The Ultimate “Farewell Summer, Hello Fall” Guide

Threshold seasons—the few weeks when one season is ending and a new one’s launching, with the produce overlap that happens—are some of our favorite things on the yearly food calendar.

Summer into fall is the best of all, a time when last-blast sweet, ripe tomatoes might have first-of-the-year butternut squash as a bin neighbor at the produce store. Here’s a bushel of recipes (roughly evenly split between a summer bent and an autumnal one) that, together, speak to right now.

Crispy Corn Fritters

Chowhound

When corn is new, we want to eat it straight from the cob, as fresh and unadorned as possible. As the season lumbers to an end, though, we’re looking for new ways to eat it—and, frankly, for ways that take advantage of the starchiness and diminished sugar of late summer corn—like this delicious fritter recipe. Get our Crispy Corn Fritters recipe.

Cherry Tomato Tart with Anchovies and Garlic Confit

Molly DeCoudreaux

The last of the candy-sweet summer cherry tomatoes are great piled onto a free-form tart with soft, mellow garlic confit and briny anchovies (though if you must, you can skip the fish). Get our Cherry Tomato Tart with Anchovies and Garlic Confit recipe.

Roasted Red Pepper Tart

Chowhound

Though they might come from greenhouses 9 months of the year, peppers come into their own after mid-summer. By late summer, just as fall is massing at the gates, local sweet peppers are at their peak. This elegant tart takes beautiful advantage of that and pairs them with salty feta and creamy ricotta cheese. Get our Roasted Red Pepper Tart recipe.

Blueberry Spice Coffee Cake

Chowhound

Fresh blueberries are one of the tastes of summer for us. Sprinkled through fruit salads, whizzed up in yogurt smoothies, even sauced for pancakes and waffles. Here, fresh, juicy berries turn the clichéd blueberry pastry into a thing, we realize, is best kept seasonal. Get our Blueberry Spice Coffee Cake recipe.

Shaved Fennel and Strawberry Salad

Chowhound

Fennel and berries don’t seem to have much to say to one another, especially in the same dish. This salad proves that assumption wrong. Late-summer strawberries, usually softer and riper than at other times during the summer, find a juicy purpose with refreshing, crisp fennel. Get our Shaved Fennel and Strawberry Salad recipe.

Sautéed Zucchini

Chowhound

The thing we love about eating zucchini at the end of summer, despite the fact of using up the prodigious yield from our gardens, is there’s such an easygoing variety for the slipping into shopping bags: green, golden, striated—it’s a variable bounty. Get our Sautéed Zucchini recipe.

Broiled Pluots with Zabaglione

Chowhound

Pluots are one of botany’s great late-summer life enhancements—we love their variety, the sweetness and acidity, the slight blush of bitterness. This simple recipe weds delicious fruit with sweet, luxuriously textured sauce, and take the extra step of slipping both beneath the broiler. Get our Broiled Pluots with Zabaglione recipe.

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

Chowhound

It used to be we’d avoid Brussels sprouts until we absolutely couldn’t refuse them. Nowadays we rejoice when the fall season brings them back to the supermarket produce bin. Here’s a salad recipe for the lingering warm-weather days of late summer. Get our Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad recipe.

Pumpkin Tortelloni with Sage and Pumpkin Seeds

Chowhound

We look forward to pumpkin pasta dishes the way some of our coffee-loving friends anticipate pumpkin-spice lattes. This recipe from a San Francisco chef is beautifully balanced (pumpkin sweetness, sage weediness, cheese umami-ness) and almost frighteningly suave. Get our Pumpkin Tortelloni with Sage and Pumpkin Seeds recipe.

Easy Apple Crisp

Chowhound

First apple crisp of the year is a hallowed annual rite of passage! This recipe is sweet, satisfying, and delicious enough to make it feel like a celebration, and still easy enough to make it low stress. Get our Easy Apple Crisp recipe.

Braised Pork Chops and Fennel

Chowhound

We love when fennel reappears in the fall, but really, the delight of seeing this recipe come back on the calendar is for the braising part. The cooler months are prime braising time, and this delicious, easy pork chop recipe is a gentle reintroduction. Get our Braised Pork Chops and Fennel recipe.

