There’s no denying the divine pleasures of fall cooking, as those fresh, fast summer dishes give way to warm stews, hearty casseroles and sips of bourbon. Below are more than two dozen recipes that the New York Times Food staff looks forward to making as we transition into the most charming season of the year.
I’m ready to start pulling warmly spiced treats out of the oven, so my apartment smells like maximum comfort. For that, there’s this sweet potato tea cake, which Tejal Rao adapted from Elisabeth Prueitt of Tartine Bakery. It not only smells incredible as it bakes, but it also has a showstopping meringue on top that I just know I’ll perfect one day. KRYSTEN CHAMBROT
I can’t wait to throw open the windows and let the chilly fall air whip through my kitchen as Regina Schrambling’s Dijon and Cognac beef stew simmers on the stove. I’ll be drinking a Nor’easter; it’s like a Dark and Stormy, but made with bourbon and sweetened with a touch of maple syrup — the ideal autumn tipple. MARGAUX LASKEY
Right before the weather went nuclear this summer, I was planning on making Samantha Seneviratne’s Mississippi mud pie. I wasn’t quick enough. But now that the weather is cooling down, I’m looking forward to this perfect project bake with four gorgeous layers of sugar: a graham cracker base, a scrumptious brownie cake, rich chocolate custard and cold whipped cream. It’s exactly the kind of dessert I want to be making on a crisp Saturday morning before rolling up to the tailgate. NIKITA RICHARDSON
Recipe: Mississippi Mud Pie
I can’t wait to go apple picking in Warwick, N.Y., then lug my bounty home to make this stunning apple jelly by Yewande Komolafe. She says it’s “reminiscent of floral honey and tart citrus,” which sounds ambrosial to me. After that, I’d like to incorporate more roughage into my diet (a lifelong mission for this meat and carb lover), so I’ll be tackling proper green salads, like this one from the restaurant Via Carota, and earthy, hearty numbers like Alexa Weibel’s roasted cauliflower salad with halloumi and lemon. Fall has always been an opportunity for a culinary reset, and nothing makes dinner more of a ritual — that is, a regular practice — than washing lettuce for a salad. ERIC KIM
Recipes: Apple Jelly | Via Carota’s Insalata Verde | Roasted Cauliflower Salad With Halloumi and Lemon
Eric Kim’s Ritzy Cheddar chicken breasts have been on my bucket list. Ritz crackers pull on my heartstrings, and this recipe has easy-to-achieve cozy vibes. Also on my radar is Genevieve Ko’s one-bowl carrot cake, an ideal dessert to bring over for the holidays or to present to guests if you’re hosting. With more entertaining and holidays on the horizon, that can mean a lot of dishes to clean. This one-bowl recipe requires minimal effort and maximizes reward — an ideal fall ratio. ELEANORE PARK
I love a project — confiting duck legs for a cassoulet, stuffing grape leaves with rice for dolmadakia — but I’ve never made my own soft tofu. It’s one of my favorite things when it’s rich and wobbly and just made, and I’m dreaming of this one with a savory, vinegary caramel and soybeans cooked in salty butter. TEJAL RAO
Recipe: Warm Tofu in Salted Butter and Celery-Seed Gastrique
Last year, I turned my overabundance of butternut squash into Yasmin Fahr’s spicy butternut squash pasta with spinach, and I cannot wait to make it again. It is fall comfort without being super heavy, and there is a really sneaky amount of vegetables in here. I made it a few times, substituting jalapeños for serranos, or mozzarella for dollops of ricotta. One time, I had only a tiny amount of pasta in my cupboard so it ended up being pretty much all vegetables. But it was still a winner. PRIYA KRISHNA
I miss turning on my stove! And I miss cooking beans, and simmering a stew for two hours. I can’t wait to make a full afternoon of this stew from Melissa Clark while I wear a cable-knit sweater and drink a pumpkin spice latte. Just kidding …? BECKY HUGHES
We’re on the edge of my favorite time of year here in New Orleans: gumbo season. Loosely defined, it’s when the weather isn’t too hot to cook something all day over a low flame. The suffering caused by Hurricane Ida has yet to abate in fishing communities south of here. So I’ve got seafood gumbo on the brain — like this one, from the Creole chef Jordan Ruiz, built from redfish, or this curried shrimp and crab gumbo from Arvinder Vilkhu, the chef and co-owner of Saffron Nola, a local Indian restaurant. Yet my go-to recipe is closer to this duck-andouille gumbo from the Upperline, a classic New Orleans restaurant that has sadly remained closed since the start of the pandemic last year. BRETT ANDERSON
Recipes: Creole Redfish Gumbo | Curried Shrimp and Crab Gumbo | Upperline’s Duck and Andouille Gumbo
