce, hoisin, dried red chiles, and black vinegar, these Brussels sprouts are going to be your new favorite dish. We love adding beef, tofu, or chicken to make a complete meal.
Feed Me Phoebe / Via feedmephoebe.com
This recipe calls for cauliflower couscous, which is made by pulsing cauliflower florets in a food processor, but you can swap in your favorite grain, like rice or quinoa.
26. Easy Mushroom and Pumpkin Risotto
Lavender and Macarons / Via lavenderandmacarons.com
You can either start with fresh pumpkin, which gets diced and roasted in the oven, or save yourself time by opting for the canned version. Mixed with arborio rice, vegetable broth, Parmesan cheese, and shiitake mushrooms, it's a decadent autumn dinner.
Half Baked Harvest / Via halfbakedharvest.com
Cremini and shiitake mushrooms are cooked in a spicy, garlicky chipotle pineapple sauce. Served in tortillas, it's a great meatless meal that still feels hearty and filling.
28. Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
Hearth and Vine / Via hearthandvine.com
Shortbread cookies > all other cookies. Blame it on the butter, but that's just the way it is.
Recipe: Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
29. Pear Custard Pie
Dinner At The Zoo / Via dinneratthezoo.com
Fall has just begun, but we've already enjoyed more apple and pumpkin dessert recipes than we can count. Switch things up a bit with this pear creation, which tastes like a hybrid of pie and creamy custard.
Recipe: Pear Custard Pie
30. Toasted Coconut Date Bars
Peanut Butter Plus Chocolate / Via peanutbutterpluschocolate.com
This vegan and gluten-free dessert comes together with just five ingredients: dates, coconut flakes, vegan chocolate chips, coconut oil, and almond butter.
Recipe: Toasted Coconut Date Bars
Fox and Briar / Via foxandbriar.com
This Halloween-themed baking project is ideal for making with kids. The hand pies are totally delicious and absolutely adorable and call for just a handful of simple ingredients, like puff pastry, canned pumpkin puree, egg, sugar, and half-and-half.