Grape and Grappa Focaccia

Chowhound

Otherwise known as schiacciata con l’uva—a Tuscan specialty. Grapes from California burst into peak flavor in September, a bridge between the seasons that feels, on the West Coast, like the beginnings of deep fall. It looks cool, too! Get our Grape and Grappa Focaccia recipe.

Roasted Acorn Squash

Chowhound

This is the easiest recipe imaginable. The hardest part—when it’s not fall, that is—is finding the acorn squash, at least acorn squash that’s sweet and newly harvested enough to be worth the time. This recipe is a calendar changer, for sure. (Try it with wild rice stuffing too.) Get our Roasted Acorn Squash recipe.

Tangy Apple and Beet Salad

Chowhound

Crumbled blue cheese is the kicker that gives this simple, crunchy salad its cool-weather soul. It’s a perfect bridge between summer and fall, reminiscent of the cole slaws we made all summer, but with apples—suddenly good—and that reflective, fall-friendly cheese. Get our Tangy Apple and Beet Salad recipe.

Skillet Pear Cake

Chowhound

Caramel-drenched pears embedded in an easy skillet cake are as cozy as they are delicious, and crystallized ginger makes the comforting dessert even more warming. Plus, there’s cinnamon and brown sugar, which make fall fruit even sweeter—and the loss of summer that much easier to bear. Get our Skillet Pear Cake recipe.

Related Video: How to Make a Festive Fall Salad

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How to Make Easy Beer Bread

Baking homemade bread may be the epitome of cozy domesticity, but it can also be intimidating when you’re dealing with yeast, multiple rises, and long resting times. Quick bread, as the name suggests, is much easier, but no less deliciously comforting—and beer bread is especially hearty and easy to make.

A basic beer bread only requires four ingredients and one bowl, and it comes together in a flash, although it does take about an hour to bake, then some more time to cool. As a blank canvas, it’s lovely in its own right: tender inside, crunchy outside, with a yeasty complexity thanks to the beer.

But you can add in whatever other flavor enhancers you fancy, and you can use different kinds of beer to change the base notes too. Light pilsners are ideal for a mild loaf that works with most anything, but you can try swapping in an IPA or brown ale, stout or porter to take it in a darker direction, or even pumpkin beer in season.

Here’s what you need to make a basic loaf:

• 3 cups self-rising flour*
• 12 ounces (1 bottle or can) beer, preferably at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons melted (unsalted) butter, cooled slightly
• 1 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (you can increase this to 1/4 or even 1/2 cup if you like things sweeter)

*If you don’t have self-rising flour, you can use 3 cups of all-purpose flour and add 1 tablespoon of baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt; whisk these together in the bowl before adding the other ingredients. If you do have self-rising flour, make sure it’s not expired, or your bread might be too dense.

Here’s what to do:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (if yours runs hot, you can drop it down to 350). Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with butter, shortening, or cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, sugar, beer, and 3 tablespoons of the melted butter until just combined. The batter will be thick, sticky, and somewhat lumpy. (Using room temperature beer and slightly cooled melted butter lessens the chances of butter bits forming, but don’t worry too much about it, and don’t overmix.) Pour the batter into the prepared pan, gently smoothing it out with a spatula if need be, and pour or brush the remaining tablespoon of melted butter over the top.

3. Bake on a rack in the middle of the oven for anywhere from 40 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown. (If the top browns too fast, tent a piece of foil over the pan while it continues baking.)

4. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the loaf, turn it out and cool on the rack for another 30 minutes before slicing. If you try to slice while it’s still too hot, it’s liable to crumble apart. You can store it at room temperature, well wrapped, for a few days, or freeze it for up a few months.

Variations

Add-ins: Mix in whatever add-ins you like—grated cheese (up to 1 cup), fresh or dried herbs, diced jalapeños and corn, crumbled cooked bacon. These additions may increase the cooking time a bit.

