We are headed into my favorite season….FALL! I know many of you are still holding on to the last bits of summer, and while I am too, I’m not mad about the season to come. The cooler air is creeping in at night requiring a cozy sweater or soft blanket. The leaves, although not changing quite yet, are starting to fall. And pumpkin everything is infiltrating the market. I get excited for my fall scented candles, hot cocoa, holiday markets, fall decor, and of course, comfort food season! Today, I’m sharing some of our favorite comfort food recipes we love to make when fall rolls around.
Comfort Food: Recipes to make this fall
These recipes are hearty and filling! Delivering all the cozy, warm, and feel-good vibes you want in this season. These are tried and true favorites we love and I know you will love them as well!
Fall comfort food recipes
Chicken Avgolemono Soup
When the days start to get a little cooler, one of my favorite fall recipes to make is Chicken Avgolemono Soup. Avgolemono is a Greek sauce that’s made with fresh lemon juice and egg yolks. This soup is perfect for the transition from summer to fall because it’s light and bright from all the lemon and dill but still hearty and comforting enough to warm you through on a chilly day.
And, it’s easy to make and comes together quickly when you use a rotisserie chicken as a short cut ingredient. Platings + Pairings has a very similar recipe to the one I make and if you love lemon and fresh dill, you will LOVE this soup!
Vegetable soup
One of our go-to recipes all year long, but even more so in the fall, is vegetable soup. I don’t have a recipe I follow per se but rather adapt it to fit what we have on hand.
I shared my method recently when I talked about my favorite go-to recipes I’ve been making while in quarantine. Gathering the veggies we have on hand or the ones about to go bad, I saute them up together to soften them.
Store-bought vegetable broth, or whatever broth you have on hand, gets added next along with a can of diced tomatoes. The tomatoes help to “thicken” the soup and make it a little more hearty. I also like to add some kale or spinach to get a little extra greens in our diet.
Season with salt and pepper and a mix of oregano, rosemary, and parsley to taste. To make this soup even more hearty and filling you can serve it with cooked rice or a small pasta like ditalini.
Crusty bread is MUST for soaking up all the delicious broth and a little shaved parmesean cheese never hurt anything!
You can’t go wrong with this recipe! It’s seriously the perfect way to use up what you have on hand in a delicious and healthy way!
Pastina with peas and carrots
Pastina with Peas and Carrots by Giada De Laurentiis is a family favorite. It’s such an easy recipe to make and perfect for those cooler nights when you want something quick and comforting.
This dish gets its cheesy richness from the blend of cream cheese and mascarpone. The peas and carrots add a bit of crunch and texture and the bowtie pasta is the perfect vessel for all the creamy sauce.
I usually forgo the basil and add pepper to give it a bit of a bite. Grilled chicken would also be a great addition if you wanted to add some protein to the mix.
Shepherds Pie
One of Mike’s favorite recipes to make when fall rolls around is Shepherd’s Pie. This Shepherd’s Pie recipe from Martha Stewart with ground lamb is our go-to. Super hearty and perfect for those cooler weekend nights when you’re ready to curl up on the couch with a good movie.
If you don’t like the taste of lamb, you can easily swap it for ground beef. We prefer the lamb though because of the earthy, minerally taste it brings to the dish. Something a little different that elevates this simple recipe.
Most of the time I cut this recipe in half for us and make it in one large pie dish instead of 8 smaller ramekins. But, if I wanna stock the freezer I make the full recipe and divide it in half. Stashing one away in the freezer for another day.
I also take a short cut with this recipe and use pre-made mashed potatoes. After I warm them through, I use them to top my Shepherd Pie. Helping dinner to come together in no time!
Meatloaf
When I think of fall and comfort food recipes, meatloaf is definitely one that comes to mind. I mean, is there anything more comforting than a plate of meatloaf with a side of buttery mash potatoes? I think not!
We are a house divided though when it comes to our meatloaf. While I prefer a recipe that has a glaze of some sort consisting of ketchup, Mike prefers something a little different.
