Menu Ideas For The Harvest Season
With the change of season, our bodies crave different things. The chillier weather may encourage us to hole up inside more and spend more time in the kitchen, utilizing ingredients and flavors from fall’s bountiful harvest. Whether you love creamy comfort foods or cleansing vegetable-forward dishes, the season has something for you. Here are 20 foods that just scream fall.
1. Chili
Chili, whether beef or vegetarian, is the perfect meal to cozy up with. It’s aromatic, spicy, and nourishing without being overly heavy.
2. Butternut Squash Soup
Nothing says fall quite like a perfectly in-season butternut squash. Roasted and pureed into a beautiful bright soup, this dish makes the perfect appetizer for autumn dinner parties.
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3. Sweet Potato Gnocchi
This classic potato pasta is given a fall spin with sweet potatoes instead of regular ones. The burnt orange color makes for an eye-catching and fun dish.
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4. Pumpkin Risotto
Risotto requires a lot of time spent standing over a hot stove, stirring–something you won’t want to do on a sweltering summer’s day. In the fall, however, it’s a joy to make, and with the addition of pumpkin, it becomes a seasonal favorite.
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5. Pork Chops With Apples
Apples mingle in a pan with pork chops adding a beautiful caramelization and a subtle sweetness that contrasts with the savory meat. It’s an elegant yet simple and inexpensive dish.
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6. Goulash
We can see why goulash is the national dish of Hungary, a cold, northern country. It’s a hearty and incredibly warming dish featuring tender, slow-cooked beef, savory spices, and root vegetables.
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7. Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Brussel sprouts are a polarizing vegetable, but we love them. Generously splashed with olive oil, well-seasoned, and roasted in the oven so they crisp and darken slightly, they’re one of the best parts of fall.
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8. Stuffed Acorn Squash
We can’t have all the credit going to butternut squash–acorn squash is also a fabulous fall favorite. Cut in half, hollowed out, and roasted in the oven with a filling of meat, vegetables, and cheese, you’ll have an attractive main dish for a special autumn gathering.
9. Shepherd’s Pie
Nothing says comfort food quite like Shepherd’s Pie. It’s on the heavier side, but it’s a crown pleaser and simple to make with mashed potatoes, ground beef, and vegetables.
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10. Pumpkin Pie
You know Autumn has begun when you see pumpkin pies adorning grocery store bakery aisles again. The flaky pie crust filled with sweet, cinnamony, orange puree is the perfect seasonal dessert.
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11. Chicken Noodle Soup
This brothy, nourishing dish isn’t just for when you’re sick. It’s comforting without being heavy. Plus, it’s a great way to get your protein and stay hydrated on chillier days.
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12. Roast Beef
In general, dishes that take many hours in the oven are best made when it’s chilly outside. The whole house is warmed from the heat of the oven and the tantalizing aromas fill the air.
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13. Cranberry Sauce
This tart, beautiful, and bright fruit is best in fall. Stewing them together with some sugar, baking spices, and citrus zest brings out the best of them and adds some lovely contrast served atop poultry, pork, or even lamb.
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14. Pecan Pie
It’s hard to decide which is the best fall pie. Pecan pie, with its roasted nuts, sweet brown sugary filling, and buttery crust is a close contender.
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15. Gravy
Many of us are whipping up more slow-cooked, meaty dishes like whole roasted chicken in the fall. In turn, we’re making gravy more often and smothering just about everything in sight with it.
16. Pumpkin Bread
A great breakfast or dessert, pumpkin bread has all the pumpkin spice flavors we’re addicted to this time of year. It’s so easy to make even the most baking-illiterate person can make a beautiful loaf.
17. Apple Crisp
Apple crisp is like a lazy apple pie but what it lacks in effort it doesn’t lack in flavor. The crispy, buttery, and sweet topping more than makes up for the lack of pie crust.
Photo by Diliara Garifullina on Unsplash
18. Lentil Soup
Who said comforting food had to be unhealthy? Packed with fiber, iron, and b-vitamins, lentils make for a warming, nourishing and energizing fall meal.
Photo by Karyna Panchenko on Unsplash
19. Chicken Pot Pie
Let’s not forget about savory pies this time of year. Chicken pot pie is a fall favorite perfect for making ahead of time and re-heating for chilly nights when you just want to cozy up and watch Netflix.
20. Fall Salad
Sometimes, all you really want is a salad. Just because it’s chilly out doesn’t mean you can’t have one. Doesn’t a salad showcasing seasonal produce like kale, pear, pomegranate, and pumpkin seeds just scream fall?
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