Frightfully Good Fall Recipes

October 12, 2021

It just would not be officially fall without pumpkins, apples, butternut squash and cranberries, right? So, here are a few of our favorite flavors dished up in frightfully good recipes for fall!

Pumpkin Treats: Sweet and Savory

Perfect as an appetizer or a game day snack, this cheese dip made with pumpkin puree and hard cider uses bacon, garlic, butter, cream cheese, cheddar cheese plus Worcestershire, Dijon mustard and garlic. Serve it with sliced apples, or raisin nut bread – or even the pumpkin crackers below! 

Rachael Ray’s tomato-free, pumpkin puree-packed lasagna is an unexpected delight, using butternut squash, escarole, nutmeg and plenty of ricotta and Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus Fontina cheeses. This is an ideal dish to make ahead and refrigerate or freeze for visiting vegans coming to town for the weekend.

Just looking at the finished, sliced version of this Cheesecake-Stuffed Pumpkin Bread will make your mouth water. Everyone’s favorite fall quick bread hides a delicious surprise inside, a rich swirl of tempting cheesecake.

And this Pumpkin Caramel Bread Pudding recipe is another one that will triggers your salivary glands! A homemade caramel sauce is the base for the custard, which is both flavored and thickened by pumpkin puree. And of course, lots of warm pumpkin pie spice make this the ultimate autumn dessert from the Food Network!

And since this is the season of supplementing our Vitamin D and zinc, pumpkin seed snacks are a good protein go-to, with the added benefit of magnesium, phosphorus and copper. You can shock your taste buds by adding pumpkin pie spice and brown sugar, or check out this savory variety of snack options – including pumpkin seed muffins, crackers and brittle – at Yummly.

Sensational Squash for Suppertime 

If you’re a fan of kettle corn, with it’s combination of flavors, you might want to try this Sweet and Savory Butternut Squash dip made with roasted butternut squash, cinnamon, salty feta cheese and a bright burst of pomegranate seeds. It’s supper festive, especially when garnished with some peppery arugula, and served before a fall family meal.

More of an appetizer or side dish, this light Apricot Crab Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe from Taste of Home is simple and bursting with flavor(s). With dried apricots and nectar, lump crabmeat and sliced green unions, the squash is quartered and roasted for 35-40 minutes, while you stove prep the stuffing.

With its spaghetti-like strands, spaghetti squash is the ultimate alternative to the classic, comforting side that’s traditionally made with wheat pasta. Best of all, it’s super simple to make using a fork to scrape the roasted spaghetti squash flesh into strings, then toss with Parmesan and butter. 

Or make it with meatballs and marinara, chicken and lasagna noodles, or try this five-star recipe for Twice-Baked Spaghetti Squash with chicken and broccoli in a creamy cheesy sauce that’s broiled for a few minutes to get a golden brown crust! You can Twice Baked Butternut Squash, too, for a satisfying, sweet and savory combo that’s perfect for Sunday dinners.

For 40+ more recipes, check out the TOH collection Baking With Squash, or Delish’s additional 25 recipes using all sorts of squash including patty pan and delicata, plus a homemade ravioli recipe that is 100 percent worth the effort. 

Apple Recipes for Fall

Fall is peak apple season and if you grow your own, or are lucky enough to enjoy the bounty of a neighbor’s produce, you’ll find plenty of ways to fix them beyond the peel and eat method! At Midwest Living, you can indulge your palate in apple-packed, moist and delicious Harvest Apple Bars, Streusel Apple Bread or Nutty Apple Cherry Slaw with arugula. Try the ever-popular recipe for apple cider which preserves the intense sweet-tart flavor of just-picked apples, or the spicy combo of cranberries, apples and raisins in a chutney for topping baked brie.

 Food and Wine offers 40 sweet and savory apple recipes for fall. From baked bourbon-apple butter to spread on biscuits and toast, to roasted sausage sheet pan dinner and apple-ginger crisp for dessert, there’s an apple for every eye, right here.

Prep, Cook, Serve in Southshore!

Meal planning, prepping, cooking and serving is a treat in the spacious kitchens being built in the master-planned community of Southshore. Check out the brand new homes from Taylor Morrison, Century Communities, Richmond American Homes and Toll Brothers. Because Life at the Lake is not just exclusive and packed with amenities – you’ll find the perfect ranch or two-story design, priced between the $400s and the $700s.