Fall

What's the fastest way possible to roast a turkey for Thanksgiving? Skip the whole turkey: instead, roast bone-in breasts and legs. (If you don't want to butcher a turkey yourself, you can buy them in individual pieces or have your butcher break a whole bird down for you.) Once you put the pieces in the oven, they cook in about 1 hour and 15 minutes, and are so much faster and easier to carve and serve.

Why wouldn't you throw some veggies around your bird while it roasts? You've got a hot pan that's about to be full of sizzling schmaltz just begging to bathe a mosaic of squash and onions with tons of chicken-y flavor.

There’s no need to reduce your cream or pre-cook the kale for this cheesy, creamy casserole. Leaving the potatoes unpeeled bumps up nutrients and cuts the prep time, too.

Fresh figs and grapes cooked in balsamic vinegar and honey make an addictively sweet and sour sauce for pork chops in this seasonal fall dinner.

Pumpkin mousse, whipped cream, and pretty pomegranate syrup give this elegant spin on pumpkin pie a jewel-like presentation that's both stunning and delicious.

Stuff roasted butternut squash, rich white cheddar, tangy pickled red onions, and zesty Dijonnaise into bread rolls for a sandwich that tastes like autumn.

Get your greens and your comfort food all at once with this decadent, crispy-crusted casserole.

You don't need mystical powers to conjure the magical swirl in this spooky cake that's perfect for a Halloween party.

These sugared doughnuts are craggy and crunchy on the outside, tender and moist on the inside. Apple butter (not sauce!) is key to their texture and flavor; look for it alongside jams and jellies in the supermarket, or at farmers’ markets, or make your own.

Plums are summer’s all-stars. You should eat and cook with them only when they are peaking, plentiful, and widely available in many varieties.