Muffins: Pour the batter into lined muffin tins or cupcake pans if you prefer, filling each cup about 2/3 full, brush the top of each one with a little melted butter, and start checking for doneness after 20 minutes.

Gluten-free: Gluten-free beer breads are generally a bit more complicated (and often contain eggs), so your best bet is to search for specific recipes for them. Still, you can try substituting gluten-free flour (plus 2 teaspoons of xanthan gum if your flour doesn’t already include it to help with the structure), 1 tablespoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt for the self-rising flour above—and a gluten-free beer, of course.

Vegan: Replace the butter with melted Earth Balance or other vegan spread, coconut oil, or another plant-based fat of your choice.

Refined Sugar-Free: Simply omit the white sugar entirely, or replace it with honey, agave, or liquid stevia.

How to Eat Beer Bread

Sliced, still warm, and spread with butter (salted beer honey butter, perhaps), maybe alongside a bowl of beer chili for good measure; cubed and toasted to use as croutons on salads and soups (the creamier the better, like pumpkin beer cheese soup); or cooled, thickly sliced, and used for sandwiches, especially if they’re toasted too (hello, beer bread grilled cheese sandwiches!).

Check out a few twists on the basic recipe below, including some sweet spins, and follow one as-is, or use it as inspiration for your own creation.

Loaded Jalapeño Popper Beer Bread

Wine and Glue

Cream cheese, pickled jalapeños, and plenty of bacon make this beer bread extra-rich. A pilsner will work well in the batter, but you could try a not-too-bitter pale ale or IPA as well. Get the recipe.

Guinness Beer Bread

Platings and Pairings

A darker stout makes for a nuttier, fuller-flavored loaf, and the addition of oats is another good one. Serve this with beef stew or any hearty soup. Get the recipe.

Rosemary Cheddar Pumpkin Beer Bread

Spices in My DNA

Pumpkin bread is often sweet (and sweet pumpkin beer bread is a fantastic autumnal treat), but this one skews savory thanks to cheddar cheese, rosemary, and pumpkin seeds. The sugar is swapped out for maple syrup for just a touch of sweetness and even more fall flavor, and the pumpkin puree adds color and moisture in addition to an earthy-sweet taste. Get the recipe.

Caramel Apple Beer Bread

The Beeroness

If you’re a fan of beer desserts, this sticky caramel-apple beer bread is just the thing for cooler evenings (and even chilly weekend mornings). The walnuts, cinnamon, and fresh apples in the batter would be great with a hard apple cider in place of the wheat beer too. Get the recipe.

Maui Chocolate Coconut Porter Beer Bread

Baking Brew

Any chocolatey stout or porter would work well in this sweet beer bread, but if you can find Maui Brewing Company’s CoCoNut Porter (or any other coconut-enhanced beer), it’s especially great with the cocoa powder, dark chocolate chips, Kona coffee, and coconut flakes in the decadent batter. Get the recipe.

Related Video: All Beer is Ale or Lager

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Vermont Is the Ultimate Fall Food Destination

How to Stock a Medicinal Pantry

Today, health and wellness doesn’t just mean going for a run then chugging a glass of orange juice. While parts of the world like Asia have long-embraced natural ingredients such as herbs and mushrooms to combat various ailments, it’s only now that the U.S. is starting to catch up. Perhaps in response to America’s ongoing prescription pill abuse epidemic, denizens from New York to Los Angeles are––now more than ever––open to alternative medical treatments, and a generally more holistic approach to preventative medicine.

To get started on a path toward improving one’s wellbeing, I’ve created a guide for anyone curious to build his or her own entry-level medicinal pantry. Note, the ingredients and products mentioned below are not miracle cures. The idea is to take specific ingredients, like adaptogenic mushrooms reishi and chaga, regularly, in small doses, and overtime you’ll feel their magic.

