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 Biegel, Marcela Valladolid, Sunny Anderson, and Geoffrey Zakarian

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Photo By: Teri Lyn Fisher

Photo By: Pawel Kaminski

Sunny’s Easy Caramel Apple Cheesecake Dip

This ooey-gooey dessert is the perfect way to use up your fall apple harvest! Cut them into wedges and dip into this delicious treat.

Get the Recipe: Sunny's Easy Caramel Apple Cheesecake Dip

Fall Kale and Sausage Pasta Bake

According to Katie, this cheesy, no-fuss dish "is great for freezing." When reheating from frozen, make sure to reserve the cheese until you’re ready to bake it in the oven.

Get the Recipe: Fall Kale and Sausage Pasta Bake

Roasted Sweet Potato Quick Bread

Instead of the usual pumpkin, use mashed sweet potatoes to make Alex’s gently spiced autumnal bread.

Get the Recipe: Roasted Sweet Potato Quick Bread

Hot Apple Cider Donut Mocktail

Cinnamon, clove, vanilla and ground nutmeg boost the warm flavors of this cider. Add a splash of vanilla or whipped cream vodka for an extra treat.

Get the Recipe: Hot Apple Cider Donut Mocktail

Smoky Pork Chops with Caramelized Onion-Honeycrisp Compote

With sweet onions, apples and a splash of vinegar, Jeff’s compote is the ultimate mix of sweet-savory flavors, and they all pair perfectly with pork.

Get the Recipe: Smoky Pork Chops with Caramelized Onion-Honeycrisp Compote

BBQ’d Sweet Potato and Parmesan Souffle

Even souffle newbies can pull off GZ’s easy recipe. It turns out light and fluffy every time.

Get the Recipe: BBQ'd Sweet Potato and Parmesan Souffle

Sunny’s Holiday Vibe Sweet Potatoes

Cut prep time in half by using pre-portioned, frozen sweet potato patties.

Get the Recipe: Sunny's Holiday Vibe Sweet Potatoes

2-Ingredient Cupcakes

Katie uses a box spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin puree to make these sweet treats in a hurry.

Get the Recipe: 2-Ingredient Cupcakes

Sunny’s Easy Apfelkuchen

Sunny’s twist on the traditional German apple cake starts with a boxed cake mix and is finished with a cinnamon-brown sugar streusel on top.

Get the Recipe: Sunny's Easy Apfelkuchen

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

Apple Cider-Glazed Salmon

Geoffrey bathes salmon filets in a slightly sweet mixture of apple cider, honey and mustard for the ultimate fall dish.

Apple Mug Pie

Save time by forgoing the usual pie dough and opt for individual-serving mini apple pies with a buttery cinnamon-sugar streusel on top.

Get the Recipe: Apple Mug Pie

Fall Nachos

Cripsy browned Brussels sprouts, a sweet-tangy apple salsa and the creamiest butternut squash cheese sauce totally transform a platter of nachos into a showstopping autumnal dinner.

Get the Recipe: Fall Nachos

Apple, Cheddar and Brie Grilled Cheese

Raisin walnut bread is a just-sweet-enough complement to Jeff's gooey-good sandwich.

Get the Recipe: Apple, Cheddar and Brie Grilled Cheese

Savory Pumpkin Quiche with Caramelized Bacon and Onions

Don't be afraid to take a few store-bought shortcuts when prepping this brunch-worthy quiche. Start with a store-bought pie crust for the base, and definitely embrace the canned pumpkin puree. (Just be sure to not use pumpkin pie filling; that's too sweet for this dish.)

Get the Recipe: Savory Pumpkin Quiche with Caramelized Bacon and Onions

Sunny's Cheat Sheet Mini Meatloaves with Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli

Throw it and forget it. That's the name of the game when prepping Sunny's all-in-one dinner recipe. Simply arrange the ground chicken-based meatloaves with the potatoes and broccoli on a single sheet tray, then toss it in the oven until everything is golden and cooked through.

Get the Recipe: Sunny's Cheat Sheet Mini Meatloaves with Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli

Maple Cream Pie

Who needs pumpkin and apple pies when this maple-flavored beauty is up for grabs at your holiday party? There's finely ground walnuts in the buttery crust, which offers welcome texture against the rich and creamy filling.

Get the Recipe: Maple Cream Pie

Fall Spice Snack Mix

Fragrant cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg combine with salt and pepper to lend warm flavors to this seriously craveworthy snack.

Get the Recipe: Fall Spice Snack Mix

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