Looking for fall recipes that aren’t pumpkin-related? I’ve got you covered! These 17+ fancy recipes are delicious and bursting with fall flavor – minus the pumpkin.
17+ Fancy Fall Recipes That Go Way Beyond Pumpkins
1. Poached Pears with Maple Cream and Cardamom Cakes
How gorgeous is this pear dessert? It’s the perfect fall dish and decadently delicious. The cardamom cakes are simple to make, but I do recommend using a high-quality cardamom powder.
The recipe calls for Bosch pears, but you can use whatever variety you can find in the store.
2. French Onion and Apple Grilled Cheese
A fancy grilled cheese sandwich that oozes fall flavors. Caramelized onions paired with fresh herbs (thyme, sage and crushed red pepper), cooked prosciutto, onion and apple slices atop toasted bread – yum!
You can use any type of cheese you want. And if you’re not a fan of prosciutto, you can skip this ingredient and it will still be delicious.
I recommend using sharp white cheddar for this sandwich because it pairs so well with apples.
Related: 19 Fall Dinner Party Ideas to Wow Your Guests
3. Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter and Pecans
One of my favorite fall recipes to make when I’m not in the mood for pumpkin. It’s rich and filling, which is exactly what you want when the weather gets colder.
If you have the time, I recommend making the ravioli yourself. But fresh store-bought will work just fine if you’re in a hurry. Look for butternut squash ravioli.
The brown butter pecan sauce is a mix of butter, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and toasted pecans. It’s so delicious! Plus, you’ll add some extra butternut squash cubes for more flavor.
4. Chicken Normandy
A traditional French casserole dish that’s ideal for fall weather. The chicken is browned and braised slowly in a creamy apple cider sauce and then finished off with caramelized apple wedges. Ingredients like Dijon mustard and cream give so much flavor to this dish.
Use a variety of fresh apples and look for a dry apple cider (less sugar). If you don’t want to use cider, you can substitute apple cider juice instead.
The entire dish takes about an hour to cook, but you’re sure to have plenty of leftovers.
5. Sausage Tortellini Soup with Spinach
This autumn soup is the ultimate comfort food. It’s loaded with sweet potatoes, garlic, spinach, sausage and delicious three-cheese tortellini – all cooked in a creamy broth.
I recommend using Italian sausage, but you can use any variety you prefer.
You’ll want to use a high-sided stockpot to cook this soup, but I recommend using a cast-iron pan to brown the sausage (it makes a huge difference in the flavor).
What I love most about this soup is that you can easily freeze it (just skip the cream) and enjoy it on a busy weeknight when you don’t have much time to cook.
6. Braised Chicken with Figs
Fresh figs pair perfectly with chicken thighs, sherry cooking wine, chicken broth and fresh herbs. This dish is so incredibly simple, but it looks tasty and has such fun flavors.
Just season and brown your chicken thighs with shallots, garlic, butter and thyme. Nestle the figs between the chicken (open side up for caramelizing) and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Quick, simple and delicious.
We like to serve this dish over mashed potatoes or creamy polenta. Add some wilted greens and a little bit of goat cheese to round out the flavors.
7. Cinnamon Honeycrisp Apple Galette
Some of the best fall recipes involve apples, and this galette really is special. It’s so simple to make from scratch, but it tastes like you’ve spent hours making it.
It’s simpler than making an apple pie. You’ll make a crust and roll it out into a 12-inch circle. Then, you’ll add the apple filling to the center and fold the edges over the apples. Add an egg wash to the crust and bake.
It’s that easy! We also add some powdered sugar to the crust once the galette is fully baked for a little extra sweetness.
8. Gruyère & Thyme Fall Focaccia
Delicious gruyère cheese and fresh thyme baked into a pillowy-soft focaccia bread. This recipe is a labor of love, but it’s worth every step.
I recommend using a stand mixer to knead the dough to make your life easier. Once the dough is ready, you’ll shape it and top it with cubes of cheese and fresh thyme. Feel free to add any other herbs you want.
Also, use a high-quality olive oil to top the focaccia dough before baking.
Making focaccia from scratch takes time (3 hours), but most of that time is hands-off.
9. Mushroom Galette
Savory galettes are so fun to make and delicious. This mushroom galette is perfect for fall and is one of my favorite comfort foods.
You can use premade pie dough for the crust, or you can make it from scratch.
The filling at the center is a mix of crimini mushrooms, ricotta, onion, gruyère cheese, parmesan cheese and a pinch of nutmeg.
Bake for 20-30 minutes and you have a fancy fall dinner that everyone will love.