Algaes

Shutterstock

Perhaps you’ve noticed green and turquoise-hued drinks and smoothie bowls popping up on Instagram lately. Though it may come as a surprise, those colors are totally natural, and they come from algae. Dark green spirulina powder has been floating around wellness circles since at least the 1960s, but thanks to this algae’s mild-oceanic flavor and rich protein content––in addition to abundance of vitamins, minerals, and acids––it has become a popular wellness-boosting ingredient in foods today. On the other hand, Blue Majik, which is an extract of spirulina, is responsible for imparting a swimming pool blue-hue to foods and drinks. It’s both an anti-inflammatory and a powerful antioxidant, and helps the body fight free radicals.

Try: Health Force Super Foods’ Spirulina, $37 for 16 ounces; E3Live’s Blue Majik, $44 for 50 grams

Alt-Sweeteners

Shutterstock

The bad news is, sugar is sugar is sugar. Meaning, regardless the source of sweetness, cane sugar or raw honey, sugar remains sugar. And ongoing science continues to point out how addictive and unhealthy sugar is for us. However, our bodies process different types of sugar differently, and some natural sweeteners also contain a slew of vitamins and nutrients. You may have heard of the glycemic index. It’s a scale which measures how much a carbohydrate, like sugar or even pancakes, raises your blood sugar. When blood sugar rises, our bodies produce insulin (which signals cells to store the sugar), and when we eat too much sugar that our bodies can’t produce enough insulin, type 2 diabetes happens. With the additional risk of other maladies, like heart disease and certain types of cancer. Point is, we want to avoid these blood sugar spikes by eating foods that fall lower on the glycemic index. For example, raw cane sugar has an approximate GI tax of 65, while honey is around 55, maple syrup is roughly 54, and yacon syrup (which I absolutely love and is made from a South American plant) is less than 5.

Try: Dark Horse Organic’s Rose Gold Wildflower Honey, $20 for 12 ounces; Activist Manuka Honey, starts at $32 for 12 ounces; BLiS’ Grade B Maple Syrup, $13 for 13 ounces; Alovitox’s Yacon Syrup, $19 for 8 ounces

Collagen

Collagen is the most ubiquitous protein found throughout our bodies, and it’s what gives our skin elasticity. As we age, our body’s collagen production slows down, which results in wrinkles and joint pain. Environmental factors like sun can affect collagen, too. As a collagen boost, I’ve turned to adding a collagen supplement to my morning coffee. Collagen itself doesn’t have much of a flavor, and when added to a warm beverage the powder disappears.

Try: Vital Proteins’ Collagen Peptides, $43 for 20 ounces; Moon Juice’s Beauty Shroom, $58 for 280 grams

Maca

The Incas have embraced this malty-flavored Peruvian root, typically sold as a powder, for centuries. In addition to containing amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids, maca is touted for its ability to increase energy and sexual function. Think of it as a natural form of Viagra.

Try: Moon Juice’s Maca, $34 for 200 grams

Matcha

Chowhound

Super buzzy matcha is a fine powder made from milled green tea leaves. Matcha is high in antioxidants, helps detox the body, and packs ample caffeine. It’s important to note that not all matcha powders are the same, and the price is often an indication of quality. Don’t skimp when buying matcha powder. Expect to spend around $20 for 20 ounces, and look for powers with a neon green hue.

Try: Ippodo’s Matcha, $18 for 20 grams

Medicinal Mushrooms

Medicinal mushrooms, not to be confused with magical mushrooms, fall within the genre of adaptogens, ingredients which help our bodies adapt to, and cope with, outside stress without compromising our immune system. Mushrooms have been consumed medicinally for centuries in parts of the world like China, but they’re just catching on here in the States. In addition to helping the body handle outside stress, mushrooms are considered a general longevity food, and the idea is to take small doses over the course of your life. The beginner mushrooms to know are reishi and chaga (which both promotes general wellness), but I also love lion’s mane (brain tonic), and cordyceps (improves stamina).  

Try: Sun Potion’s Reishi, $53 for 100 grams; Sun Potion’s Chaga $43 for 70 grams

Pro and Prebiotics

Another hot topic right now is pro and prebiotics. Probiotics are the gut-friendly bacteria in foods like yogurt and kimchi, while prebiotics are the fiber that feeds the bacteria that’s already there. Ongoing scientific research is uncovering how vital a healthy gut (good bacteria help us absorb certain nutrients in food, while also fighting infection) is, and new studies have even linked gut health to mood and depression.

