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31 Recipes to Make in October

31 Recipes to Make in October

By Food & Wine

Updated October 01, 2020

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Credit: David Malosh

Fall may technically begin in September, but it really hits in October—a month of crisp, cool weather punctuated by crunchy fallen leaves and an onslaught of pumpkins. Chances are, you’re going to want warming, stick-to-your-ribs recipes in your back pocket. Think caramelized onion and bread soup with brûléed blue cheese, buttermilk macaroni and cheese with baby kale, and a whole roasted (yes, whole!) pumpkin with green beans and red curry rice. As for dessert, how does bourbon-pecan-apple pie with cinnamon whipped cream sound? (Yeah, you’ll want to make that ASAP.) Read on for all of those recipes, and more dishes we’ll be making all month long.

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Delicata Squash and Sausage Crostata with Ricotta and Honey

Credit: 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.

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Concord Grape Jelly

When you have an abundance of juicy sweet Concord grapes, this superb jelly is quick to make and sings of grape flavor.

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Warm Spinach and Sunchoke Salad

Credit: Con Poulos

This tasty salad from F&W Culinary Director-at-Large Justin Chapple nails the texture game, with chewy spinach, soft sunchokes, crunchy apples, and crumbly cheese.

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Date Scones with Fleur de Sel Whipped Butter

Credit: © Rick Poon

Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, F&W Best New Chefs from 2009, are well known for their LA pasta spot Jon and Vinny’s, yet these buttery scones—made with dates and served with jam—showcase the duo’s baking chops.

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Buttermilk Pancakes with Quince-and-Cranberry Compote

Credit: © Tara Fisher

Thanks to chef Amanda Freitag, we’ve finally realized what every buttermilk pancake ever has been missing: quince-and-cranberry compote. The combination is an irresistible mash-up of sweet and tart.

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Endive-and-Manchego Salad with Smoked Cocoa Walnuts

Credit: © Con Poulos

Chef Dave Beran, a 2014 F&W Best New Chef, has dreamt up some wild dishes at Next, Alinea, and his Santa Monica restaurant Dialogue, but this simple salad is just as delicious. Pro-tip: make some extra smoked cocoa walnuts for snacking. Trust us.

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Pumpkin Butter

Credit: Justin Walker

In the fall, when squash and pumpkins are in their prime, make this addictive pumpkin butter your go-to add-in. This silky 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.

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Red Cabbage, Apple, and Fromage Blanc Salad

Credit: Cedric Angeles

Creamy and tangy fromage blanc forms the backbone of this simple cabbage salad for a crunchy side dish or a palate-refreshing second course.

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Pasta with Pumpkin Brown Butter Sauce

Credit: Abby Hocking

A classic browned butter and sage sauce gets a boost of fall flavor from pumpkin butter. Be generous with the Parmigiano-Reggiano—its salty, savory bite adds the perfect hit of umami flavor to this decadent pasta dish.

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Caramelized Onion and Bread Soup with Brûléed Blue Cheese

Credit: Greg DuPree

In their book Wine Food, sommelier Dana Frank and recipe developer Andrea Slonecker pair funky, bright wines with flavorful, vegetable-forward dishes. In this vegetarian version of classic French onion soup, blue cheese and oloroso sherry bring new layers of flavor and depth. Notes of toasted nuts and fruit compote in the sherry pair well with caramelized onions, and its briny acidity cuts through the richness of the cheese.

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Roast Chicken with Sauce Chasseur

Credit: Victor Protasio

Sauce Chasseur is classically thickened with a rich demi-glace, but this version uses cream which allows the flavors of the herbs, tomatoes, and acidic wine to come through.

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Black Cod with Mushrooms, Bacon, and Red Wine Sauce

Credit: Cedric Angeles

A sweet and spicy take on Bordeaux-style red wine sauce makes this tender, flaky fish extra flavorful. Store-bought veal demi-glace is the secret to the sauce’s depth; look for it in specialty stores or online. Mushrooms and onions add unctuous texture.

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Soft Scrambled Eggs with Ham and Truffles

Credit: Victor Protasio

Light and fluffy, these eggs are gently seasoned and generously perfumed by fresh black truffles. For the perfect creamy, tender bite, pull the eggs off of the heat before they set; they will continue to cook after they leave the stove.

