Fall Menus

Enjoy a comforting, cool-weather menu of savory sausage pie served alongside a salad of fall greens. For dessert, try simple, homemade chocolate pudding.

salad

Autumn Greens with Cider Vinaigrette

main

Pear and Sausage Pie

dessert

Chocolate Pudding with Whipped Cream

Serves 4

Long on flavor and short on prep time, this late-summer supper includes a cool, crisp, lime-splashed salad of pear and jicama that tempers the mild, chili-coated grilled pork and the heat outdoors.

appetizer

Black Bean and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

main

Chili-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

salad

Pear-and-Jicama Salad

dessert

Baked Apples with Mexican Chocolate

Serves 4

A well-chosen ingredient can transform the familiar. Woodsy wild mushrooms lend depth to roast chicken, walnuts and lemon brighten brussels sprouts, and celery root refines homey mashed potatoes.

main

Roast Chicken with Wild Mushroom Sauce

side

Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Walnuts

Celery Root and Potato Puree

dessert

Sorbet Napoleons

Serves 4

Roast pork and braised beans with fennel have the depth of a slow-simmering supper but don't take long to prepare. The peppery soup is a bright accent to this homey meal.

soup

Watercress-Cauliflower Soup

main

Sage- and Garlic-Crusted Pork Tenderloin

side

Braised Fennel and White Beans

dessert

Pears with Maple Walnuts and Gorgonzola

Serves 4

Fried chicken stays moist when it's marinated in buttermilk and coated in herbed breadcrumbs. Roasted squash and sauteed red cabbage are at once colorful and comforting as the weather cools.

main

Breaded Chicken Cutlets with Sage

side

Sauteed Red Cabbage With Raisins

Roasted Acorn Squash

dessert

Cream Cheese-Poppy Seed Cakes

Serves 4

Pork tenderloin is flavored with grainy and Dijon mustards, then roasted with apricots, shallots, fennel, and cognac. It is served with herbed wild rice and roasted acorn squash.

main

Pork Tenderloin with Apricot Fennel Ragout

side

Roasted Squash Wedges

Herbed Wild Rice

dessert

Chocolate-Pistachio Biscotti

Serves 4

Try this comforting supper menu for a chilly, fall day.

main

Pancetta-Wrapped Pork Roast

side

Quick Pear Chutney

Cauliflower Puree

dessert

Prune Tart

Serves 4

Pan-roasting Cornish hens provides a rich base for white-wine sauce. Kasha pilaf is a hearty accompaniment.

salad

Warm Pear Salad

main

Cornish Hens with Kasha Pilaf

side

Carrot and Parsnip Puree

dessert

Chocolate Kisses

Serves 4

main

Pork Loin Braised In Milk

side

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Raisins

Butternut Squash with Brown Butter

dessert

Amaretti Crisps

Serves 4

Celebrate the flavors of fall with a simple update of the classic German Oktoberfest.

appetizer

Soft Pretzels

main

German Sausages with Apples, Sauerkraut, and Onion

side

Boiled Potatoes with Parsley and Dill

dessert

Roasted Plums and Rum Raisins

Light, fresh Asian flavors make a nice break from rich holiday meals: A marinade of ginger and cilantro enlivens steamed halibut; udon noodles are tossed with a toasted sesame-seed sauce; and rice wine adds a hint of sweetness to julienned vegetables.

main

Cilantro-Ginger Halibut

side

Sesame Udon Noodles

Steamed Vegetables with Rice-Wine Vinaigrette

dessert

Poached Tropical Fruit Over Sorbet

Serves 4

This Italian-style feast is sure to satisfy.

bread

Garlic-Rosemary Flatbread

main

Pasta with Sausage and Escarole

side

Braised Endive in Mustard Vinaigrette

dessert

Individual Strawberry-Jam Cakes

Serves 4

Serve comforting classics for a cold evening's meal -- saute steak with shiitake mushrooms; flavor roasted beets with orange, ginger, and pecans; and make herbed spaetzle.

main

Shell Steak with Shiitake Mushroom Sauce/a>
side

Herbed Spaetzle and Spinach

Roasted Beets with Orange and Ginger

dessert

Apple Brown Betty

Serves 4

Sliced pears become exceptionally sweet when given a quick turn on the grill (or the stove top). A crisp slaw of celery and endive provides a tangy contrast to chicken sausage, and crusty bread makes a sophisticated stand-in for buns.

soup

Spiced Chickpea and Tomato Soup

main

Grilled Chicken Sausage with Pears

side

Celery Endive Slaw

dessert

Ice Cream with Sweet Sherry Sauce

Serves 4

Bits of crisp bacon offset tender rigatoni and brussels sprouts in this main dish. Sauteing the sprouts before braising them adds flavor and helps preserve their texture.

side

Marinated Mushrooms

main

Pasta with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon

side

Roasted Radicchio

dessert

Chocolate Truffle Cakes

Serves 4

After months of outdoor barbecuing, grilling moves indoors with this stovetop sandwich. It's piled high with thinly sliced flank steak, charred onions, and melted Gruyere and served with sweet-potato chips.

salad

Watercress Salad with Carrots and Jicama

main

Marinated Flank Steak Sandwiches

side

Baked Sweet-Potato Chips

dessert

Sliced Fruit with Sugared Lime Zest

Serves 4

There's no need to call for takeout when moo shu pork can be made from fresh ingredients at home. Stir-fried slivered vegetables and pork tenderloin topped with homemade plum sauce are wrapped in soft pancakes.

main

Curry-Scented Pancakes

Warm Plum Sauce

Moo Shu Pork

dessert

Mandarin Fruit Sundae

Serves 4

Baked herb risotto captures the juices from a vegetable-and-sausage stew.

salad

Warm-Mushroom Salad with Pistou Vinaigrette

main

Savory Fall Stew

side

Baked Sage-and-Saffron Risotto

dessert

Caramelized Banana Split

Serves 4

side

Skillet-Braised Fennel

salad

Autumn Greens with Cider Vinaigrette

main

Butternut Squash Risotto

dessert

Warm Brownie Cups

Fall doesn't have to mean the end of farm-fresh vegetables. Take advantage of the variety of greens available by serving them with caramelized onions and fettuccine.

salad

Raw Artichoke and Mushroom Salad

main

Pasta with Caramelized Onions and Bitter Greens

side

Eggplant with Chunky Tomato Sauce

dessert

Mocha Shortbread

Serves 4

Mashed potatoes, pork tenderloin, greens, apple pie -- this is a menu from simpler years, when food was food rather than a prescription or production.

salad

Four-Beet Salad on Arugula with Sherry Vinaigrette

main

Pork with Sour Cherry Sauce

side

Herbed Mashed Potatoes

dessert

Apple Phyllo Cornucopias

Crisp nights call for warming foods: potatoes baked with cheese and tender lamb chops topped with a sweet chutney of prunes and dried cranberries.

soup

Lentil and Escarole Soup

main

Lamb Chops with Prune Chutney

side

Gratin of Yukon Gold Potatoes

dessert

Pears Glazed with Maple Syrup

Serves 4

Cozy and elegant, this menu is worth turning to for some comfort.

soup

Curried Apple Soup

main

Braised Chicken Tarragon

side

Mashed Potatoes and Celeriac

dessert

Coconut-Chocolate Patties

Serves 4

Meltingly tender brisket is the centerpiece of a gratifying meal.

main

Braised Brisket

side

Spiced Carrots

Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions

dessert

Poached Pears

Serves 8