When the weather turns cooler, cozy chili, creamy casseroles and warm apple desserts hit the spot. Our top 41 recipes for fall include lighter comfort food recipes, hearty slow-cooker recipes, apple pie recipes and more. Try one of our favorite fall recipes to celebrate the best flavors of the season.
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Chicken Chili with Sweet Potatoes
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Tons of spice, corn and bell pepper give this healthy one-pot chicken chili recipe Southwestern flair. Serve with your favorite hot sauce, tortilla chips and a cold beer.
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Creamy Chicken & Mushrooms
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Whether you scored wild mushrooms at the farmers' market, found cultivated maitake or shiitake at the supermarket or just have some baby bellas on hand, this healthy creamy chicken recipe is delicious with any of them. Serve over whole-wheat egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
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Strip Steaks with Smoky Cilantro Sauce & Roasted Vegetables
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In this healthy dinner recipe, a cast-iron pan does double duty by searing the steaks and roasting the vegetables. Not a fan of cilantro? The sauce is great with parsley instead.
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Fried Apple Pie Rolls
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In this healthy take on apple pie, wonton wrappers stand in for pie crust, saving you calories and the headache of rolling out dough. We like to use Granny Smith apples because they hold their shape and provide tart balance to the sweet filling. Try dipping these handheld crispy treats in whipped cream.
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Chicken, Arugula & Butternut Squash Salad with Brussels Sprouts
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Hot roasted vegetables lightly wilt the arugula in this healthy dinner salad recipe. Keep prep time minimal with leftover chicken, precut butternut squash and trimmed Brussels sprouts.
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Slow-Cooker Hot Cider with Brandy
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Brew up a batch of warm apple cider with ease in this no-sugar-added drink recipe. The hot toddy stays warm and party-ready in your crock pot all night long.
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Smoked Gouda-Broccoli Soup
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Smoked paprika and smoked Gouda give this broccoli-and-cheese soup recipe a double hit of smoky flavor. If you can't find smoked Gouda, smoked Cheddar gives delicious results as well.
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Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
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This easy slow-cooker chicken noodle soup is chock-full of vegetables and noodles, and gets extra creaminess from a little light cream cheese.
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Spanakopita Loaded Potatoes
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In this healthy take on twice-baked potatoes, spinach, feta, garlic and oregano are stuffed into the potato shells along with the mashed potatoes. Serve with steak or chicken sprinkled with oregano or marjoram.
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Broccoli-Cheese Chowder
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This satisfying remake of broccoli chowder benefits from the creamy texture of cooked potatoes and smooth, tangy reduced-fat sour cream instead of getting its richness from as much as a cup each of cream and cheese. Not only is the flavor vibrant, but a single serving gives you over half of the daily recommendation for vitamin C.
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Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili
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Make a double batch of this quick vegetarian chili, full of black beans and sweet potatoes, and eat it for lunch the next day or freeze the extras for another night. We love the smoky heat from the ground chipotle, but omit it if you prefer a mild chili. Serve with tortilla chips or cornbread and coleslaw.
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All-American Apple Pies
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Mini apple pies are baked in hollowed out apple shells, topped with pie crust lattice, and baked until golden brown and filling is bubbly.
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Chicken & Spinach Soup with Fresh Pesto
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This fragrant, Italian-flavored soup takes advantage of quick-cooking ingredients--boneless, skinless chicken breast, bagged baby spinach and canned beans. It features a simple homemade basil pesto swirled in at the end to add a fresh herb flavor. If you are very pressed for time, you can substitute 3 to 4 tablespoons of a store-bought basil pesto. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.
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Chicken & Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo
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Sun-dried tomatoes and Romano cheese pack a flavorful punch along with the tantalizing aroma of fresh marjoram in this rustic Italian-inspired dish. Serve with sautéed fresh spinach or steamed broccolini.
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Broccoli Casserole
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The lightened-up luscious sauce elevates this easy casserole recipe over standard broccoli and cheese side dishes.
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Sauteed Pork Chops with Apples
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The Sugar and Spice Rub makes extra. So another time, use it to season pork tenderloin or lean burgers before broiling or grilling.
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Cheesy Spinach-&-Artichoke Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
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This spaghetti-squash-for-pasta swap slashes both carbs and calories by 75 percent for a delicious, creamy casserole you can feel good about eating. It's worth roasting the squash versus cooking it in the microwave if you have the time: the flavor gets sweeter and more intense.
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Penne Pasta with Sausage, Butternut Squash & Chard
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Get dinner on the table even faster by using precubed butternut squash in this creamy pasta recipe. Found in the produce section of large grocery stores, the cut butternut is a little bigger than you need here, so you will have to do some chopping—but the peeling and gutting has been done for you. That means this easy healthy dinner takes just 35 minutes to prep. Score!
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Walnut-Rosemary Crusted Salmon
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Salmon and walnuts are both great sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Pair this easy salmon recipe with a simple salad and a side of roasted potatoes or quinoa.
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Creamy White Chili with Cream Cheese
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This rich and creamy chili comes together in a flash thanks to quick-cooking chicken thighs and canned white beans. Mashing some of the beans acts as a fast thickener when your soups don't have a long time to simmer. Cream cheese adds the final bit of richness and a hint of sweet tang.
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Roasted Gnocchi & Brussels Sprouts with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
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In this quick vegetarian dinner recipe, you can skip boiling the gnocchi—they'll cook through while roasting on the sheet pan with the rest of the ingredients. If you can't find Meyer lemons, use 1 small regular lemon in Step 2 and use 4 teaspoons lemon juice and 2 teaspoons orange juice in Step 4.
