Fall

This zinger of a pesto sauce breathes new life into a nutritious winter staple, and works well with acorn and kabocha squash, too.

Transform a traditional holiday side into something bold and beautiful using smoked paprika (hot or sweet) and cayenne. This dish couldn’t be simpler to prepare, requiring just a handful of ingredients and yielding a result that’s sweet, savory, and delicious.

This simple-to-prepare pot pie is a perfect excuse for all that leftover Thanksgiving turkey. The cheesy crust is so good that you’ll want to bake it as a stand-alone biscuit—use just a cup of buttermilk for a stiffer consistency.

The cherry-cranberry combination achieves the perfect balance of flavors alongside a roasted turkey or ham—or drizzled on vanilla ice cream. If cherry cider is hard to find, substitute a sweet-tart fruit juice such as cranberry or pomegranate.

Whoever believes that bread-based stuffing is the only one worth eating hasn’t tried this wild rice version. Alongside perfectly cooked poultry, its blend of sweet and savory stands out as a great-tasting, healthier alternative to plain old stuffing. Pearl onions are sweeter than their larger cousins and they add a nice visual touch, so seek them out in the market’s frozen section. And to fortify nutrients, substitute with brown rice, which requires a little more cooking time than white.

There’s a lot to like about this classic American stuffing. Sweet Italian sausage has salty appeal, while the combination of tart green apples and dried cranberries delivers a one-two punch of tangy sweetness.

Basic but brilliant is an apt description for this never-fail Thanksgiving turkey from acclaimed restaurant-owner and Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio. His secret is to use a moisture-ensuring butter that is rubbed under the turkey skin; Tom’s is speckled with rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme, but use herbs of your choosing to put a personal stamp on this dynamite bird. With its simple and traditional flavor notes, this turkey can be paired with a variety of stuffings, though we’re partial to our New England Sausage, Apple, and Dried Cranberry Stuffing (page 262).

Transform plain chicken breasts into a new feast with this succulent take on the pot pie. Make the filling the night before, then get to work on the aromatic herb crust, stuffed with thyme and butter. The pie demands a fair amount of preparation, but efforts will be rewarded with high praise. Halve the measurements for a weeknight dinner for the kids, or make the whole recipe to serve a crowd of eager guests. And feel free to throw in whatever produce you have on hand.

In this protein-packed vegetarian version of the French bistro classic, tangy leeks and a garlic-herb bread-crumb topping mean that you won’t miss the sausage and duck that you’d find in a traditional cassoulet. Best of all, this one-pot wonder takes considerably less time to assemble and cook than a meat-lover’s cassoulet. For an easy flavor boost, substitute vegetable broth for the water, and add a can of fire-roasted tomatoes.

A satisfying budget-friendly Southern supper with leftovers that pack up easily for lunch the next day—what else could you ask for? This one-pot feast is packed with turkey, rice, and peppers, plus a little cayenne for spice. If you don’t like turkey, use chicken instead and add a dash of smoked paprika or lean bacon for a warm, earthy effect.

Here’s a sweet Southern dish from the heart of Texas; the recipe originated from the Dallas-based mother of a friend of Epicurious member Tina Jones. The spuds are baked with a blend of milk, vanilla, sugar, and butter, and topped with a crunchy walnut topping. This goes with almost any roasted meat.

This summery way to serve yams is great with hoisin-glazed ribs or pork chops. Experiment by swapping the spuds for rice to create another filling vegetarian meal, or serve the creamy dressing as a dip for chicken satay.

Few comfort foods hit the spot like a good chili. Don’t forget the Cheddar shortcakes; the light, fluffy consistency of the dough pairs perfectly with this Tex-Mex staple.

If you’re one of those folks with serious misgivings about cooked carrots (too soft, too bland, too . . . orange), this spicy South Asian starter will likely change your mind. Puréeing the carrot with broth and an aromatic mixture of spices produces an exceptionally rich, velvety texture. Like a little more heat? Kick it up a notch by increasing the amount of ginger, curry powder, or coriander while the pot is simmering. But be sure to remember the garnish: creamy yogurt will actually enhance the layers of flavor in the soup. This healthy option is great as a first course at a dinner party or makes a simple lunch for the kids.

Despite their names and their common family, the Jerusalem artichoke and the globe artichoke aren't at all alike—one is a tuber, the other a thistle. Yet, flavorwise, they relate perfectly in this pasta dish. Add some slivers of red onion, lots of garlic, a kick of red pepper flakes, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a shower of thinly sliced fresh mint and you have a boldly seasoned pasta dish worthy of serving to company yet easy enough for a family meal.

Amazingly, the New York Times fashion critic, Cathy Horyn, is also an accomplished cook and intrepid baker. The equivalent would be if I, a food writer, were also a sleek fashion plate with a deep bench of vintage and modern pieces. This is certainly not the case, so I find her extremely impressive. She claims that these cookies are a Swedish-American tradition in her hometown of Coshocton, Ohio, but I feel they are the cookie equivalent of Paris Fashion Week: a modern, edgy take on a classic. They are truly remarkable, with a robust and smoky undertone that sets them apart from other gingersnaps.

This needs to set up overnight, so start one day ahead.

Protein and B vitamins in chicken promote healthy hair. Stay gorgeous, girl.

Jellied candies like these are eaten all over Europe as post-dessert petits fours.