Celebrating Fall Flavors - minus the pumpkin

Pumpkin and pumpkin spice have become a bit overwhelming. If you’re just over all the pumpkin - or never enjoyed it to begin with - this post is for you! Below I’m sharing 10 recipes that lean on seasonal ingredients and not a single one has pumpkin in it. (If pumpkin is your favorite, see last week’s post with pumpkin breakfast recipes.)

There are plenty of non-pumpkin Fall ingredients that are a delight. Fall seasonal fruits include apples, pomegranates, cranberries, pears and grapes. And on the veggie front you should see brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, squashes (butternut, spaghetti, and acorn - oh my!), potatoes, leeks, garlic, onions and mushrooms rolling in. And, of course, maple syrup tends to pair perfectly with most things Fall.

Fall is also a great season for roasting vegetables. Make sure to check out The Essentials of Roasting Vegetables and learn how to roast veggies right every time.

My hope is that if you don’t find a perfect recipe to try below, at least you’ll get some good food-spiration of how to cook seasonally this autumn. And I would love for you to your favorites below in comments or on our Facebook page: The Wandering Hearth (Facebook Page). While you’re there, give the FB page a “like” so you get all the recipe posts!

10 Recipes that Highlight Fall Ingredients

Applesauce | This one is a crowd pleaser! Not only is this cinnamon applesauce recipe simple to make, it stores well in the freezer. Get the whole family involved by apple picking, then peeling and chopping the apples together.
Baked Cranberry Apple Oatmeal | Baked oatmeal recipes are a favorite in our house. And it seems you love them too! This recipe was the #1 Recipe of The Wandering Hearth in 2020. A perfect celebration of apples and cranberries baked into a healthy bed of rolled oats, topped with crunchy almonds. Special enough to shine as a holiday breakfast, easy enough to make on a random Tuesday morning.
Cream of Mushroom Soup | This soup is savory goodness, silky and rich. While it doesn’t freeze well, using a dairy free creamer may improve its ability to hold up in the freezer. How does it taste with almond, oat or coconut milk? Actually, quite delicious. In recent years, we’ve been making this the weekend before Thanksgiving and saving a portion to make a modern version of Green Bean Casserole for the big meal. (We “modernized” the traditional frozen green bean + condensed soup casserole by par-boiling fresh green beans, then mixing with some of this soup and baking until bubbly. Finally, we top with freshly fried shallots and crisp briefly under the broiler - watch it closely though, the onions will burn quickly.)
Crisp Apple Sangria | Mix up a batch of this white wine sangria to highlight fresh apples, pears and grapes. If you love cinnamon, you can give everyone their own cinnamon stick in their wine cup. Perfect enjoyed by a backyard fire pit.
Butternut Squash "Alfredo" with Roasted Cauliflower and Hazelnuts | This recipe highlights so many fall flavors: cauliflower, butternut squash, hazelnuts, and sage! Instead of a heavy cream sauce, you’ll make one that is velvety like an Alfredo but is lighter and healthier, and brilliantly orange. Healthier without compromising on the flavor!
Cranberry Applesauce | A special family recipe, this tangy applesauce can be a perfect replacement for cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving. It makes for a fun, child friendly pink applesauce that is tasty all season long.
Loaded Baked Potato Soup | Potato soup screams Fall! This recipe leans on potatoes, not on cream, to make a rich, silky broth with hearty chunks of potatoes. If you aren’t averse to dairy, top with cheese, chives and bacon for a bowl of soup that eats like a meal.
Mushroom Stroganoff | As written, this dish is vegetarian. Mushrooms are the star of the show and the recipe coaxes a rich depth of flavor into the sauce for a bowl of “cozy” goodness. However, you can easily add beef to make it richer and more filling for those in your life who love their meat.
Maple Old Fashioned | Perfect for chilly autumn evenings, this Maple Old Fashioned uses real maple syrup instead of the traditional sugar you would find in an old fashioned. Orange and cherry cut through the bourbon for a perfectly balanced cocktail to warm you from head to toe. If you serving this to an Old Fashioned purist, perhaps call it something else… as I learned when serving it to my Father-in-Law. (He said it was “quite good” but it was “not at all an Old Fashioned” - ha!). So have so fun and maybe make up your own name for this one.
French Onion Dip | So easy to make it barely counts as a recipe! Caramelize some onions, spice them with garlic, and mix into a dip that is perfect for Football Season! Best when allowed to sit overnight, we prefer to serve this dip with pretzels.