Try: Innate Response Formulas’ Flora 50-14 Clinical Strength, $39 for 30 capsules

Tocos

Tocotrienols, or tocos for short, is a nutrient-packed flaky cream-colored dust that’s made from the bran of brown rice. It’s high in fat-soluable vitamin E, making it a great for the skin and connective tissue. It also tastes like a vanilla milkshake!

Try: Sun Potion’s Tocos, $35 for 400 grams

Turmeric

Shutterstock

Mustard yellow-stained turmeric––ubiquitous in Indian Ayurvedic cookery and known for its earth flavor––is another ingredient that scientist have been closely studying for the root’s ability to bust inflammation, combat cholesterol, and more thanks to its active compound, curcumin.

Try: Golde Turmeric Tonic Blend, $26 for 135 grams; Lucid Tea’s Organic Turmeric Herbal Blend, $18 for 50 grams

Related Video: How to Cook with Turmeric

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A Guide to Gluten Free Fall Pasta

Fall is the perfect time to cozy up with warm, hearty pasta dishes, but you don’t have to miss out on comfort food if you’re gluten free. There are gluten-free noodles of all shapes on the market, of course, but there are also lots of other alternatives to traditional pasta out there.

Gluten-Free Spaghetti, Penne, and Other Pasta

You’ll find all kinds of gluten-free products on your grocery store shelves these days, although if not, you can always order online, so there’s no real trick to making most pasta recipes GF friendly: just substitute a box of ready-made spaghetti, rigatoni, penne, fusilli, or what have you, and look out for any hidden gluten in the sauce ingredients. Or, you can try making your own gluten free pasta at home. You’ll have to get a few special ingredients, but the process itself is fairly simple. Just be sure not to let your dough dry out, and don’t roll it too thin or else it will tear. If you don’t have a pasta machine, you can do everything by hand, including cutting the noodles. It might be a bit more rustic, but that’s not a bad thing, especially in the cooler months, when handmade things seem extra appropriate and homey.

Other Gluten-Free Noodles

Moving outside of Italy to Asia, there are several other beloved types of noodles that are naturally gluten free, including rice noodles, soba noodles (although be sure the label specifies they are 100% buckwheat), and sweet potato noodles, also known as shirataki. These are great in traditional Asian recipes of course, many of which are perfect for cooler weather—quick chicken pho, anyone?—but you shouldn’t feel constrained by geographic origin either. Try nutty soba noodles with roasted root vegetables like brussels sprouts and a simple lemon butter sauce; grated cheese optional but highly recommended. Or top rice noodles with a medley of sautéed mushrooms, abundant this time of year, with some fresh herbs, white wine, and garlic, and maybe a splash of cream.

Vegetable Alternatives

Zoodles, love or hate the cutesy name, are a brilliant invention. Vegetable noodles of all sorts are a snap to make if you have a spiralizer, which can create long, thin strands out of not only zucchini, but almost any firm produce, including beets, butternut squash, potatoes, and parnsips (i.e. many of the root vegetables that fill farm stands come fall). In addition to being friendly to gluten-free folks, most of these are great for people eating paleo or low-carb diets too, but veggie noodles are so fun and tasty everyone will want in on the action. Here’s a great starting guide to spiralizing. If you refuse to buy yet another kitchen gadget, there are other vegetable options. Spaghetti squash has long been used in place of pasta, since it naturally separates into strands. And if you’re hankering for lasagna, you can substitute long, thin sheets of zucchini, winter squash, or eggplant for the usual noodles.

With all that in mind, here are some gluten-free and seasonally-appropriate recipes to inspire your palate and your imagination this fall.

Black Bean Pasta with Crispy Cauliflower

Running On Veggies

Gluten-free black bean pasta can be purchased online if you don’t see it in your local store. Its inky color is screaming out to be served for Halloween with roasted orange squash, but this version showcases crispy roasted cauliflower complemented by briny bits of olives and fresh parsley. Get the recipe.

