15 First Day of Fall Recipes

By Melissa M. • Aug 23, 2024

The crisp breeze, beautiful leaves, and the coziest recipes — the first day of Fall is a momentous time of year! Celebrate the first day of Fall with these 15 Fall Recipes that are sure to warm you from the inside out and fill your house with the most inviting aromas.

1. Easy Baked Pumpkin Donuts

Bundling up this autumn has never tasted quite so good. Easy Baked Pumpkin Donuts lets you skip the line at the donut shop and instead enjoy the seasonal warmth and sweet spiciness of pumpkin from the comfort of your own home. Made in less than 25 minutes and with no need for frying, Easy Baked Pumpkin Donuts are perfect for getting into the fall spirit and for satisfying your sweet tooth whenever it strikes. These donuts are best enjoyed while admiring the leaves changing color.

2. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Pumpkin and chocolate might seem like an odd combination, but eating these muffins is like tasting fall. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins combine the richness and unique taste of chocolate with the warm spices of pumpkin for the ultimate in cozy autumn flavors. In less than 30 minutes, you'll have the perfect addition for your next fall brunch or morning at home. Plus, your whole kitchen is going to smell incredible after baking these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.

3. Sweet Autumn Casserole

What is it about fall that we love so much? Some research suggests that the gloomier months prompt us to reminisce on the good times. That could be. Or maybe it's the frigid air in our lungs that we adore so much? Possibly it's the picturesque maroon and orange views we see when looking out the window? Those are all valid reasons, but we think it's because it's the season you get to indulge in Sweet Autumn Casserole. When you start your day with a piece of sweet cinnamon moist bread covered in brown-sugary streusel and a creamy, maple syrup-sweet icing, how could you not be happy? All those other things are great, you can keep loving them, sure. But we like to think that your adoration for the leaf-falling season will only increase once you experience the sweetness and satisfaction of Sweet Autumn Casserole!

4. Ultimate Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Are you looking for a restaurant-quality soup without the restaurant price? The spectacular Ultimate Broccoli Cheddar Soup is the easy, price-conscious way to enjoy one of your favorites, in a homestyle way! Fork-tender broccoli and a wonderfully rich cheddar cheese is puréed into soup superbness! Ultimate Broccoli Cheddar Soup, along with a basket of bread (if you want), is the definition of comforting on a cool fall or winter's day. Grab yourself a bowl and let's eat!

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5. Grammy's Noodle Bake

She always knew what we loved and always had a story to tell. Grammy's Noodle Bake is a treasured family heirloom that we're ready to share with everyone. Loaded with egg noodles, tons of carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, lima beans, and an impeccably seasoned cream sauce, this dish of love is topped with sharp cheddar cheese and baked to golden-brown perfection. The story here is that Grammy's Noodle Bake is a tradition-worthy meal that everyone is sure to fall in love with, just like Grammy. She sure is a good one! Share the love!

6. Cider French Toast Bake

Don't fall for just any old breakfast dish! Cider French Toast Bake is an apple-season favorite you can whip up any time of year that all your family and guests will long for. Crusty French bread is soaked for hours in an apple cider-infused sauce, topped with cinnamon-brown sugar apples, and baked until golden-brown for your sweet breakfast or brunch treat. Don't wait for the first apple to fall from the tree, this Cider French Toast is a welcomed part of your day, any day! It just has so much apple-eal!

7. Pumpkin Chili

Pumpkin Chili is how you bring your love of chili into the fall! The rich and warm flavors of the pumpkin blend with the savory beef, creamy beans, and especially the zesty, hot spices for a dish that feels festively in-season and yet always in style! It's beefy and beautifully orange-golden, the stew that is stupefyingly satisfying! It's Pumpkin Chili! Happy Fall!

