Wake Me Up When September *Starts*, Because We Can't Wait To Make These 30 Fall-Forward Recipes This Month
September is the month of transitions, with back-to-school shaking up routines, weather shifting from hot and sticky to cool and crisp, and everyone refocusing on work after holidays and vacations. In the kitchen, we get the benefits of all this change; summer's culinary bounty is still plentiful, and the first fresh produce of fall is beginning to be harvested. (Plus, it's no longer too hot in the kitchen to want to cook!)
Whether you're in the mood for cozy comfort food or a refreshing cocktail, we've gathered 30 scrumptious recipes to help you make the most of September. Get ready to cook your way through the month with these seasonal dishes from across the internet:
1.Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Creamy Maple Dressing
The Modern Proper / Via themodernproper.com
If you're ready for fall but not quite ready for soup season, look no further than this hearty salad. Put it all together in less than 20 minutes for an easy side dish, or add your favorite protein for a quick lunch.
Recipe: Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Creamy Maple Dressing
2.Butternut Squash Parmesan Frittata
How Sweet Eats / Via howsweeteats.com
This straightforward breakfast (or even dinner) combines caramelized butternut squash with tangy goat cheese and sage, and it honestly couldn't capture the fall vibe better if it tried.
Recipe: Butternut Squash Parmesan Frittata
3.Skirt Steak with Italian Salsa Verde
There's something magical about Italian salsa verde. This fresh and zesty sauce made with parsley, lemon, anchovy, vinegar, and olive oil turns just about any protein from zero to one hundred.
Classic spicy vodka sauce gets a fall twist in this comforting pasta dish. Just replace tomatoes with pumpkin puree, and you can have dinner ready in only 30 minutes.
Recipe: Creamy Pumpkin Pasta
How Sweet Eats / Via howsweeteats.com
This super moist snack cake packs in the apple flavor by using both apple butter and grated apples. Top with a drizzle of brown butter icing, and you'll be eating this from breakfast through dessert.
Recipe: Apple Butter Snack Cake
6.Lentil and Roasted Eggplant Salad
Recipetineats / Via recipetineats.com
Eggplant sometimes struggles to get its moment in the "late summer, early fall" produce spotlight, but this filling salad makes up for it. After a gentle roast in the oven, the eggplant turns tender and melty, which makes it the perfect ingredient to contrast zippy tomatoes and hearty lentils.
Recipe: Lentil and Roasted Eggplant Salad
The colors and flavors of this plant-based dish scream fall in a way that has nothing to do with pumpkin spice. Warm spices like cumin and cayenne contrast honey and orange zest, transforming what might have otherwise been a side dish into a main event.
P.S. Farro is an ancient form of wheat, so if you or someone you're cooking for is gluten-free, swap the farro for buckwheat, millet, or any grain that tickles your fancy, and prepare the recipe exactly the same.
Recipe: Golden Carrots and Farro
8.Overnight Cinnamon Roll Bread with Chai Frosting
With a hefty swipe of fall-forward Chai frosting, this easy, make-ahead recipe will fill your kitchen with the world's greatest aroma: freshly baked cinnamon rolls. It works just as nicely for dessert as it does for a cozy autumnal breakfast with a cup of piping hot coffee.
9.Plum Salad With Black Pepper and Parmesan
Just like the month of September, this stone-fruit salad bridges the culinary gap between summer and fall. Nutty parmesan cheese and black peppercorns take plums from summery sweet to autumnal savory, and the flavors balance perfectly. Not to mention — it looks so gosh darn pretty!
10.Vegan Artichoke Dip
Love & Lemons / Via loveandlemons.com
Football season is right around the corner. When it comes to game day, I'm only there for the food, especially if this artichoke dip is at the tailgate. A vegan spin on the classic dip, this version is still creamy from blended cashews and is a great option for anyone who is lactose-free.
Recipe: Vegan Artichoke Dip
We might all be mourning the end of summer, but this twist on a tarte tatin will have you quickly celebrating fig season. With only five ingredients and one pan, there couldn't be an easier dessert out there.
Recipe: Maple Fig Tarte Tatin
12.Whole-Roasted Harissa Cauliflower
Home Cooking Collective / Via homecookingcollective.com
Harissa paste is a Tunisian chili paste used in Northern African and Middle Eastern cuisines. Depending on the maker (you can make it yourself at home, too!), it comes in many textures, flavor profiles, and heat levels. Recipe developer Karishma recommends using a mild harissa like this one for the glaze.
Recipe: Whole-Roasted Harissa Cauliflower with Garlic Yogurt
This Vietnamese dish is honestly better than takeout. Think: Crispy charred shrimp served over vermicelli noodles and crisp veggies, all tossed in a tangy, herbaceous sauce.
Recipe: Shrimp Bún Chả
It doesn't get much better than this one-skillet meal made with perfectly cooked chicken meatballs in a luscious sun-dried tomato sauce with prosciutto.
