24 Hearty Fall Dinner Recipes to Put in Rotation

Justin Walker

These hearty, delicious recipes highlight all of the very best fall ingredients. Whether you're craving a hearty pasta dish or comforting pot pie, these dishes are perfect for cozy fall dinners. Here, 24 of our best recipes.

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Pork Chops in Sage Butter with Beet Puree and Swiss Chard

John Kernick

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The vibrant magenta beet puree that accompanies these luscious pork chops is made with almost equal parts beets and creamy Yukon Gold potatoes.

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Chicken Breasts with Apricot-Onion Pan Sauce

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After sautéing chicken breasts, Melissa Rubel Jacobson adds diced onions and white wine to sweep up the delicious browned bits left in the skillet, then sweetens the sauce slightly with dried apricots and apricot preserves.

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Mustard-Stewed Acorn Squash with Chicken

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Perfectly warm and comforting, this stewed acorn squash is made with chicken, mustard and other spices.

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Rigatoni with Veal Bolognese and Butternut Squash

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Andrew Zimmern makes his velvety pasta sauce--a classic Italian combination of sweet squash and veal--even more luscious with a touch of cream.

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Anise Pork with Figs and Apples

Ashley Colbourne

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The sweet licorice flavor of aniseed or fennel seeds adds depth to pork. For the sauce, look for dried figs that are soft and moist. If they seem very dry, soften them in hot water before cutting.

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Pasta with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce and Toasted Hazelnuts

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This rich, earthy dish featuring canned pumpkin puree was inspired by stovetop mac and cheese. The hazelnut and chive garnishes lend an elegant touch to this hearty pasta.

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Chicken Apple Stir-Fry

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Apples aren't just for desserts; adding them to stir-fry creates a homey and comforting autumn meal.

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Curried Carrot and Apple Soup

Con Poulos

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This velvety soup has a wonderful balance of sweetness, spice and tang. The secret ingredient: gingersnap cookies.

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Pork, Potato and Apple Pie

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In her take on a traditional English pub meat pie, blogger Marte Marie Forsberg fills a flaky double crust with potatoes, apple, and ale-braised pork and chorizo.

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Caraway Salmon with Rye Berry-and-Beet Salad

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Rye berries have a wonderfully aromatic, tangy flavor that goes well with the caraway in this Scandinavian-style dish from chef Marco Canora. Plus, they are a terrific source of fiber.

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Braised Chicken with Apples and Calvados

Con Poulos

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Chef Matthew Accarrino uses apples plus cider and the apple brandy Calvados to add layers of flavor to his braised chicken.

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Butternut Squash Casserole with Leeks, Prosciutto and Thyme

Alexandra Rowley

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This luscious squash-studded bread pudding is the ideal accompaniment to roasted meats and birds, or cut it into large squares and serve as a main course with a green salad on the side.

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Salmon Steaks with Curried Fennel-Wine Sauce

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A copper pan works especially well here because the fennel is cooked until silky over long, low heat. F&W’s Marcia Kiesel serves it in a curry-laced wine sauce over salmon.

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Quinoa with Za’atar, Grilled Chicken and Dried Cranberries

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Tossing quinoa with the Middle Eastern spice blend Za'atar is a simple way to boost the flavor in this healthy dish.

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Pork Loin Braised with Mushrooms and Wine

Greg DuPree

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Fistfuls of fresh herbs, fragrant strips of orange peel, and plenty of garlic perfume the wine-infused braising liquid penetrates this essential Corsican comfort food. The resulting jus is vibrant and richly seasoned; ladle extra over the polenta on each plate.

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Sweet Potato, Balsamic Onion and Soppressata Pizza

DAVID MALOSH

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Every winter, Green Aisle's backyard becomes a charcuterie cellar--the landlord strings homemade soppressata on the trees to dry. Adam Erace uses the soppressata to top this clever prebaked-crust pizza, along with mashed sweet potatoes and mozzarella cheese.

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Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Apples

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This delicious, super-healthy quinoa salad is a great meal-in-one; it makes an ideal vegetarian option at the Thanksgiving table.

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Pork Chops with Roasted Parsnips, Pears and Potatoes

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These succulent pork chops marinate in a fragrant mixture of rosemary, olive oil, garlic and lemon zest for at least one hour before being roasted.

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Farro with Vinegar-Glazed Sweet Potato and Apples

Con Poulos

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Roasting sweet potato and apples with a little sherry vinegar and tossing them with farro, dried cherries and roasted cashews makes for a hearty cold-weather dish.

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Pork Meatball Stew with Carrots and Pickled Mustard Greens 

Christopher Testani

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Rich pork broth—made with pork butt and smoked ham—brings together this comforting stew from brothers Andrew and Eric Dayton’s restaurant The Bachelor Farmer in Minneapolis.

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Golden Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash Purée

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The neck of the butternut squash is easy to peel and cube, making it perfect for dishes easy pasta dishes. This recipe is a great way to use up that pesky bottom half, as here the halved squash is simply baked until soft, and then the flesh is scooped out.

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Garlicky Braised Lamb Shanks with Sweet Peppers

Greg DuPree

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Legendary chef Jeremiah Tower’s satisfying lamb shank dish makes the perfect dinner for when the weather stars to cool.

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Pumpkin Lasagne

Karen Mordechai

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No need to roast fresh pumpkin for this dish (although you certainly could); using canned unseasoned pumpkin puree is much quicker, and it works just fine. Like most lasagnes, this one is easier to cut if left to set for ten minutes or so before serving.

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Gnocchi Parisienne

Justin Walker

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Poached pâte à choux dumplings crisped in brown butter and topped with ham and cheese make a wonderfully rich entrée.

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24 Hearty Fall Dinner Recipes to Put in Rotation

1 of 24

Pork Chops in Sage Butter with Beet Puree and Swiss Chard

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Chicken Breasts with Apricot-Onion Pan Sauce

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Mustard-Stewed Acorn Squash with Chicken

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Rigatoni with Veal Bolognese and Butternut Squash

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Anise Pork with Figs and Apples

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Pasta with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce and Toasted Hazelnuts

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Chicken Apple Stir-Fry

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Curried Carrot and Apple Soup

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Pork, Potato and Apple Pie

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Caraway Salmon with Rye Berry-and-Beet Salad

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Braised Chicken with Apples and Calvados

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Butternut Squash Casserole with Leeks, Prosciutto and Thyme

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Salmon Steaks with Curried Fennel-Wine Sauce

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Quinoa with Za’atar, Grilled Chicken and Dried Cranberries

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Pork Loin Braised with Mushrooms and Wine

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Sweet Potato, Balsamic Onion and Soppressata Pizza

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Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Apples

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Pork Chops with Roasted Parsnips, Pears and Potatoes

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Farro with Vinegar-Glazed Sweet Potato and Apples

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Pork Meatball Stew with Carrots and Pickled Mustard Greens

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Golden Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash Purée

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Garlicky Braised Lamb Shanks with Sweet Peppers

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Pumpkin Lasagne

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Gnocchi Parisienne

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Pork Meatball Stew with Carrots and Pickled Mustard Greens 