It's harvest time, and all our favorite veggies and fruits are in season. Think tomatoes, eggplant, sweet potatoes, squash, plums and apples. Use up your bumper crop in these recipes.
45 Recipes to Make the Most of the Fall Harvest
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Maple-Roasted Chicken & Acorn Squash
When I became a new mother, my mom helped me find comforting and simple recipes to have on hand. This terrific roast chicken is a happy discovery. —Sara Eilers, Surprise, Arizona
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Beet and Sweet Potato Fries
Instead of offering traditional french fries, try these oven-baked root vegetables as a flavorful side dish. —Marie Rizzio, Interlochen, Michigan
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Almond Pear Tart
I had never seen a "pie without a pan" until my daughter brought back this wonderful pear almond tart recipe from a Rotary Club exchange program in Belgium. It's still a family favorite after all these years. —Sherry LaMay, Capitan, New Mexico
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Butternut Squash Soup with Cinnamon
The golden color, smooth and creamy texture, and wonderful taste of this soup make it welcome on a chilly fall day. It has a slightly tangy flavor from the cream cheese, and the cinnamon really comes through. —Jackie Campbell, Stanhope, New Jersey
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Zucchini & Cheese Drop Biscuits
These colorful little drop biscuits are very easy to put together and yet are packed full of flavor. I serve them warm out of the oven. —Keith Mesch, Mt. Healthy, Ohio
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Bacon and Fontina Stuffed Mushrooms
What's better than lots of bacon and cheese in a mushroom cap? Yum! They'll be a hit with your guests, too. —Tammy Rex, New Tripoli, Pennsylvania
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Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
These soft, tender chocolate chip zucchini muffins can be made whether you have a bumper crop of zucchini or not—no excuses are needed to make this recipe.
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Hot Spinach Apple Salad
With a light sweet-tangy dressing, the spinach doesn’t wilt and the apples retain their crunch. We serve this salad with homemade bread. —Denise Albers, Freeburg, Illinois
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Pumpkin Bars
Pumpkin bars with cream cheese icing are a delicious (and surprisingly easy) festive fall treat. Flavorful, moist and oh, so simple, you'll be making these on repeat!
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Roast Pork with Apples & Onions
The sweetness of the apples and onions nicely complements the roast pork. With its crisp, golden exterior and melt-in-your-mouth flavor, this pork is my family's favorite weekend dinner. —Lily Julow, Lawrenceville, Georgia
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Tomato-Herb Focaccia
Tomato focaccia bread is a fantastic side for all sorts of dishes, such as roasted chicken, pork chops, sea bass, and more. It's also fantastic on its own or topped with a fried egg.
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Coconut-Pecan Sweet Potatoes
These delicious sweet potatoes cook effortlessly in the slow cooker so you can tend to other things. Coconut gives the classic a fresh twist. —Raquel Haggard, Edmond, Oklahoma
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German Plum Cake
This contest-winning German plum cake is as elegant as it is delicious, and it's incredibly easy to make. It's also a great way to enjoy plums when they're in season, abundant and juicy.
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Hearty Vegetable Soup
A friend gave me the idea to use V8 juice in vegetable soup because it provides more flavor. My best vegetable soup recipe is perfect to prepare on a crisp autumn afternoon. —Janice Steinmetz, Somers, Connecticut
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Zucchini Quiche
To add tang to this cheesy zucchini quiche, we spread the crust with mustard like we're building a sandwich. It's a quiche secret that you'll be using for years to come!
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Mushroom-Bean Bourguignon
In our family, boeuf bourguignon has been a staple for generations. I wanted a meatless alternative. All this dish needs is a French baguette. —Sonya Labbe, West Hollywood, California
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Southwestern Sauteed Corn
My mother-in-law came up with this corn skillet dish one night for dinner. Everyone who tries it absolutely loves it! —Chandy Ward, Aumsville, Oregon
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Taste-of-Fall Salad
My parents stayed with me at a friend's beautiful ranch for the holidays and I made them this great salad. It turned into every night's first course. —Kristin Kossak, Bozeman, Montana
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Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans
This creamy, comforting sweet potato casserole with pecans is such a treat, it could almost be served as dessert. Most often, it makes an ideal sweet-savory side dish alongside green salad or roasted veggies.
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Blueberry Zucchini Squares
I saw a bar recipe using apple and lemon zest on a muffin mix. I tried it from scratch with shredded zucchini and fresh blueberries instead. It’s a nifty combo. —Shelly Bevington, Hermiston, Oregon
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Herb-Buttered Baby Carrots
The herb butter can be used for everything from vegetables to roast chicken, turkey, game hens—let your imagination be your guide.—Sandra Corey, Caldwell, Idaho
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Cherry Tomato Mozzarella Saute
This side dish is full of flavor and so quick to put together. The cherry tomatoes and mozzarella are perfect alongside almost any main dish you can think of. —Summer Jones, Pleasant Grove, Utah
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Pickled Beets
Pickled beets are a sweet and tangy addition to salads, sandwiches, burgers and charcuterie plates. Once you learn how to pickle beets, you'll want to add them to everything.