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Leek & Potato Soup
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Our lightened version of classic potato-leek soup uses just a touch of reduced-fat sour cream to make it rich and creamy.
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Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes
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This healthy recipe is a savory riff on the traditional brown-sugar-and-pecan-topped sweet potato casserole so often found on Thanksgiving tables. Crispy baby kale leaves make a stunning garnish, but any green or herb that suits you will look great, fried or not.
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Apple & Cheddar Side Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
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This salad is easy and festive—the perfect healthy addition to your holiday table. The no-sugar-added dressing blends well with the sweet notes of apple and sharp Cheddar cheese, and crunchy pecans round out the dish.
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Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese
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Fiber-rich sweet potato is used as the base for the cheese sauce in this healthy, homemade macaroni and cheese recipe. The bright orange color tricks your eyes into thinking this healthy macaroni and cheese recipe is loaded with cheese, but there's actually only about half as much cheese as compared to a traditional recipe.
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Classic Lasagna
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Here's an old-fashioned meat-and-cheese lasagna made lighter. Whole-wheat lasagna noodles taste great in this recipe, plus they help boost the fiber to 9 grams, which is more than a third of the recommended daily intake and especially good news for a healthy heart.
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Easy Vegetarian Chili
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Canned beans and tomatoes make this quick vegetarian chili recipe ready to go in just 30 minutes. Serve over rice or couscous, or with tortilla chips for added crunch, and add extra toppings as you see fit—sliced scallions, chopped fresh cilantro, diced avocado and sliced jalapeños are all tasty choices.
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Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore with Polenta
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This rustic stew cooks all day in the slow cooker so you can come home to a comforting, hot dinner. Not a fan of polenta? Try this healthy chicken dinner over pasta instead.
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Pumpkin Banana Bread
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Two favorite quick breads come together in this healthy pumpkin banana bread recipe. Pumpkin puree and mashed banana add sweetness to help cut down the amount of added sugar while ensuring this 100-percent whole-wheat loaf stays moist and tender.
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Muffin-Tin Quiches with Smoked Cheddar & Potato
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Potatoes, cheese and greens make this mini quiche recipe delicious and satisfying. Bake up a batch over the weekend and you'll have breakfast available in a hurry for the rest of the week.
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Kale & White Bean Potpie with Chive Biscuits
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In this vegetarian white bean potpie recipe, kale and hearty white beans are topped with easy, homemade chive biscuits. If desired, add a little shredded Gruyère or Cheddar cheese to the biscuit dough.
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Meringue-Topped Sweet Potato Casserole
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This lightened-up take on the classic Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole is spiked with crushed pineapple and toasted pecans. We top it with an airy, slightly sweet meringue. You can pipe the meringue to make it look fancy or simply spread it neatly with a rubber spatula.
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Mashed Cauliflower & Yukon Golds
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The term "cauliflower mashed potatoes" usually means subbing cauliflower for potatoes completely, but in this recipe we use both cauliflower and potatoes: Yukon Golds add to the buttery hue of the mash and their waxy texture balances out the more watery cauliflower to keep it velvety. The mash is easy enough to make as a weeknight dinner recipe, but it would also make an excellent side dish for Thanksgiving or another special occasion.
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Pulled Pork Tenderloin with Vidalia Onion BBQ Sauce
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Use your slow cooker to transform lean pork tenderloin into moist and tender meat ready for shredding in this healthy BBQ recipe. Serve the pulled pork as part of a BBQ platter with pickles and cornbread or pile it on a soft bun to make a delightfully messy sandwich.
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Sweet Potato Carbonara with Spinach & Mushrooms
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Loaded with veggies, this spiralized sweet potato vegetable noodles recipe—our healthy take on a traditional carbonara recipe—achieves superfood status with the addition of spinach and mushrooms. Look for large, straight sweet potatoes to make the longest veggie noodles.
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Four-Bean & Pumpkin Chili
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This healthy vegetarian chili has a fragrant touch of cinnamon for added flavor. Let diners top it with whatever suits their taste.
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Vegetarian Shepherd's Pies
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These mini vegetarian shepherd's pies feature lentils, carrot and corn, crowned with a velvety mashed potato topping. The recipe can also be made in a broiler-safe casserole dish. Serve with a spinach salad with oranges, walnuts and red-wine vinaigrette.
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Black Bass with Sautéed Vegetables & Cioppino Jus
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Black bass has a delicate flavor that begs to be paired with something bold, like the cioppino-inspired jus in this healthy seafood recipe. The jus takes some time to make but we promise it's worth it. You'll have some left over: do as our editor-in-chief did and try it as a bloody mary base. Or use it to make risotto or a seafood stew.
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Butternut Squash Bisque
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Rice is used as a thickener in this lusciously creamy (but cream-free) healthy butternut squash bisque. This soup is very easy to prepare, but you can make it even easier by buying precut butternut squash rather than cutting it up yourself. Serve the soup as a light entree with crusty bread and a salad, or as a starter for a holiday meal.
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Apple-Crisp-Stuffed Baked Apples
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This apple dessert marries the best parts of apple crisp with a baked apple to make an adorable and tasty sweet treat. Cooking an apple crisp inside an apple is a wonderful treat in summer with a scoop of ice cream, or in fall after an apple-picking trip.
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Slow-Cooker Braised Beef with Carrots & Turnips
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The spice blend in this healthy beef stew recipe—cinnamon, allspice and cloves—may conjure images of apple pie, but the combo is a great fit in savory applications too. Serve over creamy polenta or buttered whole-wheat egg noodles.