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Chestnut Crème Brûlée

Credit: Greg DuPree

Rich, luxurious chestnut puree settles toward the bottom of each ramekin, creating a beautiful ombré effect in this Corsican riff on the French classic. Available online, it has a texture that’s a cross between smooth almond butter and pastry filling.

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Bourbon-Pecan-Apple Pie with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Credit: Kelly Marshall

Chef and cookbook author Alexander Smalls spikes his pecan pie with sweet chunks of apple and just enough bourbon to add a kick. Fuji apples are perfect for this pie; they bake up soft but retain their texture. Braeburn and Honeycrisp also work well.

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Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon and Crème Fraîche

Credit: Erin Kunkel

Roasting the butternut with honey and a touch of salt intensifies the natural sweetness of the squash. Take time browning the onions; cooking them low and slow deepens the foundational flavor of this hearty soup.

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Whole Roasted Pumpkin with Green Beans and Red Curry Rice

Credit: 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.

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Brussels Sprouts with Shrimp Sauce

Credit: 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, with 13 locations 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.

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Sweet-and-Smoky Grilled Cheese Toastie

Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

A combination of chipotle-spiked béchamel and nutty Comté cheese melt together to create the rich, creamy center in this pressed “toastie” sandwich.

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Honey-Pear Sweet Cream Galette

Credit: Erin Kunkel

A mix of gluten-free rice flours and arrowroot delivers a crust that is flaky, buttery, and crisp. The floral sweetness from the honey and pears is nicely balanced by tangy cream cheese.

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Crackling Coppa Roast with Fennel and Onions

Credit: Erin Kunkel

Ask your butcher for pork shoulder with an untrimmed fat cap (about 3/4 inch thick) for this recipe; the fat renders as the pork roasts, simultaneously turning crispy while basting the meat with its flavorful juices.

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Farro Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables

Credit: David Malosh

Crispy roasted root vegetables like parsnips and celery root add an earthy, caramelized depth to this simple grain salad made with tender, chewy farro. Resist the urge to stir the vegetables during cooking—they’ll brown better if left undisturbed.

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Bavarian Pretzels

Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Forming these pretzels can seem tricky at first glance, but once you have the dough ropes in your hands, it flows like clockwork.

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Carolina Fish, Shrimp, and Okra Stew with Black Rice

Credit: Kelly Marshall

Chef and cookbook author Alexander Smalls builds rich flavor into this Lowcountry stew with a quick homemade stock using shrimp shells. Worcestershire adds an additional hit of umami, while fresh okra helps thicken the broth. Read more about Alexander Smalls and his epic Harlem dinner parties here.

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Smashed Sage-Butter Potatoes

Credit: 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.

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Coconut Chicken Adobo

Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

The addition of coconut milk, while not part of every adobo recipe, softens the bright vinegar in this version inspired by Master Sommelier June Rodil, who adds just enough to make the dish super wine-friendly. “I was born in the Philippines, and this is the staple there. Like, if you can’t make it, we’re talking disinheritance," Rodil says.

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Buttermilk Macaroni and Cheese with Baby Kale

Credit: Kelly Marshall

A quick sauté renders baby kale leaves perfectly tender, allowing them to almost melt into the buttermilk-enriched béchamel in chef and cookbook author Alexander Smalls' riff on mac and cheese. For a smooth sauce, make sure all of the dairy is at room temperature.

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Pork Chop au Poivre with Red Wine–Shallot Sauce

Credit: 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.

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Kale-Basil Pesto

Credit: Erin Kunkel

This fall-forward pesto bolsters traditional basil with Lacinato kale for extra heartiness. Winemaker Clare Carver recommends choosing a mild, smooth extra-virgin olive oil here for a buttery richness that complements the toasted walnuts and balances the garlic. Try this pesto with your favorite pasta, or serve it as an appetizer as Carver did at her Harvest Feast at Big Table Farm, on toasted baguette slices.

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Braised Duck Legs with Spaetzle and Mushroom Ragout

Credit: 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.

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Pear-Apricot Rum Cooler

Credit: Kelly Marshall

Sweet, floral pears and jammy dried apricots lighten up the rich caramel notes of the dark rum in this fall-forward cocktail. Don’t skip the crushed ice; it melts just enough without watering down the flavor.

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