31 Recipes to Make in October

Enmoladas de Calabaza
Photo: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

Fall may technically begin in September, but it really hits in October — a month of crisp, cooler weather punctuated by crunchy fallen leaves and plenty of pumpkins. To match the autumn vibes, we've gathered 31 seasonal recipes you can make all month long. Think Curried Pumpkin, Charred Cauliflower Tacos with Romesco Salsa, and Roast Chicken with Butternut Squash. As for dessert? You can't go wrong with Earl Grey Ice Cream with Chocolate Toffee and Shortbread Crumble. Read on for all of those recipes, and even more dishes we'll be making in October.

01 of 31

Curried Pumpkin and Buss Up Shut (Paratha Roti)

Curried Pumpkin and Buss Up Shut
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Chef Nina Compton's pumpkin dish is packed with warm spices, aromatic ginger, and rich coconut milk for a perfectly balanced bite. Fresh habanero chiles add a touch of fruity heat to the chunks of tender pumpkin and softened callaloo leaves. Buss up shut gets its name from "busted-up shirt," which describes the flatbread's torn, crinkled texture, perfect for sopping up flavorful curry. Drizzle the curry with pumpkin seed salsa for a mild crunch and punch of garlic.

02 of 31

Beet and Pear Salad

Beet and Pear Salad
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

This crunchy, refreshing salad studded with purple beets, Asian pear, and hazelnuts is complemented by a fragrant dressing of ginger and white miso. "For me, this salad embodies the Japanese saying 'shokuyoku no aki,' meaning 'the appetite of the fall season,' when we look to make dishes a bit heartier and more warming," says chef Shota Nakajima of Taku in Seattle.

03 of 31

Prawn and Chorizo Fried Rice

Prawn and Chorizo Fried Rice with Fried Egg and Mara Curry Aioli
Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman

This fried rice from Bar Goa in Chicago is savory and spicy, studded with dry-cured Spanish chorizo and juicy prawns, and finished with a sunny-side up egg and golden Madras curry mayonnaise. The chile-garlic sauce gives the dish a nice kick, while scallions and cilantro add a fresh pop.

04 of 31

Blue Corn, Cherry, and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Blue Corn, Cherry, and Chocolate Chip Cookies
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

With a soft interior that has a hint of almond flavor, these fresh cherry–studded cookies are not only colorful but also incredibly delicious. "I find that the formula for a well-received cookie is to incorporate familiarity with the somewhat unusual," says 2021 F&W Best New Chef Thessa Diadem of All Day Baby in Los Angeles. "These cookies are best served warm and are absolutely perfect with a cup of coffee or Mexican hot chocolate."

05 of 31

Butternut Squash Soup with Crisp Pancetta

Butternut Squash Soup with Crisp Pancetta
© JOHN KERNICK

In this recipe from chef Tom Valenti, butternut squash is first buttered, seasoned, and roasted with pancetta slices draped over the top to infuse flavor. The finished soup is pureed until creamy smooth and served with the crispy crumbled pancetta for textural contrast.

06 of 31

Pumpkin Butter

Pumpkin Butter
Justin Walker

In the fall, when squash and pumpkins are in their prime, make this silky pumpkin butter your go-to add-in. This preserve toes the line between sweet and savory: Try it on toast with cream cheese, in whipped cream, or melted into a mixture of sage and brown butter for an autumnal pasta sauce.

07 of 31

Whole Roasted Pumpkin with Green Beans and Red Curry Rice

Whole Roasted Pumpkin with Green Beans and Red Curry Rice
Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer

Long Island cheese pumpkins have deep, vibrant orange flesh and a sweet, nutty flavor. They roast up smooth and creamy, making them the ideal squash for pies, purees, or for use as edible vessels for soups and curries. Here, rice is cooked to a risotto-like texture inside the pumpkin, along with red curry paste and coconut milk. Serve it as a hearty and warming main course or as a side dish for roast fish or pork.

08 of 31

Brussels Sprouts with Shrimp Sauce

Brussels sprouts with Shrimp sauce
Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer

Born in a food stall in 2005, Xi'an Famous Foods is now a small empire in New York serving Western Chinese dishes to legions of hungry fans. Jason Wang, who runs the business with his father, David Shi, shared this family recipe for brussels sprouts with shrimp sauce. Here, briny, umami-rich dried shrimp and chicken broth cook down into a savory glaze, yielding a quick, deeply savory side dish.

09 of 31

Pear, Honey, and Parmigiano-Reggiano Tart

Pear, Honey, and Parmigiano-Reggiano Tart
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

This sweet and savory dessert tart pairs Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and freshly cracked black pepper with juicy pears and a drizzle of fragrant honey. The addition of Parmigiano-Reggiano to the pastry dough gives the already flaky crust an extra richness and a subtle nutty flavor. It's a perfect dessert to pair with a Passito or other dessert wine.

