Get Ready for Fall With These Seasonal Meals

varying pumpkins in a pile

There's a moment when the first leaves begin to transform into golden hues and the air changes from the sweltering heat of late August to hints of crisper temperatures. Many of us eagerly await that moment and cannot wait to embrace the rich, warm flavors of a delicious seasonal fall meal without the sweltering temperatures oven or stove-top cooking can bring.

If you, too, are ready to embrace seasonal fall cooking, we're here to help with ideas and inspiration for your next best meal yet!

Pumpkin Everything

For those all about pumpkin-everything this autumn, we have some ideas you might love to try!

Pumpkin Breakfast Sausage

Here's a recipe that is a breeze to whip up in the morning with just a handful of ingredients. You'll need 1lb of your favorite ground pork, with ¾ cup of pureed pumpkin, one and ½ teaspoons of your chosen pumpkin pie spice blend, and 4 Medjool pitted and finely chopped dates. Mix everything in a bowl and form into patties. Heat a medium or large skillet over medium-high with a tablespoon of oil. Place your patties once the pan is heated and cook for three to four minutes per side until cooked. Once cooked, serve and enjoy!

Rich and Hearty Pumpkin Stew

This pumpkin stew recipe can be cooked in one pot on the stove and can be adapted for any dietary needs. The essential ingredients include olive oil, a medium-sized onion, diced, 1lb of ground beef, turkey, chicken or protein of choice, 3 cups broth of choice, three medium-sized potatoes, chopped, 1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree, 1 15 oz can of white beans, drained and rinsed, 4 cups of kale, stems removed and cut into bite-sized pieces with 2/3 cup of full-fat coconut milk.

Add olive oil to a stew pot or large Dutch oven on medium-high heat, and add your diced onions until soft and they begin to brown. Next, add your chosen protein and cook until browned; then, add the ingredients, except for the kale and coconut milk. For the seasoning, use four bay leaves, two tablespoons fresh or dried basil, then salt and pepper to taste. Heat it to a simmer, then let it simmer until the potatoes cook and are soft.
Finish the stew with your kale and the coconut milk, let it come up to a simmer once more, and it's ready to serve!

No-Bake, No-Fuss Pumpkin Dessert

A salty, sweet, light, and pumpkin pie mix makes for a flavorsome and easy dessert. First, create a crushed pretzel pie or use a premade crust. Next, add one 3.4 oz box of instant vanilla pudding mix to a bowl, then add ½ cup of milk and whisk until the pudding is smooth and creamy. Add one heaping teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and one cup of pumpkin puree and mix until smooth. Pour this mix slowly over your pie crust and spread gently. Next, place eight oz of pre-softened cream cheese in a bowl and one 8 oz container of whipped cream topping and beat with a hand mixer until smooth; add ½ cup of sugar and one teaspoon of vanilla extract and beat until combined—then spread on top of your pumpkin puree and pudding layer. You can top this dessert with grated chocolate or pumpkin seeds and place it in the fridge until it's chilled. Then, serve!

Eye of Round Roast

It's surprisingly easy to create a fall-apart, tender eye of round roast when you have the right ingredients. This deceptively simple recipe can be adapted with any of your favorite spices, should you wish to experiment.

Gather the following spices:

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried, crushed rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • Salt and Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • ¾ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¾ teaspoon garlic powder

The first step for a perfect eye-of-round roast is to remove it from the fridge and allow it to come up to room temperature. Once room temperature, pat the meat dry before pre-heating it to 500 degrees. While your oven heats, combine the seasoning in a bowl, then drizzle your roast with olive oil and use your hands to coat all sizes. Next, sprinkle the mixed seasoning all over your roast, then place it on a rack inside a roasting pan, with the fat cap (if any) facing up.

Transfer to your pre-heated oven and roast for 15 minutes until nicely browned, then reduce the heat to 300 degrees F and continue to roast for 40 – 50 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads between 130 and no more than 135 degrees F. Remove from the oven and tent it loosely with foil, allowing it to rest for 15-20 minutes before cutting and serving.

More Flavorful Fall Ideas

There are so many bursting-with-flavor fall recipes to try we don't have the room to go in-depth for them all, but here are some of our favorite mouth-watering suggestions to look into:

There are so many tasty fall recipes, from sweet to savory to everything out there, just waiting for you to try and experiment with them! Wholey's is eager and excited to help you elevate your meals to an entirely new level with the freshest ingredients, delivered straight to your door today!