The Kitchen's Best Recipes for Fall

When the sweltering nights of summer turn to the chilly days of autumn, look to these comforting recipes to usher in the new season.

From: Jeff Mauro, Katie Lee, Marcela Valladolid, Sunny Anderson, and Geoffrey Zakarian

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Photo By: Pawel Kaminski

Spaghetti Tossed with Butternut Squash and Sage Butter

Sage may just be the unofficial herb of autumn, and here it lends a fragrant warmth to Marcela's simple pasta. She fries the sage with garlic in melted butter before mixing in the sweet roasted squash, crunchy hazelnuts (for crunch) and tangles of pasta.

Get the Recipe: Spaghetti Tossed with Butternut Squash and Sage Butter

Truffled Mushroom and Cheese Macaroni Casserole

The secret ingredient in Geoffrey Zakarian's casserole is a glug of truffle oil, which instantly dresses up his two-cheese macaroni with bold flavor.

Get the Recipe: Truffled Mushroom and Cheesy Macaroni Casserole

Roasted Cauliflower

Marcela boosts the flavor of roasted cauliflower with a quick-fix mixture of pickled peppers, nutty Parmesan and toasted pine nuts for bold flavor.

Get the Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower

Next-Day Fall Vegetable Bruschetta

When summer turns to fall and tomatoes are no longer in season, look to other toppings to adorn bruschetta. Here Geoffrey lets leftover veggies like roasted Brussels sprouts shine by creating a mixture starring the pre-roasted veggies, plus crumbled feta and pickled chiles.

Get the Recipe: Next Day Fall Vegetable Bruschetta

Rustic Apple Pie Crostata

The beauty of a crostata is that there's no need to crimp, pinch or decorate the crust as you might a pie crust. Here Katie starts with rolled-out dough (store-bought is A-OK) and simply piles the cinnamon-scented apples on top before folding over the edges of the pastry to partly cover the fruit.

Get the Recipe: Rustic Apple Pie Crostata

Pumpkin Roll Cake

Follow Katie's lead and use a sugar-dusted dishtowel to help you roll up her pumpkin-cinnamon cake around the cream cheese filling.

Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Roll Cake

Fig and Pepita Goat Cheese Log

Party-ready appetizers need not be complicated to be impressive. Katie dresses up a log of creamy goat cheese with sweet fig jam and salty pepitas to create an almost-instant cheese platter. Simply serve with crackers for a help-yourself starter.

Get the Recipe: Fig and Pepita Goat Cheese Log

Sunny's Easy, Beefy Stew

Sunny Anderson's hearty stew is all about choices. You can prep it either in a slow cooker, in the oven or on the stove, and you can serve the tender beef and veggies on whatever base you like. Think rice, pasta or bread, or go for more veggies, like zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash.

Get the Recipe: Sunny's Easy Beefy Stew

Texas Rising Chili con Carne

Smoky, meaty and just a bit spicy, Jeff's top-rated chili features cubed chuck roast and bits of bacon instead of the usual ground beef. He creates his own spice mix featuring a trio of roasted chiles, cumin and Mexican oregano to achieve a balanced flavor in the chili.

Get the Recipe: Texas Rising Chili Con Carne

Accordion Potatoes

The key to making successful accordion potatoes is making deep cuts in each spud (but not so deep that you go through the skin completely), then brushing the garlic butter all around the crevices; this will help guarantee the most flavor throughout.

Get the Recipe: Accordion Potatoes

Quick Chicken Tortellini Soup

Fragrant thyme adds a layer of fresh flavor to Jeff Mauro's comforting soup, which is studded with juicy shredded chicken and laced with bright lemon juice.

Get the Recipe: Quick Chicken Tortellini Soup

Chocolate-Covered Apple Slices

Whereas a classic caramel-coated apple can be tricky to eat, these chocolate-dunked beauties, finished with peanut and coconut toppings, are fuss-free because they're already portioned in grab-and-go slices.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate-Covered Apple Slices

Eggplant Parm Soup

The old-school Italian dinner you know and love gets the soup treatment in Jeff's easy recipe. To save time in the kitchen, he starts with ready-to-go tomato soup, which he serves in individual crocks and dresses up with a blanket of gooey mozzarella and golden cubes of fried eggplant before serving.

Get the Recipe: Eggplant Parm Soup

Acorn Squash Agrodolce

With a name that's Italian for "bitter sweet," agrodolce brings together two distinct flavors into one harmonious bite. Here Katie Lee creates a tangy-sweet sauce with red wine vinegar, currants and honey to serve with seasonal roasted squash.

Get the Recipe: Acorn Squash Agrodolce

Sunny's Tater Tot Pie

Similar to a cottage or shepherd's pie in that it features a base layer of spiced ground beef and vegetables, Sunny's pie comes together not with mashed potatoes but with row after row of crispy Tater Tots.

Get the Recipe: Sunny's Tater Tot Pie

Apple, Pear and Walnut Stuffed French Toast

On those mornings when cereal and toast just won't do, try this decadent French toast to start the day on a sweet note. It's important to start with thick cuts of challah, a hearty, buttery bread, because each slice can be sliced again to form a pocket for the buttery fruit filling.

Get the Recipe: Apple, Pear and Walnut Stuffed French Toast

Sweet Potato and Arugula Salad

More filling than the usual green salad, Katie's version gets its heft from tender cubes of baked sweet potato and a creamy dressing made with Parmesan cheese.

Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato and Arugula Salad

Butternut Squash-Chipotle Bisque

Marcela Valladolid mixes up sour cream and chipotles in adobo sauce to create a creamy, smoky topping for her big-batch bisque.

Get the Recipe: Butternut Squash-Chipotle Bisque

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