Recipe: Marry Me Chicken Meatballs
We obviously can't wait for pumpkin season, but if it's still too hot where you live to even think about turning on your oven, then this pumpkin tiramisu will be right up your alley. This recipe skips the traditional egg yolks in the cream mixture by swapping in heavy cream instead, which makes the whole thing that much easier to assemble.
Recipe: Pumpkin Tiramisu
How Sweet Eats / Via howsweeteats.com
This lower ABV cocktail couldn't be more effortless to make: just muddle figs with brown sugar and lemon, then top with prosecco. In just a few minutes, you'll have a refreshing drink that wonderfully highlights late-summer figs.
Recipe: Brown Sugar Fig Bubbly
17.Slow Cooker Chicken Pumpkin Curry
Fall is synonymous with busting out your slow cooker from storage, and this pumpkin curry is well worth the trek down to your basement (or getting on your tippy toes to reach the too-high shelf you relegated it to in spring). While you can use canned pumpkin puree, roasting pumpkin or butternut squash on your own yields the most flavorful results.
Home Cooking Collective / Via homecookingcollective.com
Believe it or not, it's nearly apple-picking season. Make good use of your haul with this recipe, which doubles as breakfast and dessert.
Recipe: Apple Cider Coffee Cake
19.Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Tacos
Cooking dinner for a family or looking for a recipe that gives plenty of recipes? This is the one for you! Make a big batch of buffalo chicken meat and turn it into tacos or burrito bowls for days to come.
PSA: Chilly fall evenings aren't so far away. Treat yourself to this Greek-inspired tomato soup that will warm you up from the inside out.
Recipe: Greek Tomato Feta Soup
21.Tofu With Rice And Maple-Miso Dressing
Crispy tofu in a sticky, slightly sweet sauce packed with umami? Say less.
Baking tofu in the oven is low effort and high payoff. Pressing the tofu and sprinkling it with cornstarch before baking ensures a crispy-crunchy exterior and pillowy inside.
22.Salmon Salad With Yogurt Dressing
This main course-worthy salad manages to be light and refreshing yet seriously satisfying at the same time — a true feat.
23.Italian Chopped Salad With Grilled Garlic Baguettes
How Sweet Eats / Via howsweeteats.com
Life hack: When you're sick of salad, turn it into a mouthwatering, open-faced sandwich on decadent garlic bread.
Recipe: Italian Chopped Salad With Grilled Garlic Baguettes
Orzo is a heroic ingredient when it comes to budget-friendly, quick-cooking dinners, and this soup-inspired pasta dish is basically as good as it gets. Essentially, it's risotto without all the fuss (or stirring); it takes all the goodness of a homemade chicken soup and turns it into a glorious weeknight dinner.
Recipe: Creamy Chicken Orzo
25.Apple Cider Mezcal Margarita
Gimme Some Oven / Via gimmesomeoven.com
Smoky, sweet, and tart, this cocktail is perfect for all your fall gatherings. Use your favorite apple cider to quickly whip this up, or even make your own!
Recipe: Apple Cider Mezcal Margarita
26.Pistachio Pesto Pasta with Grilled Corn, Zucchini, and Pecorino
If you're living in the northeast of the US, corn and zucchini are at their peak harvesting season in September, so celebrate the final days of summer with this bright and herbaceous pesto pasta.
Recipe: Pistachio Pesto Pasta with Grilled Corn, Zucchini, and Pecorino
27.Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells
Love & Lemons / Via loveandlemons.com
This plant-based stuffed shell recipe uses cashew cream and tofu instead of ricotta, and the result is *chef's kiss.* This dish is comforting and nourishing, packed with spinach and butternut squash in the filling. Recipe developers Jeanine and Jack recommend dolloping some extra cashew cream on top of each shell before digging in. It's a weeknight-friendly meal to welcome the fall season.
Recipe: Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells
Vanilla poached pears and a pistachio frangipane make this tart an absolute showstopper. Just make sure to grab pears that are ripe but still firm so that they hold their shape.
Recipe: Pistachio Pear Tart
29.Turkish-Style Leeks Recipe (Zeytinyağlı Pırasa)
If you make this dish, the savory aroma of braising leeks will warm the heart of anyone who enters your kitchen — I promise. Suzy's Zeytinyağlı Pırasa is extra cozy because it includes cumin and the hero of our spice cabinets, Aleppo pepper. This dish could be served as a side with a protein as the main, but is hearty enough to be eaten on its own in a bowl with some bread.
The Seasoned Mom / Via theseasonedmom.com
This recipe uses a genius shortcut to get a photo-worthy (but busy morning-approved) parfait on the table in just minutes: "stewing" your apples in the microwave until they're just softened. For extra busy mornings, though, don't hesitate to toss everything into a to-go cup as you sprint out the door. It'll taste just as good!
Recipe: Apple Crisp Yogurt Parfait
Just thinking about cooking up some of these dishes makes me want to put on a sweater and listen to that one Earth, Wind & Fire song on repeat — IYKYK. Inspired to try one of these recipes? Let us know how it goes in the comments below!