Noodleless Zucchini Lasagna

Chowhound

Just as saucy, creamy, and cheesy as the original, this lasagna swaps normal noodles for thin ribbons of zucchini that are briefly roasted so they don’t make the caper-flecked tomato sauce watery. Sautéed mushrooms and artichoke hearts pack even more veggie goodness into the hearty layers, but you can add and subtract filling ingredients as you please, and use the same technique to make noodleless butternut squash lasagna and noodleless eggplant lasagna too. Get our Noodleless Zucchini Lasagna recipe.

Gluten Free Sweet Potato Gnocchi Two Ways

Lady And Pups

These gnocchi are maybe not actually gnocchi, but Taiwanese sweet potato dumplings served with Italian flair. The tapioca flour that binds the baked sweet potato mash and potato starch makes them chewier than your standard fluffy (some would say mushy) gnocchi, in a really good way. There are two awesome sauce options given: brown butter with salty pancetta, piquant black pepper, and spicy fresh thyme, and a tangy-sweet tomato sauce with anchovy and garlic. Both versions are showered with grated cheese. You can also try gluten free cauliflower gnocchi for a change of pace from potatoes. Get the recipes.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Garlic, Mushrooms, and Sage

Feasting At Home

Sautéed mushrooms with garlic and sage taste ultra autumnal, and paired with strands of roasted spaghetti squash, they make a wonderful gluten-free meal. For something a little richer, especially if you’re missing mac and cheese since cutting gluten, try our gooey Three Cheese Spaghetti Squash Gratin recipe. Get the recipe.

Garlicky Butternut Squash Noodles with Spinach and Ricotta

Running To The Kitchen

These spiralized strands of butternut squash are savory-sweet, and vibrant with contrasting flavors and textures. Wilted baby spinach, toothsome sun-dried tomatoes, crunchy toasted pine nuts, and fluffy clouds of ricotta make this one-pan vegetarian dinner satisfying to the last bite. Butternut squash noodles are also great with blue cheese and sage, and if you eat bacon, it couldn’t hurt to add some to either version. (Sweet potato noodles are similar, so harmonize well with the same kinds of flavors.) Get the recipe.

Asian Butternut Squash Soba Noodle Bowls

The Hanging Spoon

Some soba noodles have added wheat, so if you’re GF, make sure your package says 100% buckwheat. The bright orange squash and black sesame seeds make these noodles another Halloween contender, but the salty, sweet, savory, and spicy flavors are so delicious you’ll want to eat these all year. For a similar but even simpler dish, try these rice noodles with pumpkin and minced pork. Just one more thing to watch out for in either case: make sure to get gluten-free soy sauce if you’re totally gluten intolerant. Get the recipe.

Butternut Squash Noodles with Cauliflower Alfredo

Tablespoon

Since there’s so much squash to put to good use in fall, make more butternut squoodles (but don’t call them that) and cook them alfredo style. The creamy, cauliflower-enhanced sauce clings decadently to every strand—but the whole thing is surprisingly healthy. If you don’t do dairy, try this sweet potato noodle alfredo variation instead. Get the recipe.

Spiralized Potato Carbonara

My Modern Cookery

Does the humble yet hardworking potato’s versatility never end? Now, in addition to baking, boiling, roasting, frying, and mashing them, you can make them into delicious noodles. Here, Yukon Golds bring their own creaminess and subtle flavor to the classic richness of carbonara sauce. Get the recipe.

Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan with Zucchini Noodles

Chowhound

This gluten-free chicken parm uses a breading of nutritious almond meal mixed with herbs and Parmesan cheese, bakes the chicken, and places it on a tangle of tomato-basil zucchini noodles, but don’t worry, there’s still plenty of melted mozzarella on top. For another zucchini noodle twist on an Italian favorite, try this dairy-free chicken alfredo bake. Healthier, yes, but no less delicious. Get our Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan with Zucchini Noodles recipe.