10 of 31

Delicata Squash and Sausage Crostata with Ricotta and Honey

Delicata Squash and Sausage Crostata with Ricotta and Honey
Justin Walker

In their book Wine Food, sommelier Dana Frank and recipe developer Andrea Slonecker pair funky, bright wines with flavorful, vegetable-forward dishes. They compare crostatas and galettes to pizza, making them the perfect weeknight dinner. This version layers fennel-spiced sausage, chile, delicata squash, and honey for a dinner that pairs well with a northern Italian Dolcetto.

11 of 31

Roast Chicken with Butternut Squash

Roast Chicken with Butternut Squash
© Andrew Purcell

Chicken quarters roasted with golden squash and sage are nice for a chilly autumn evening. To help the squash to brown evenly, be sure to spoon off the fat from the roasting pan after removing the breasts. This is a case where less is more: A thin layer of fat will brown the vegetable better than a quarter-inch of it.

12 of 31

Fiadone (Corsican Cheesecake) with Chestnut Honey and Figs

Fiadone (Corsican Cheesecake) with Chestnut Honey and Figs
Photo by Cedric Angeles / Prop Styling by Stephanie Bohn

Fiadone, a slightly sweet Corsican cheesecake, is traditionally made with brocciu, a fresh goat or sheep's milk cheese, which gives it a crumbly texture. In this recipe from pastry chef Shawn Gawle of March restaurant in Houston, the cheesecake is topped with chestnut honey, which pairs perfectly with sweet caramelized figs and candied lemon zest.

13 of 31

Smashed Sage-Butter Potatoes

Smashed Sage Butter Potatoes
Erin Kunkel

Smashing steamed potatoes creates craggy edges that soak up plenty of the aromatic sage-infused browned butter. Pick out similar-sized potatoes to ensure even cooking. Vintner Brian Marcy served this easy fall side dish at a harvest feast at Big Table Farm, a winery in Gaston, Oregon.

14 of 31

Pernil Mac and Cheese

Pernil Mac and Cheese at Boricua Soul
Lauren Vied Allen

Pernil, a Puerto Rican–style roast pork shoulder, is flavored with garlic, oregano, and sazón — a seasoning blend that includes coriander and annatto. At their Durham, North Carolina, restaurant Boricua Soul, Serena and Toriano Fredericks serve this garlicky pernil on top of a rich and creamy mac and cheese. Rubbing the seasoned garlic paste into the pork and letting it rest allows the flavors to penetrate deeply into the thick roast.

15 of 31

Pork Chop au Poivre with Red Wine–Shallot Sauce

Pork Chop au Poivre with Red Wine Shallot Sauce
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Steak who? This bone-in pork chop riff on the classic French au poivre preparation is so good, we may never go back to beef.

16 of 31

Braised Duck Legs with Spaetzle and Mushroom Ragout

Braised Duck Legs with Spaetzle and Mushroom Ragout
David Malosh

Inspired by German celebratory harvest meals from centuries past, this comforting braised dish trades the traditional goose legs for easier-to-source duck. A beurre manié — a quick mash of softened butter and flour — is the key to thickening the delicious sauce in this braise. Buttery-crisp spaetzle and saucy mushrooms round out the dish.

17 of 31

Enmoladas de Calabaza

Enmoladas de Calabaza
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

To make these enmoladas, lightly fried tortillas are generously stuffed with tender strands of spaghetti squash and then covered in a concentrated kabocha squash mole. The kabocha mole is seasoned with dried chiles and five-spice powder, which lend a delicate smokiness to the savory sauce. If you'd like to make this vegetarian recipe completely vegan, feel free to swap out the crema for coconut yogurt.

18 of 31

Pan-Roasted Chicken with Grapes, Garlic, and Rosemary

Chicken with Roasted Grapes, Garlic and Rosemary
Photo by Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

Dinner doesn't get simpler or more elegant than this pan-roasted chicken. To make it, a whole chicken is cut into eight pieces, then roasted with grapes, garlic cloves, and sprigs of rosemary to yield crispy-skinned chicken in a schmaltzy pan sauce that begs for a crusty piece of bread.

19 of 31

Rustic Apple-Rye Bread

Rustic Apple Rye Bread
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

Cracked rye berries soaked in buttermilk, raisins, a dash of cinnamon, and cubes of heirloom apples that release their juices into the crumb while baking all make this loaf extra special. To be successful with this bread, you need to have a healthy sourdough starter. Make sure you're using quality products — splurge on good organic buttermilk and raisins, cinnamon (preferably Sri Lankan), and some fine heirloom apples.

20 of 31

Smoked Ham Hock and Lentil Soup

Smoked Ham-Hock and Lentil Soup
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

"I love making this lentil soup when the weather begins to cool," says 2017 F&W Best New Chef Nina Compton. "The ham hock aroma hangs around the kitchen beautifully; the smell alone makes you warmer. Adding a little ginger and lemongrass brightens the soup and reminds me of being back home in St. Lucia. Using local okra reminds me of my Louisiana home and adds a different texture."