One of my favorites is by Joanna Gaines and is from her first cookbook Magnolia Table. It’s a super simple recipe with your basic meatloaf ingredients except for one. Saltine Crackers! Jo likes the addition of these crackers instead of bread for a bit of texture. The first time I made this I didn’t have saltines on hand but swapped them for some buttery wheat crackers instead. It was DELICIOUS! I didn’t notice much of a texture change since they melted right in. But, the additional flavor they brought to the mix though was what I loved best about this recipe. And, since I’m a fan of a ketchup glaze, I was smitten!
Mike prefers recipes without ketchup or that have an Italian twist. One of his favorites is this Best-Ever Meatloaf recipe by Taste of Home. The glaze on this one is a mix of tomato sauce, brown sugar, and mustard. Giving it a bit of a sweet and savory taste to it.
Whoever makes dinner on meatloaf night gets to pick!
Chicken and dumplings
While quarantined at home this summer we’ve been watching some of the Food Network chefs cooking from their homes. One episode by Michael Symon where he makes his Cast-Iron Chicken and Dumplings on the grill had us DROOLING.
I decided to add it to our menu the following week and grabbed the items we needed at the store. It’s an easy recipe and comes together pretty quickly if you take a moment to prep a few things before you get started.
The first time I made this I cut the chicken and vegetable base in half since it’s just the two of us and I only had one roast chicken. I made the full batch of dumplings though, minus the jalapeno, since that’s usually the best part! Also, I cooked this on top of the stove in our cast iron skillet instead of on the grill. Popping it into the oven to bake the dumplings when the time came.
It’s turned out perfect and my favorite part was the bit of lime zest and lime juice in the dumplings! Just that bit of citrus brought enough tartness and acid to cut through some of the heaviness that can come from comfort food recipes like this. Making this hearty recipe feel just a touch lighter.
The second time I made this I forgot I cut the chicken and vegetable base in half. It still turned out well it was just a little wetter and more food than we needed. Even from a leftover standpoint. The next time I make it I’ll definitely cut the base in half again.
I highly recommend giving this one a try and bet it will become a favorite in your house too!
Something sweet
Pumpkin Cookies
I’ve talked about these cookies before in my 2019 Christmas Cookie Round-Up post but I could hardly have a fall recipe post and fail to mention them in it. They are seriously THE BEST pumpkin cookies I’ve EVER had and fall wouldn’t be fall without them!
As soon as pumpkin spice everything starts to take over the market and the nights dip into the low 60s and 50s, I start to get the itch to make these cookies.
Dear Chrissy’s Melt in your Mouth Pumpkin Cookies is seriously the best thing since sliced bread. FOR REAL! They are SO soft and perfectly spiced. Full of all the fall flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin of course! The frosting takes these pumpkin cookies over the top but we are just as happy to have them unfrosted. They are that good!
The recipe makes approximately 70 cookies so there’s plenty to go around and I usually stash some away in the freezer for Christmas. BRB my mouth is watering and I think I need to go make a batch, or 3!
Peach Cobbler
Another one of our fall must-have recipes over here in the Lowe household is peach cobbler. Every year when the peach truck comes through town, my in-laws grab a bunch of peaches. Usually, we’re lucky enough to benefit from this and are able to snag a few for Mike.
I’ve never been a huge peach person so it seemed silly to buy a bunch for ourselves when he was the only one eating them. That is until I stumbled across this Peach Cobbler recipe from The Slow Roasted Italian.
Now, every year when peaches are in season, it’s become a tradition to make this recipe at the end of summer as we head into fall.
I’m a huge fan of cobblers because of their cake-like consistency and this one is SO good! You pre-cook the peaches so when everything is baked they are super soft and jam-like. The cobbler gets a little bit of crunch from the sugar dusting on top but remains ooey-gooey underneath where it meets the warm peaches. Topped with cool vanilla bean ice cream and I’m in heaven!
Comfort Food is the best food!
So whether you are hanging on to the last bits of summer or ready for some crisp, fall days, these fall comfort food recipes won’t disappoint!
Tell me below! What’s your favorite comfort food recipe to make when fall arrives?
Leave a Reply