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Plum Crisp with Crunchy Oat Topping
Made with fresh plums and a crunchy oat topping, this crisp is a lighter alternative to classic fruit pie. It goes over well with the women in my church group.—Deidre Kobel, Boulder, Colorado
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Fresh Corn & Potato Chowder
This corn chowder recipe was one of my favorites as a child in upstate New York, and I still love it today. For extra depth, place the spent cob in the soup, simmer, then remove. —Tracy Bivins, Knob Noster, Missouri
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Pomegranate-Hazelnut Roasted Brussels Sprouts
I converted many people to Brussels sprouts with this recipe, and it has since become my most requested dish. The richness of the hazelnuts and the sweetness of pomegranate and orange elevate the sprouts to a new level. —Melanie Stevenson, Reading, Pennsylvania
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Acorn Squash with Cranberry Stuffing
If you have squash or cranberry lovers at the table, here’s your new go-to recipe. It’s colorful, the blend of flavors is delicious and it’s a fitting addition to a Thanksgiving menu. —Dorothy Pritchett, Wills Point, Texas
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Corn ‘n’ Squash Quesadillas
Grilled vegetables give these quesadillas their distinctive flair, while cumin and jalapeno peppers add a little zip. —Mildred Sherrer, Fort Worth, Texas
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Caramelized Onion & Fig Pizza
This is a sensational variation on traditional pizza. It's creamy, sweet and a little salty, with a buttery crunch from the pine nuts. I like to serve it with mixed baby greens salad and a vinaigrette. —Connie Balbach, Bemidji, Minnesota
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Smoky Cauliflower
The smoked Spanish paprika gives a simple side of roasted cauliflower extra depth. This is definitely a favorite. —Juliette Mulholland, Corvallis, Oregon
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Thymed Zucchini Saute
Simple and flavorful, this recipe is a tasty and healthy way to use up all those zucchini that are taking over your garden. It's ready in hardly any time! —Bobby Taylor, Ulster Park, New York
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Stuffed Peppers for Four
Truly a meal in one, this quick supper has it all: Veggies, meat, pasta and sauce, packed into tender peppers. It’ll look so pretty on your table. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Warm Roasted Beet Salad
This recipe lets beets shine. It's a hearty main dish salad that is beautiful on the plate, too. If I have it, I like to use hazelnut oil in this salad.—Jill Anderson, Sleepy Eye, Minnesota
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Balsamic-Goat Cheese Grilled Plums
Make a bold statement with this simple yet elegant treat. Ripe plums are grilled and then dressed with a balsamic reduction and tangy goat cheese. —Ariana Abelow, Holliston, Massachusetts
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Ratatouille
This easy ratatouille recipe is a celebration of summer vegetables. It brings the vibrant flavors of the Mediterranean to your table, whether you enjoy it as a hearty main course or a light and refreshing side dish.
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Herbed Tomato Bisque
This would be great to chase away the chill on a stormy night. This creamy tomato soup has a hint of sweetness from honey and great herb flavor.—Dawn Richard, Princeton, Minnesota,
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Harvest Sweet Potato Pie
Years ago, we baked pies a few days before holiday gatherings and placed them in a tall pie safe on our back porch. My father called this sweet potato pie recipe "royal pie," because he thought it was fit for a king. It's a treasured hand-me-down family recipe. —Fae Fisher, Callao, Virginia
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Zucchini Pancakes
When garden-fresh zucchini starts to pile up, shred that squash and heat up the griddle for zucchini pancakes.
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Apple Butter
Homemade apple butter could not be easier to make—it just takes a little patience! The result is a sweet, aromatic and versatile condiment you will want to spread on everything this fall.
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Grape Salad
This grape salad has it all: juicy grapes, creamy dressing, crunchy pecans and a sweet brown sugar topping. It’s kid-friendly and perfect for potlucks.
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Autumn Vegetable Mash
I stop mashing before the veggies get too smooth because I like a chunky texture. But go ahead and keep mashing if you like them smoother in this dish. —Dana Balter, Naples, Florida
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Scalloped Sweet Corn Casserole
This is my Grandma Ostendorf's corn recipe I grew up enjoying. Now a grandmother myself, I still serve this comfy, delicious side as a family classic. —Lonnie Hartstack, Clarinda, Iowa
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Contest-Winning Fall Harvest Salad
For a change, you can swap roasted butternut squash or pumpkin for sweet potatoes in this tasty salad. Any combination of dried fruit and nuts will work as ingredients, so pick your favorites. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Columbia, South Carolina
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Plum Jam
Whether picked from a tree or scooped up at the farmers market, fresh plums make a beautiful, jewel-toned plum jam that can top a warm scone, a summer dish of ice cream or a simple slice of toast.
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