Beet Noodles with Blue Cheese Sauce

My Suburban Kitchen

If you’ve got a spiralizer, you’re going to want to try to noodle-ize as many vegetables as you can. Earthy-sweet beets are a great choice, and as we know from countless salads, they pair beautifully with sharp, creamy blue cheese. (For another take that’s not as pasta-like but still well suited to fall, try balsamic-roasted beet noodles with brussels sprouts and hummus dressing.) Walnuts add a little crunch to this indulgent dish. Get the recipe.

Broccoli Rabe and Sausage Parsnip Pasta

Skinny Taste

Parsnips, carrots’ paler cousins, are often overlooked, but they have a great nutty-sweet flavor that’s amplified when roasted. Turns out they make a tasty pasta substitute too. This version mixes them with a classic combo of slightly bitter broccoli rabe and spicy sausage that’ll carry you warmly into winter. Get the recipe.

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How to Make Fall-Themed Empanadas

Samosas. Calzones. Bao buns. Hot Pockets. Across the globe, we all seem to agree that encasing food in bread is a capital idea. In Spain and Latin America, this dish is of course known by the name “empanada.” The word “empanada” comes from the Spanish verb “empanar,” meaning quite literally “to wrap in bread.” As crisp autumn breezes have us wrapping ourselves up in warm layers, what better time of year to make some of these steamy bread-wrapped treats?

Personal touches and embellishments aside, all empanada recipes consist of five basic steps:

1. Prepare your dough. It’s quick and easy to whip up a simple flour-based dough from scratch. Alternatively, you can purchase a pre-made pie crust or a package of pastry dough designed for turnover-style treats. Whichever route you take, you’ll eventually need to end up with small circles of flattened dough, about 4-6 inches in diameter.

2. Prepare your filling. We’ll come back to this!

3. Spoon the filling onto the circles. Right in the middle should do it! Take care not to add so much filling that you’ll have trouble when you attempt to…

4. Fold the dough in half to create a pocket around the filling. Pro tip: Moisten the edges of your dough discs with water or egg whites to help them seal shut. If you’re game for some practice, you can learn a fancy braiding technique to connect the two sides. Alternatively, use a fork to crimp the edges and lock all the tasty goodness inside. If you’re not ready to eat your creations just yet, you can actually store unbaked empanadas in your freezer for up to three months. But even if you’re planning to chow down on your empanadas the very same day, you may want to let them chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes to settle into their shapes before you…

5. Bake or fry. Then enjoy at home or on-the-go, thanks to their handy portable shape!

Let’s revisit step 2. Depending on the filling, empanadas can be served at any time of day, from breakfast to dinner and even dessert. Fillings may include meats, veggies, fruits—there’s no wrong answer. Here are a few ideas to capture the flavors of fall inside your next batch of empanadas!

Fig and Cheese Empanadas

May I Have That Recipe

This recipe combines two dozen fresh figs with an orange ginger cheese to create a sweet and savory appetizer. Get the recipe.

Pumpkin Empanadas

Curious Cuisiniere

Did you know that the pumpkin plant originated in Mexico? This seasonal squash will feel right at home inside a Latin American treat. Get the recipe.

Sweet Potato Empanadas

Melissa Guerra

Sweet potatoes and cinnamon sticks—what could be more autumnal? Get the recipe.

Cranberry Apple Empanadas

OMG Chocolate Desserts

The vibrant red hue of the filling signals bold flavors of tart sweetness ahead! Get the recipe.

Caramel Apple Empanadas

Cooking with Carlee

Who needs a caramel apple on a stick? This recipe delivers the same classic flavor combo in a format that’s actually easy to eat gracefully. Get the recipe.

Cincinnati Chili Empanadas

Foodie with Family

Fall is prime chili season, so wrap some up in an empanada for a handheld way to eat it. Cincinnati chili is especially great thanks to the chocolate and cinnamon in the mix. Get the recipe.

Thanksgiving Leftover Empanadas

Delicious Table

Eating leftovers can be a chore. But wrap them in bread and it’s like giving yourself an early holiday gift to unwrap! Get the recipe.

Related Video: How to Make Sausage and Vegetable Calzones

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Sourdough Toasts With Tomato, Pesto, and Burrata

Get Recipe!

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