Related: 15+ Cozy Fall Party Ideas for This Holiday Season
10. French Chicken and Mushroom Pie
Juicy chicken thighs, mushrooms and a creamy white wine thyme sauce baked in a flaky crust. The sauce has to be just right to prevent the bottom of the pie from getting too soggy.
Don’t worry – Cup of Sugar Pinch of Salt will walk you through it.
You can use any type of mushrooms you want, but the recipe calls for cremini or shiitake.
11. Shepherdess Pie
Shepherdess Pie is a hearty dish that remakes the classic with purple sweet potatoes, festive colors and veggies, such as turnips and root vegetables. It’s a more involved recipe that incorporates purple sweet potatoes with sunchokes, zucchini, venison, Worcestershire, soy sauce and other fun ingredients.
12. Braised Chicken with Figs and Red Grapes
Figs and grapes make this one of my favorite fall recipes on the list. Perfect for an autumn night, you’ll start by adding a tablespoon of olive oil into a Dutch oven and then prepping the chicken. Sear each side and then pour your apple cider vinegar into the pan after removing the chicken to scrape up the leftover bits.
You’ll follow a few additional steps before placing your figs and grapes to create a fantastic presentation.
13. Cranberry Roast Beef
I can picture this dish on the table during family gatherings with the smell of roast beef in the air and the amazing red coloring of the cranberries. It’s an easy recipe to follow that requires 3 to 5 pounds of roast beef, balsamic vinegar, garlic cloves, cranberry sauce, red pepper flakes, salt, olive oil, veggie oil, cranberries, beef broth and thyme.
And the most important step is the first when you add your vinegar, cranberry sauce, sugar, salt, olive oil, red pepper flakes and garlic into a large resealable bag. Your bag must be able to contain the entire roast beef, which you’ll pierce, place in the bag and then massage.
If you let the beef marinate in the bag overnight in the refrigerator and turn it over periodically, you’ll enjoy an ultra-tender dish the next day.
14. Brie and Bourbon Apple Tarts
Imagine a gourmet meal with apple tarts. That’s what to expect with this recipe. You’ll need 45m for this recipe, which requires puff pastry, apricot preserves, brie, apples, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, bourbon, ginger, cloves, egg and sea salt.
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper, then toss your apples with your sugar, butter, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and bourbon.
Roll out your puff pastry, cut into squares and add your apricot spread on each. Add brie and finish with apple slices. Fold the squares after brushing the edges with your egg wash and then place them in the fridge for 15 minutes. Remove, bake for 15-20 minutes, add salt on top and serve.
15. Sage Butternut Squash Gratin
Gratin isn’t one of the fall recipes that I envisioned on this fall’s list, but it’s healthy and delicious, so I had to add it. Eatwell makes this recipe easy to follow, and you’ll:
- Start by prepping the squash
- Melting butter and cooking shallots and garlic in a small saucepan
- Adding in flour and whisking with a wooden spoon
- Slowly whisk in the vegetable stock
- Add cream, onion powder, pepper and sage leaves
Finally, grease a 9×13 baking dish, drizzle the bottom of the pan with the mixture in the previous steps, layer your butter squash gratin and then finish drizzling the mixture on top of the squash before baking.
16. Maple Bourbon Braised Short Ribs
Short ribs, maple syrup and bourbon come together perfectly in this recipe. Start by searing your short ribs in a Dutch oven on medium heat, add your aromatics, which include:
- Carrot
- Thyme
- Celery
- Onions
- Bourbon
- Maple syrup
- Beef stock
- Tomato paste
Braise your short ribs, saute the shallots and then make delish mashed potatoes.
17. Fig, Bacon & Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese
Grilled cheese with a twist is always a fun fall recipe to add to your menu this year. For this recipe, think of it as an “adult” grilled cheese because it has the unique flavors of:
- Fresh figs
- Bacon
- Vidalia onion
- Balsamic vinegar
- Thyme
- Cheese (of your preference)
- Sourdough
You’ll start by cooking the bacon in a skillet, caramelize the onion, add in your honey, vinegar and thyme, and then allow everything to caramelize together. Next, you’ll layer your grilled cheese and cook it for 4 minutes on each side.
Related: 21 Delicious Thanksgiving Food Ideas for Your Party
18. Pizza Stuffed Pumpkin
Pizza-stuffed pumpkins offer a savory twist to a fall menu, and it’s a treat that is perfect to serve on Halloween. You’ll make your own mini pumpkins with homestyle biscuits and fill them with sauce and cheese (of course). Add any of your favorite toppings into the center of the pumpkin and don’t forget pretzel sticks for the stem.
You’ll need quite a few ingredients for this one: butter, cheddar cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan, ricotta (optional), marinara sauce, garlic, parsley, homestyle biscuits and pretzel sticks.