21 of 31

Charred Cauliflower Tacos with Romesco Salsa

Charred Cauliflower Tacos with Romesco Salsa
Photo by Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

A smoky, mildly spicy romesco salsa seeps into the filling of charred cauliflower florets in this well-balanced vegetarian taco. Pine nuts add crunch and richness to each bite. The recipe is a signature offering at Nixta Taqueria in Austin, a 2020 F&W Best New Restaurant.

22 of 31

Lamb, Sweet Potato, and Coconut Mafé Curry

Lamb, Sweet Potato, and Coconut Mafé Curry
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Perfectly tender lamb shoulder and creamy sweet potatoes balanced by floral coriander, warming turmeric and cumin, and piquant ginger and ground mustard make this West African curry a cozy delight. Fonio is a tiny grain that packs a nutritional punch and provides the perfect base for soaking up the flavorful curry sauce.

23 of 31

Rigatoni Amatriciana

Rigatoni Amatriciana
Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

Amatriciana sauce typically calls for cured pork, traditionally guanciale. Here, we've substituted fatty pancetta for easier sourcing. It comes together with tomatoes, Pecorino Romano cheese, sweet onion, and crushed red pepper to make a rich, jammy, pleasantly spicy sauce.

24 of 31

Rib Eye with Charred Spring Onions and Salsa Verde

Rib Eye with Charred Spring Onions and Salsa Verde
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

"This is a great weeknight steak recipe that uses easy-to-find herbs and a few kitchen essentials to really maximize flavor," says chef Hillary Sterling of Ci Siamo in New York City. Sterling's marinade tenderizes the meat and also adds intense flavor to the skillet-seared steak. The sugar in the marinade mixture, which comes from tangy-sweet vincotto, caramelizes while the steak cooks, adding delicious char. A drizzle of fresh lemon juice just before serving brightens up the smoky, umami-rich steak alongside an herb-packed salsa verde and juicy spring onions.

25 of 31

Forever Young

recipe
Photo by Caitlin Bensel / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Inspired by the classic Adonis cocktail of sherry and vermouth, this stiff drink from sommelier Kim Kyungmoon balances earthy, fermented Chungju with amaro. Chungju, a Korean alcoholic beverage brewed from rice, and Amaro Nonino, a liqueur from the region of Friuli in northern Italy, both offer a pleasantly musky, nutty flavor, while vermouth shines through with a burst of sweetness.

26 of 31

Fan Tuan (Stuffed Rice Rolls)

​​Fan Tuan (Stuffed Rice Rolls)
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

A layer of cooked sticky rice becomes the satisfying wrapper for fan tuan, colorful rolls filled with fried eggs, scallions, pickled daikon, the fried dough sticks called youtiao, and pork floss. "Fan tuan is exercise in textures," says 2020 F&W Best New Chef Trigg Brown.

27 of 31

Saganaki Halloumi (Cypriot Fried Halloumi)

Saganaki Halloumi (Cypriot Fried Halloumi)
Photo by Cedric Angeles / Prop Styling by Stephanie Bohn

Halloumi cheese is fried in clarified butter, then brushed in a spiced honey and served with lemon yogurt, brandy-basted nectarines, and fresh tomatoes in this sweet and savory appetizer from chef Christian Hernandez.

28 of 31

Earl Grey Ice Cream with Chocolate Toffee and Shortbread Crumble

Earl Grey Ice Cream with Chocolate Toffee
Photo by Fred Hardy II / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman

If you love nibbling on buttery shortbread cookies with a cup of tea, give this showstopping ice cream a try. It's flavored with Earl Grey tea and vanilla bean. The crushed shortbread and pieces of chocolate-covered toffee take it to the next level, creating a dessert we felt was "absolutely divine" during testing.

29 of 31

Sweet Potato Sticky Buns with Toasted Marshmallow

Sweet Potato Sticky Bun with Toasted Marshmallow
Aubrie Pick

F&W 2021 Best New Chef Thessa Diadem's show-stopping sticky buns from L.A.'s All Day Baby are filled with ginger-studded sweet potato and spiced with cardamom and vanilla. Rolled into a buttery dough that bakes up light and pillowy like giant cinnamon rolls, there is a little bit of sweet potato filling in every bite. Glazed with butterscotch and crowned with toasted marshmallow, these buns make an impressive addition to any brunch.

30 of 31

Overnight French Toast with Cranberries and Pecans

Overnight French Toast
Photo by Fred Hardy II / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman

This stunning overnight French toast is the move for an effortless make-ahead brunch. After you've assembled it and let it chill overnight, all you have to do in the morning is top it with pecans, bake it, and finish it with powdered sugar. Allowing the challah slices to sit overnight in the egg mixture results in evenly soaked bread that remains irresistibly custardy as it bakes, while the top crisps up.

31 of 31

Gateway Cassoulet

Gateway Cassoulet
Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

By cooking several recipe components separately in the same pot before combining them all to meld in the oven, food writer Sylvie Bigar reduces the active cooking time for cassoulet to a little over an hour while retaining the long-cooked, richly developed flavor of the traditional recipe.

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