8. Hasselback Chicken

If you are looking for something special to serve your special honey, then we have just the right main-squeeze meal for you! Hasselback Chicken is sure to be the love of your life (or at least of your date night) and you're sure to love every bite of it! Baked to perfection, these chicken breasts are stuffed with a rich ricotta cheese and wilted spinach stuffing, then topped off with a lovely layer of freshly grated cheddar cheese. You and your dashing date will fall in love with each other all over again, over a dish of this divinely decadent Hasselback Chicken. Be sure and save the date for the next best date night meal!

9. Fall Classic Pasta Bake

Fall Classic Pasta Bake flips the script completely. There's no tomato sauce to be found here. Instead, pumpkin takes its place, ensuring the sweet, rich, and herbaceous sauce has the warmth and glory of autumn in each drop. The tender pasta, the succulent bacon, and the savory chicken breasts all add more dimension and heartiness to the Fall Classic Pasta Bake, but it's the distinct pumpkin sauce that you'll remember most of all. And for good reason!

10. Fall Thumbprint Cookies

Make your mark on the autumn dessert spread that's covered with unoriginal pumpkin-flavored everything! Mix up the flavors a bit and serve your party-goers a batch of these Fall Thumbprint Cookies instead. They'll be pleasantly surprised by these discs of crisp, sweet treats that are adorned with a dollop of creamy chocolate and hazelnut goodness. Fall Thumbprint Cookies are what your fall party was missing and they're sure to leave a lovely legacy!

11. Fall Potato Salad

Who said potato salad was just for summer soirées?! This Fall Potato Salad comes prancing in, with its warm, earthy, fall tones, to prove this is a dish for all seasons! Because it's accompanied by cooler weather, it makes sense why this citrusy, dill-flavored veggie mix is served warm. It brings that taste of cozy elegance that seems to float around during autumn, you know what we mean? Well, you're about to find out. Perfect for anything related to the leaves floating to the ground, Fall Potato Salad is a tasty, comforting companion to any meal!

12. The Best Fall Chops

Pork chops already sound like a delicious idea, with their sweet and savory flavor just ready to be pan-fried to golden-brown perfection. But how can we make them feel more aligned with the magic of autumn? The Best Fall Chops add a little bit of fall enchantment to the amazing main course, with the fragrance of fennel adding to the magical taste experience. A fresh, refreshing, and crisp apple and cabbage coleslaw adds a harvest feel to the plate as well as a splash of autumnal color. Ready in just 30 minutes, The Best Fall Chops more than live up to its name.

13. Best Tender Pot Roast

Just imagine being the best of the best. Pot roast is already a classic of American cuisine, but the Best Tender Pot Roast? It's in a different category altogether! The meat is fall-apart, melt-in-your-mouth tender, with the most beautiful beef flavor throughout. Carrots on the bottom add just the right amount of brightness (and soak up more of that beef flavor) without distracting from the dazzling star at the center. The Best Tender Pot Roast asks you for your time and patience, but what it gives in return is a savory, scrumptious dish you'll know earns its reputation!

14. Chicken Bacon Pumpkin Pasta Bake

Chicken Bacon Pumpkin Pasta Bake takes the idea of a classic pasta bake and adds a sprinkling of fall festivity into each bite! Instead of tomatoes, Chicken Bacon Pumpkin Pasta Bake uses a pumpkin base for its rich, savory sauce, with notes of sage for a true holiday flavor. Seared chicken, crispy bacon, tender pasta; everything gets enhanced when coated in this pumpkin powerhouse and topped with some cheese. Falling head over heels for this bake is as easy as enjoying it!

15. Savory Butternut Squash Casserole

Side dishes are challenging; they get repeated so many times, you get weary of them. Change things up with Savory Butternut Squash Casserole and bring new life back into your humdrum meals. Tenderly baked butternut squash and earthy parsnips are perfectly seasoned and mixed with smoky bacon, soft onions, and wilted kale, which all becomes an incredible combination when they join forces together. When something fresh and different is needed on the menu, Savory Butternut Squash Casserole will have you falling in love with it again and again.