Recipes Holidays + Events 31 Recipes to Make in October By Food & Wine Editors Updated on September 30, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos 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) 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. Get the Recipe 02 of 31 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. Get the Recipe 03 of 31 Prawn and Chorizo Fried Rice 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. Get the Recipe 04 of 31 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." Get the Recipe 05 of 31 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. Get the Recipe 06 of 31 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. Get the Recipe 07 of 31 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. Get the Recipe 08 of 31 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. Get the Recipe 09 of 31 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. Get the Recipe 10 of 31 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. Get the Recipe 11 of 31 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. Get the Recipe 12 of 31 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. Get the Recipe 13 of 31 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. Get the Recipe 14 of 31 Pernil Mac and Cheese 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. Get the Recipe 15 of 31 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. Get the Recipe 16 of 31 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. Get the Recipe 17 of 31 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. Get the Recipe 18 of 31 Pan-Roasted Chicken with 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. Get the Recipe 19 of 31 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. Get the Recipe 20 of 31 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." Get the Recipe 21 of 31 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. Get the Recipe 22 of 31 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. Get the Recipe 23 of 31 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. Get the Recipe 24 of 31 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. Get the Recipe 25 of 31 Forever Young 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. Get the Recipe 26 of 31 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. Get the Recipe 27 of 31 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. Get the Recipe 28 of 31 Earl Grey Ice Cream with Chocolate Toffee and Shortbread Crumble 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. Get the Recipe 29 of 31 Sweet Potato Sticky Buns 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. Get the Recipe 30 of 31 Overnight French Toast with Cranberries and Pecans 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. Get the Recipe 31 of 31 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. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit