Five Hearty Recipes to Make This Fall

Here at Shea Homes®, there’s nothing we like more than spending a crisp evening whipping up some seasonal recipes to sustain us through chilly autumn nights. Here are five hearty recipes for that special time of year when leaves fall and temperatures drop. 
 
Pork with apples
Pork chops with sauteed apples is a classic fall combination, and it’s easy to see why —- the richness of pork and the tangy sweetness of spiced apples combine beautifully. Simply sear pork chops in a pan with butter over medium heat, cooking for about five minutes on each side. Remove the chops and keep warm while you add sliced tart apples to the pan and season with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Serve with a green salad and a loaf of crusty bread — you’ve got a delicious fall dinner. 

Can’t say no to gnocchi
Though making your own pasta can seem intimidating, gnocchi are an easy option that even complete beginners can master. Gnocchi are delicious and pillowy dumplings made from a combination of cooked potato, egg, and flour. Hearty potato and vegetable accompaniments lift this recipe’s nutritional power above that of a traditional pasta. This recipe swaps potato for sweet potato and uses a combination of cheeses in the dough to produce gnocchi that are tender, savory, and oh-so-fluffy. Pair gnocchi with your favorite pasta sauce or crisp them in a hot pan with garlic, sage, and brown butter for a quintessentially fall meal. 

Fall granola
The whole grains and fiber of homemade granola can keep you full until lunch — and even lower your cholesterol. Avoid the added sugars and processed taste of store-bought granolas by making your own at home! This healthy recipe uses maple syrup for sweetness, unrefined coconut oil, and a blend of nuts and seeds for a protein-packed punch. Warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger conjure all the fall feelings, and you can serve your granola with yogurt and seasonal fruits like apple, pear, and pomegranate. 

Soup season
Is there anything better than a steaming bowl of soup on a chilly day? Not in our opinion — particularly when that soup is packed with golden caramelized onions and topped with melty Gruyere cheese. Caramelizing onions on the stovetop takes patience, but the result is worth the wait. Caramelization occurs when the sugars in onions are heated to a certain temperature, which breaks down the chemical structure of the onion’s sugar and starch molecules. This French onion soup recipe stars caramelized onions in beef stock seasoned with fall spices like bay, thyme, and garlic. Top it all off with baguette slices smothered in toasted gruyere cheese and you’ve got a bowl of pure comfort food! 

Baked fall pasta
Baked pastas are a meal prep savior: They keep well frozen or refrigerated, feed a crowd, and are a perfect vehicle to sneak in servings of vegetables for picky eaters. This butternut squash baked pasta uses a vegetable cream sauce made from roasted squash for a healthier alternative to an alfredo or cheese sauce. The roasted squash flavor keeps this pasta fall-inspired and is entirely customizable for additional vegetables like savory mushrooms, or protein like fall-spiced sausage rounds. 

Fall recipes may use a variety of seasonal produce or ingredients, but they’re united by one thing: they’re supremely delicious. From pastas to pork chops, these fall recipes have comfort and nutritional staying power to spare. Now all you’re missing is a chef-quality Shea Homes® kitchen to cook them in!