Best Fall Foods to Add to Your Autumn Menu

Fall is right around the corner, and with it, chillier temperatures. While fall doesn’t officially start until September 22, 2024, Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer. The kids are going back to school if they haven’t already started, football season is starting, the morning air has a bit of a nip to it, and it’s time to get the hoodies out of storage.

Fall is also a great chance to start implementing some different menu items in your home. While most foods aren’t really “seasonal,” we do typically associate some foods with certain seasons.

For instance, fresh produce like cantaloupes and watermelons makes most people think of summertime. In the same vein, chillis, soups, and other hot foods make most people think of fall and winter.

Whether you’re cooking for a large family or just want to add some variety to the menu that you prep for yourself, we’ve got you covered with some foods that need to be part of your fall menu.

Some of these foods may have been staples in your kitchen for years, but there are probably some others that you’re going to think of for the first time. Let’s get into our list of fall menu items that are perfect additions to any seasonal menu.

Pumpkin Soup

With pumpkin-flavored drinks and sweet treats popping up at every coffee shop around the country, the trademark flavor of fall is back in style. With that in mind, adding pumpkin soup to your rotation of fall foods is a great way to blend two of the season’s most traditional items.

All you need is some pumpkin puree, vegetable broth, garlic, onions, cream, and some spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.

Start the process by sauteing some onions and garlic in a skillet before adding your pumpkin puree and vegetable broth. It shouldn’t take long for the flavors to meld together beautifully.

Blend everything together until it's smooth throughout and then add your cream, stirring it in until the soup has the consistency that you’re looking for. Season the mixture with your cinnamon and nutmeg. It’s important to add these seasonings slowly and taste-test your soup often until you’re sure of how much you want to add.

When this dish is done cooking, you’ll have a rich, thick soup full of earthy flavors. The flavor profiles of the onions and garlic along with the cinnamon and nutmeg contrast beautifully, resulting in a soup that’s sure to become a favorite.

Butternut Squash Risotto

Don’t let the name of this fall food discourage you; it’s easier to make than you may think. Start by gathering all of your ingredients, including butternut squash, arborio rice, garlic, onion, vegetable broth, white wine, and Parmesan cheese.

When you have all of your ingredients gathered and prepped, start by sauteing your onions and garlic before adding the arborio rice to the mix. Let everything get toasted in your sauté pan and then start stirring in your white wine, being careful not to add too much.

With the mixture thoroughly stirred, stir in your vegetable broth before finishing off the dish by folding in your butternut squash and your Parmesan cheese.

The sweetness of the butternut squash will pair perfectly with the savory flavor profiles of the garlic, onion, and vegetable broth.

This fall dish is much easier to make than many people assume, and since you can stir in the wine and cheese at your own pace, you can pretty much dictate how much of those items get into your dish, making it a fully customizable fall menu item that you’ll want to make again and again.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Whether you’re going to a potluck with friends and family, or you just want to make something for yourself, sweet potato casserole is a quintessential fall dish that’s easy to make. Gather your sweet potatoes, brown sugar, butter, marshmallows, pecans, and cinnamon, and get ready to put together a dish that you’re going to love.

Start by cooking and mashing your sweet potatoes. The number of people that you’re prepping this dish for will dictate how many sweet potatoes you’re going to need. With your sweet potatoes thoroughly mashed, start mixing in your brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon.

Pour the mixture into a casserole pan and spread it evenly throughout before adding the marshmallows and pecans to the top. Stick the casserole in the oven, which you will preheat to 375 degrees, and let it bake for 25 to 30 minutes. When it’s done, you’ll have a creamy casserole dish that tastes like fall.

Beef Stew

Sure, you can go to the grocery store and get a heat-and-eat can of beef stew, but doing so deprives you of the rich flavors that you can add by making it yourself.

Gather some beef chuck or steak tips, depending on what kind of meat you want to use in your stew, onions, garlic, potatoes, carrots, and any other root vegetables that you like. Remember, it’s your stew and you can make it with your favorite ingredients. Finally, grab a bottle of red wine and some beef broth.

Brown your meat of choice and then start adding your vegetables, letting them simmer in the juices that naturally come from the protein that you’re using. After the veggies have picked up flavor notes from the beef and the meat is cooked through, add everything into a pot along with some red wine and beef broth.

Let everything cook together until the vegetables are as cooked as you like them and the meat is done all the way through. The beef broth and wine will infuse the ingredients with different flavor profiles, and you’ll have a beef stew that’s far better than anything that you can find at the store.

Apple Pie

Is there any dessert item more synonymous with fall than a good pie?

This traditional apple pie is incredibly easy to make and pairs perfectly with your morning coffee or a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Unless you want to go through the process of making your pie crust from scratch, you can grab a frozen pie crust from the grocery store. The ingredients you’re going to use will easily mask the fact that you’re using premade crust.

Slice your apples and toss them in brown sugar and cinnamon. You can use any kind of apple you want, and the choice you make will impact the flavor profile of your pie. Apples with a more tart flavor will be very different from those that are naturally sweeter.

Arrange your chopped apples in the bottom of the pie crust, and add some apple sauce to help fill out the pie. Simply put the top piece of the crust on, put it in your oven at 350 degrees, and bake until the crust turns a nice, golden brown.

Embracing the Flavors of Fall

You certainly don’t have to only cook these foods in the fall, but they all provide some cozy warmth and flavors that you typically associate with the season.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with some variations to these recipes to put the flavors in play that you like the most. Fall is here and these flavors can help you enjoy it even more.

Happy fall!